The Rise of Home Computers in the 1980s
The home computer market surged in the early 1980s, fueled by rapid technological advances and declining hardware costs, making home computers affordable to the average household across Europe and North America.
During the first half of the 80s, a wide range of 8-bit machines emerged, primarily based on two CPU architectures: the MOS 6502/6510 and the Zilog Z80.
Table: Popular 8-bit Computers and their CPUs
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MOS-BASED |
ZILOG-BASED |
MOTOROLLA-BASED |
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Commodore 8-bit (PET, VIC, 16, Plus/4, C64, and C128) |
Amstrad 464, 664, and 6128 CPC |
TRS‑80 Color Computer |
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Apple 8-bit (Apple II and III) |
Sinclair's Z80, Z81, and ZX Spectrums |
Thomson Computers |
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Atari 8-bit (400, 800, XL, and XE) |
MSX/MSX2 |
Sinclair QL |
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Acorn 8-bit (Master, Atom, BBC, and Electron) |
TRS-80 Model |
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|
Oric (Oric 1, Atmos, and Telestrat) |
Grundy NewBrain |
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Jupiter Ace |
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Enterprise |
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SAM Coupe |
A Comparison of Legendary 16-Bit Computer Systems
By examining the technical capabilities alongside adjusted pricing (in today's dollars) of different computers, we gain insight into which systems offered the best Price/Value ratio at the time.