We are tracking down the earliest print appearance of the term “personal computer(s)”. We invite readers to contribute any earlier evidence for the term “personal computer(s)” to this project, with any original copy of those dated written materials, not unsupported recollections.
Those evidence could be in articles, books, thesis and dissertations, proposals, magazines, newspapers, memorandums, pamphlets, and other miscellaneous pertinent documents.
We hereby desire to express indebtedness to anyone, who would facilitate any original archival materials to answer the following open questions, including but not limited to:
- When was the term “personal computer(s)” first coined?
- Who did coin the term “personal computer(s)”?
- What if the coiner is not a computer celebrity?
- Did the term “personal computer(s)” appear in any classified document first?
- Did the term “personal computer(s)” appear in non-technical materials first?
- Did the term “personal computer(s)” appear in non-text materials first? (say, audios, videos, cartoons, comics, etc.)
- Was the term “personal computer(s)” borrowed from other languages?
The best place to start is with a Lexis Nexis search. Wikipedia had an early citation: "An early use of the term "personal computer" appeared in a 3 November 1962, New York Times article reporting John W. Mauchly's vision of future computing as detailed at a recent meeting of the Institute of Industrial Engineers. Mauchly stated, "There is no reason to suppose the average boy or girl cannot be master of a personal computer".[1]" If you used LexisNexis, then you could check for any preceding use of the term.
Please see:
Who Coined The Term “Personal Computer”?
By: SEAN P. AUNE
