Personal Devices · Recorded milestone
Personal computer
Recorded year1975
A ready-built computer for the home runs games, word processing, spreadsheets and school work, and later connects to the internet.
Explore this milestone on the interactive mapBuilt on
Led to
- Dial-up bulletin boardRecorded · 1978enables
- SpreadsheetRecorded · 1979enables
- Newspaper onlineRecorded · 1980enables
- Home modemRecorded · 1981enables
- CAD on personal computersRecorded · 1982enables
- Laptop computerRecorded · 1982enables
- Inkjet printerRecorded · 1984enables
- PostScript and digital fontsRecorded · 1984enables
- CD-ROMRecorded · 1985requires
- Desktop publishingRecorded · 1985requires
- Screen readerRecorded · 1986enables
- Antivirus softwareRecorded · 1987enables
- Building information modellingRecorded · 1987enables
- GIF imagesRecorded · 1987enables
- Presentation softwareRecorded · 1987enables
- RAID disk arraysRecorded · 1987requires
- Pressure-sensitive pen tabletRecorded · 1988enables
- GroupwareRecorded · 1989requires
- ZIP archivesRecorded · 1989enables
- Dictation softwareRecorded · 1990enables
- Photo editing softwareRecorded · 1990enables
- Pocket digital cameraRecorded · 1990enables
- Digital audio workstationRecorded · 1991enables
- Open-source LinuxRecorded · 1991requires
- UnicodeRecorded · 1991requires
- World Wide WebRecorded · 1991enables
- Doppler weather radarRecorded · 1992enables
- Enterprise resource planningRecorded · 1992requires
- JPEG compressionRecorded · 1992requires
- MP3 audioRecorded · 1993enables
- Multimedia encyclopediaRecorded · 1993enables
- 3D graphics cards for gamesRecorded · 1996enables
- Real-time 3D game enginesRecorded · 1996enables
- Wi-Fi laptopRecorded · 1999enables
- USB flash driveRecorded · 2000requires
- Creative coding toolsRecorded · 2001enables
- Touchscreen tabletRecorded · 2002enables
- Digital game store (Steam)Recorded · 2003enables
- Brain implant moves a cursorRecorded · 2004enables
- Hawk-Eye line callingRecorded · 2006enables
- BlockchainRecorded · 2009requires
- Desktop 3D printerRecorded · 2009requires
- Sandbox building gameRecorded · 2009enables
- CyberweaponRecorded · 2010requires
- Cloud video meetingsRecorded · 2013requires
- Global ransomware attacksRecorded · 2017requires
Sources & evidence
Dataset updated 2026-10-18. This individual record has not been separately re-reviewed.