There is no single, uncontested first personal computer: the answer depends on whether “first” means an early machine designed for personal use, a market-making kit, a fully assembled system for individual users, or a computer sold under the name Personal Computer. The timeline below separates those milestones rather than treating them as contradictory claims.
What is a personal computer?
For this timeline, a personal computer means a relatively small computer intended for use by an individual. Historical sources apply the label differently, however. A hobbyist kit, an assembled computer, and a product officially named Personal Computer can each mark a different stage in personal computing.
That distinction explains why sources identify different “firsts.” The Computer History Museum lists the Kenbak-1 among the earliest personal computers. The Smithsonian describes the Altair 8800 as a small personal computer and the first microcomputer to sell in large numbers. The IPSJ Computer Museum characterizes the Apple II as the first fully assembled personal computer for individual users. IBM’s 5150, meanwhile, was the machine IBM introduced as its Personal Computer.
Personal computer timeline
Early 1970s: Kenbak-1
The Computer History Museum places the Kenbak-1 among the earliest personal computers. That makes it an early candidate, not an uncontested answer to every version of the “first PC” question. The distinction depends on the criteria being used.
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1971: Intel 4004 microprocessor
In December 1971, Intel announced the 4004, a 4-bit microprocessor developed for calculator use, according to the IPSJ Computer Museum. It was not a personal computer, but it belongs in the wider story: the microprocessor era helped make smaller computers feasible.
1974: Intel 8080 and early microcomputers
The IPSJ overview places Intel’s improved 8080 microprocessor in 1974 and records Sord’s announcement of its SMP 80/X microcomputer series that year. The Japanese milestone broadens the timeline beyond the better-known US developments.
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January 1975: Altair 8800
The Altair 8800 appeared in a cover feature in the January 1975 issue of Popular Electronics, as dated by the Computer History Museum. It was a kit, not a ready-assembled computer. The Smithsonian describes it as meeting both social and technical requirements for a small personal computer and as the first microcomputer to sell in large numbers. It is therefore a landmark in the rise of the personal-computing market, even though that is different from being the first fully assembled PC.
June 1977: Apple II begins shipping
Apple Computer began shipping the Apple II in June 1977, according to the IPSJ Computer Museum. That museum describes it as the world’s first fully assembled personal computer for individual users. This claim is specifically about an assembled machine intended for individuals, not about the earliest computer ever designed for personal use.
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1979: NEC PC-8001
The IPSJ timeline records NEC’s announcement of the PC-8001, its first personal computer, in 1979. It is another reminder that personal computing developed in Japan as well as the United States.
August 1981: IBM 5150
IBM introduced its Personal Computer in August 1981. IBM says the team used off-the-shelf parts to meet a tight schedule; the Computer History Museum also records the 5150 as IBM’s PC introduced in 1981. It was a defining milestone for IBM’s PC product, but personal-computing developments had begun years earlier.
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Why personal computers became possible
The Smithsonian explains that microprocessors put the basic functions of a computer on a single chip. This reduced the size and cost of computing and helped expand the market, enabling the shift toward smaller machines accessible to individuals. The milestones show that this was not one launch date: microprocessor developments, kits, assembled systems, and named products each contributed to the transition.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to interpret claims about the “first PC”
When a source calls a machine the first personal computer, check what it means by “first.” The event date also matters: an announcement, a magazine appearance, the start of shipping, and a product introduction are not interchangeable.
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| Machine | Form or intended user | What the source establishes | Milestone date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenbak-1 | Early personal-computing candidate | The Computer History Museum lists it among the earliest personal computers. | Early 1970s |
| Altair 8800 | Microcomputer kit | The Smithsonian calls it the first microcomputer to sell in large numbers and describes it as meeting social and technical requirements for a small personal computer. | Cover feature in the January 1975 issue of Popular Electronics |
| Apple II | Fully assembled computer for individual users | The IPSJ Computer Museum characterizes it as the first fully assembled personal computer for individual users. | Shipping began June 1977 |
| IBM 5150 | IBM product named Personal Computer | IBM introduced its Personal Computer; the Computer History Museum records the 5150 as IBM’s PC. | August 1981 |
These descriptions are compatible when their criteria stay attached: the Kenbak-1 is an early candidate, the Altair helped establish a market for microcomputers, the Apple II represents the assembled-computer milestone in the IPSJ account, and the IBM 5150 is IBM’s named PC product. None alone supplies a universal definition of “first personal computer.”
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