The original IBM-PC was released in August, 1981. The IBM-PC was significant because it was the first personal computer sold by a large computer company. Previously personal computers were available from companies like Apple, Atari, Commodore and Radio Shack. IBM's release of a personal computer was a signal to other large companies that the personal computer was a serious product which led to exponential growth of the industry during the 1980's
Thirty years later, in August 2011, Hewlett-Packard (HP) announced that it would be focusing on higher-margin products and would discontinue it's recently released TouchPad tablet and would explore spinning off it's PC division. HP's stock fell 20% after the announcement.
This news reflects the changing role of the PC based on competition from tablets and smart phones as Internet connectivity devices. Still, the expectation is that more than 350 million PC's will be sold this year.
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