1980 to 1989: The Rise of Personal Computers and Personal Software - The Technical and Social History of Software Engineering - page 172

Chapter 7. 1980 to 1989: The Rise of Personal
Computers and Personal Software
The 1980s witnessed a major business change in history. The arrival of the IBM
personal computer and the continued expansion of the Apple line turned com-
puters and software from pure corporate business tools into sophisticated personal
tools. The hardware changes were accompanied by a huge expansion in new com-
mercial software packages aimed at the personal computer market. Indeed, “com-
mercial off-the-shelf” (COTS) software began to displace custom-built software in
many industries on both mainframe and personal computers.
The explosion of personal computers had a negative impact on minicomputers,
which had been a growing business up until this time. Mainframes and supercom-
puters continued to be critical tools in major corporations and large government
agencies. By the end of the decade, minicomputers were a dying industry.
The advent of personal computers led to a major expansion of software for per-
sonal use such as office suites, calendars, and home finance.
By the end of the decade, notebook computers were arriving, as were even
smaller devices called personal digital assistants (PDAs). Portability became a
new market force as many companies competed for combinations of lightweight
and long-battery-life personal devices. (During the 1980s, I visited several com-
panies working on prototypes of small computers and handheld devices that would
emerge in later decades.)
This decade also saw the expansion of outsourcing as companies realized that
their internal software groups were large, expensive, and not necessarily capable
of building software well.
Another major advance in this decade was the creation of the World Wide Web ,
which would change human communications forever.
Rapid Changes in Computing
The beginning of the 1980s witnessed a world-changing event: the release of the
IBM personal computer in 1981. The marketing power of IBM and the ease of use
of the IBM PC opened up the markets for commercial software because almost
every citizen would soon use a computer for personal tasks.