Relationships of Personal Computers

          The evolution of the personal computer is incredible, and there were many different components to it. The Xerox Alto computer was basically the first computer to use the model we are familiar with today. Not only did it have a monitor, a mouse, a keyboard, and a disk drive with data storage that could be removed and saved, it also introduced the idea of printing documents exactly as they were seen on the screen. The Xerox was the first personal computer with graphics and icons that could be understood and used easily by the general public. Unfortunately, the Xerox was not a commercial product, so it faded into history.

          However, the Xerox was a huge stepping stone that led to the design and production of the IBM PC. This personal computer had a different marketing strategy than the Xerox did, so it became widely popular. Along with the IBM PC, the Macintosh and the Windows OS personal computer were introduced to society. The Macintosh was created by Steve Jobs, and the idea and setup for Microsoft was essentially stolen from Apple. Nonetheless, the Mac, the IBM PC, and Windows OS were all successful inventions that brought the idea of the personal computer to life. The Macintosh used an operating system that was only compatible with other Apple products, whereas the Windows software could be used by different types of personal computers. This caused increased popularity for Windows, but obviously as time went on, Apple began to take over. Today, people use all different types of personal computers and they have become an essential part of our daily lives. It is amazing that all we have today started with the inventions of the Xerox and other personal computer inventions.