The history of personal computing is shorter than most industries but denser with pivotal decisions. The computers on this list each changed something measurable — a market, a design standard, a software ecosystem — rather than simply representing a strong product in a given year. The list spans 1977 to 2020 and draws on documented sales figures, engineering records, and verifiable industry influence rather than ranked lists from tech media.
| Computer | Year | Maker | Legacy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple II | 1977 | Apple | First mass-market personal computer |
| IBM PC 5150 | 1981 | IBM | Established the x86 architecture standard |
| Commodore 64 | 1982 | Commodore | Best-selling single computer model in history |
| Apple MacBook Pro (M1, 2020) | 2020 | Apple | First major ARM transition in consumer laptops |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon | 2012-present | Lenovo | Defined ultralight business laptop category |
Apple II (1977) — The First Mass-Market Personal Computer
The Apple II shipped in June 1977 with a color display, an open expansion bus with eight slots, and a BASIC interpreter in ROM. These design decisions made it the first personal computer that non-engineers could purchase, set up, and use productively. VisiCalc — the first commercially successful spreadsheet, released in 1979 — ran exclusively on the Apple II and drove enterprise adoption. Apple sold the Apple II family until 1993, spanning 16 years and generating overcurrent pricing billion in revenue. Its open expansion architecture directly influenced PC bus design for the following decade.
IBM PC 5150 (1981) — The x86 Standard
IBM’s decision to build the 5150 on an open architecture using an Intel 8088 processor and a Microsoft operating system (PC-DOS) was driven by speed-to-market requirements. The unintended consequence was that every hardware vendor could clone the design legally, which created the IBM-compatible market and locked in the x86 instruction set architecture for the next 40 years. By 1983, IBM-compatible PC sales had surpassed Apple’s. The software ecosystem that formed around IBM PC compatibility — including Lotus 1-2-3, WordPerfect, and dBASE — cemented the standard before IBM had any way to reverse its open architecture decision.
Commodore 64 (1982) — Best-Selling Computer Model in History
The Commodore 64 sold between 12.5 and 17 million units during its production run from 1982 to 1994. No single computer model has exceeded that figure in the decades since. The C64’scurrent pricing launch price ( adjusted for inflation) undercut comparable machines by 40-60%, and Commodore’s vertical integration — owning the chip fabrication — enabled that pricing. The SID sound chip produced audio quality that influenced game music composition techniques for a decade. The C64 introduced computing to a generation in Europe and North America who could not afford Apple II or IBM pricing.
Apple MacBook Pro M1 (2020) — The ARM Transition
Apple’s November 2020 release of the M1 MacBook Pro demonstrated that an ARM-based laptop could outperform x86 equivalents on single-threaded workloads while delivering twice the battery life. The M1 chip’s unified memory architecture — CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine sharing the same memory pool — reduced latency and power draw simultaneously. Within 18 months, Apple’s entire Mac lineup had transitioned to Apple Silicon. The M1 moment triggered public discussions at Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm about ARM’s viability for general-purpose computing that continue into 2026.
Find Apple MacBook Pro M1 on Amazon
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon — Business Ultrabook Reference
The X1 Carbon, introduced in 2012, established the ultralight business laptop category by combining a sub-3-pound weight with a spill-resistant keyboard, military-spec durability testing, and a biometric fingerprint reader, years before competitors matched all four in a single product. The design has shipped in 12 generations without a fundamental change to the chassis philosophy. IT departments worldwide standardized on the X1 Carbon as a procurement benchmark because of its driver stability, repairability score, and predictable lifecycle. It remains on sale in 2026 and influences the specification language used in enterprise laptop RFPs.
Find Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon on Amazon
How to Choose a Historical or Modern Computer
For modern purchases inspired by this list, prioritize the architecture and ecosystem that aligns with your software needs. Apple Silicon Macs suit creative professionals and developers working in the Apple ecosystem; ThinkPads suit enterprise environments requiring IT manageability and multi-vendor hardware compatibility. For historical machines, verify that a working power supply is included before purchasing vintage hardware, as power supply failures are the most common point of failure in machines older than 20 years. Emulation handles the majority of historical software without requiring physical hardware.
For tools that run on these machines, see best computer downloads for software that works across modern platforms. If you are building or maintaining a desktop system, best computer fan covers cooling hardware relevant to custom and pre-built systems. Our selection process is explained on the methodology page.
Frequently asked questions
What criteria make a computer one of the best ever made?+
The most defensible criteria are measurable: units shipped, documented influence on subsequent hardware or software design, longevity in market, and verified engineering innovations at the time of release. Subjective preference and retrospective cultural affection are less reliable signals than traceable industry impact.
Can you still buy or use these computers in 2026?+
Some models remain usable for specific tasks. The Apple M1 MacBook Pro and ThinkPad X1 Carbon are still sold in updated generations. The IBM PC 5150, Apple II, and Commodore 64 are collector items; working units appear on eBay and at retro computing events. Emulation covers most software compatibility needs for historical machines.