The 25 Greatest PCs of All Time – 3

Here’s No 13 - No 8. (Data Source: PC World)

No. 13 – IBM Personal Computer/AT Model 5170 (1984)

This machine was released three years after IBM’s first PC shipped. It’s marked as both a revolution and an evolution in PC history – as a revolution because its powerful specs, and as an evolution because of the system’s design refinements. It was the first computer to use Intel’s 80286 CPU (6-MHz) and featured a 20MB hard disk. It used IBM PC-DOS 3.0 which supported 1.2MB (5.25-inch) floppy disks. Another highlight is its keyboard. The basic layout of its keyboard which is still used by us today, included a number pad (with cursor keys and a key lock) and dedicated function keys. It cost USD$5,295 at that time, and in case you’re wondering - the AT stands for Advanced Technology.

No. 12 – MITS Altair 8800 (1975)
Could this be the first true personal computer? Computer historians are still arguing about it. Whatever is decided, the Altair started its life in 1975 as a USD$397 build-it-yourself kit, including a board, an Intel 8080 CPU and 256 bytes of RAM. You needed to program it by flipping switches.

No. 11 – Sony VAIO 505GX (1998)

This model still looks good even now. It was introduced in Japan at the end of 1997, and at just 0.94 inch thick, it weighed 3 pounds (the chassis was made of magnesium alloy). It cost USD$2,699 with Pentium MMX-266 CPU and a 56-kbps modem. It’s not cheap, but spurred an ultraportable revolution. Sony’s new TX line still retains some of the 505’s design style. Click the link for the latest Sony VAIO TX Series Notebooks.

No. 10 – Apple PowerBook 100 (1991)

This was a very successful model from Apple. The USD$2,500 PowerBook 100 has two great features. First, it pushed the keyboard back toward the screen which freed up space for a wrist-rest area that made typing more comfortable. Second, it provided a nice, large trackball, the best mobile pointing device of its era. These two features pushed Apple from last place to first in notebook sales. By the way, it was manufactured by Sony and was discontinued in 1992.

No. 9 – Columbia Data Products MPC 1600-1 (1982)
IBM’s first PC used an Intel 8088 CPU, off-the-shelf parts and Microsoft’s DOS. Wonder why others couldn’t make one? Well, Columbia Data Systems did. The USD$2,995 MPC (Multi Personal Computer) had double the typical IBM PC’s RAM, more expansion slots and ports, and two floppy drives rather than one.

No.8 – Tandy TRS-80 Model 100 (1983)

Although it’s not the first laptop (Epson’s HX-20 was), Tandy’s Model 100 was the first that caught on. It had a 2-by-7.5-inch screen that displayed 40 characters across eight lines of text, a full-size keyboard that’s still impressive today, built-in software such as a word processor and spreadsheet, and a 300-bps modem.

Tired of old PCs? Click the link for the latest modern computers.