IBM Personal Computer Line (1981-Present)

IBM PC Model 5150

IBM’s first personal computer, known as the IBM PC or IBM 5150, was released on August 12, 1981 for a price of $1,565. It was created by a team of engineers out of Boca Raton, Florida, led by William Lowe and Don Estridge. The IBM PC was a very successful personal computer throughout the 1980’s until its discontinuation on April 2, 1987. Many computer companies decided to release IBM-compatible products that used a similar operating system to the 5150. A lot of early portable or “luggable” computers were also considered IBM-PC compatible. The IBM PC 5150 was famous for its advertising campaigns that featured an actor playing Charlie Chaplin’s character “The Little Tramp”. Most advertisements featured a white circular table with a one thin leg in the middle. It also had red roses in a vase, next to the IBM 5150 PC.

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IBM PCjr. 

With the success of the business-aimed IBM PC Model 5150 released in 1981, IBM decided to release a more home-friendly computer. The result was the IBM PCjr., released by IBM in March 1984 for a price of $1,269, which was cheaper than the 5150. The computer initially shipped with an option of getting the first commercially-available wireless keyboard, branded by IBM as the “Freeboard”. Unfortunately, people disliked the feel of the chiclet keyboard, causing the downfall of the PCjr. The computer was a complete market failure, selling only an estimated 270,000 units by the time the computer was discontinued. The IBM PCjr. was discontinued a little over a year after release in May 1985. 

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