Programmed Data Processor (PDP)

The Programmed Data Processor (PDP) was one of the first iterations of a personal computing device. It was released as a series, with the PDP-1 being regarded by computer historians as the first microcomputer. The final release was the PDP-15.

The PDP was initially released in 1960 by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC, which was purchased by Compaq in 1998). The PDP-1 featured solid-state logic circuits, fully parallel processing, a computation rate of 100,000 additions per second, multiple step deferred addressing and expandable RAM.

The initial release of the PDP was groundbreaking in its portability (it was considerably powerful and dynamic for its size), ease of installation and accessibility. It ran on an ordinary 110-volt current, came with an alphanumeric typewriter and had an array of simplified controls and standardized connection ports.