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The desktop computer took an innovative turn in 1989, with the release of the Poqet PC, a small, portable IBM PC compatible computer by Poqet Computer Corporation that originally retailed for two thousand dollars. The Poqet ran MS-Dos, was powered by two AA sized, batteries, and was one of the first personal computers to offer an instant on feature. Although the Poqet Pc is no longer produced, it was the prototype for the portable computers and handheld PDAs of today.
Just a few years later, in nineteen ninety three, the cheap desktop computer seekers had even more options to choose from. Several companies began selling computer systems using Intels Pentium microprocessor, the successor to the Intel 486 processor. While these computers sold for top dollar initially , the advancement did allow for faster, more powerful computers to be mass produced less expensively, just in time for the founding and launching of the first World Wide Web browser by Jim Clark and Marc Andreesen, Netscape. 1993 was an important year for other reasons technologically as well, since it was also the year that the Apple Newton, the first popular personal digital hand held assistant, or PDA was released. The Newton was marketed directly at business professionals, and featured printed handwriting recognition and pen navigation, and the ability to send and receive email. Although the Newton was competitively priced at $699, the handwriting recognition software was very case sensitive and the unit itself was not received well.
In 1995, Microsoft released Windows 95, consisting of more than 10,000,000 lines of computer instructions. The Internet became more of a focus for the average home computer user, but the World Wide Web as it was commonly called during this time period was still used primarily by industry professionals.
Nowadays, technological innovations have paved the way for a new generation of affordable, i.e. cheap desktop computers. Computers have become a staple of every home, and are used by countless workers for numerous tasks every single day. The next time that you use your ATM, purchase movie tickets at a freestanding kiosk, book a vacation online, peruse an online classified listing database, type a report, or even drive a car, thank the early computer innovators for their valuable contribution to society. Without the Lisa, the Commodore, the Atari, or the invention of the World Wide Web, the world we live in today would not be as dynamic, global, or effortlessly connected.
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