The sleeping giant awakens

After ten years of virtually ignoring the microcomputer market, IBM - the largest and most influential computer company at the time - decided to create its own personal computer, which debuted in 1981.

Code-named "Acorn" and packaged with a new operating system from Microsoft (MS-DOS), the success of the IBM "Personal Computer" made "P.C." synonomous with IBM.

Crucially, IBM left a legal loophole in its licensing agreements allowing other companies to "clone" its design - soon companies like Compaq, Hewlett-Packard and others were selling "PC clones" that could run software written for IBM's computer.