The 5 Most Successful Computer Businesses of All Time

cc licensed flickr photo shared by Jerry Bunkers

Computers have much changed the way people conduct business in this world. Productivity has gone up much since the introduction of computers. Processes have become more efficient, and companies can produce innovations in a fraction of the time it took before computers were introduced. There are very few people who simply would prefer a life completely devoid of the conveniences computers offer. For this reason, the top five computer businesses of all time will be highlighted to remember these companies’ contributions to the world.

1. IBM

In 1911, International Business Machines (IBM) was introduced to the world as Computing-Tabulating Recording Company (CTR). In 1924, the company earned its current name and began to manufacture computer servers, software, computer storage and printing systems. IBM was a major contributor to the early development of personal computers. The company remained on the leading edge of development by working with greats in the industry.

In 1980, IBM worked with greats in the computer industry, Paul Allen and Bill Gates, to develop a new operating system for an IBM PC. Later the same year, Microsoft also developed versions of BASIC, COBOL, FORTRAN and Pascal.

2. Hewlett Packard

Hewlett Packard was named after its two founders as Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard. In 2009, Hewlett Packard had a Fortune 500 ranking of nine and earned revenue equaling $114.6. Hewlett Packard provides customers with computers, printers, software, monitors, scanners and smart phones. The company serves homes, small and large businesses and the government.

Historically, Hewlett Packard was at the forefront of the personal computer introduction. In 1980, the company introduced a microcomputer, HP-85 The microcomputer featured a five-inch CRT display and 16 KB of RAM.

3. Apple

Apple computer designs and sells computers and other consumer electronics such as iPod, iPad and iPhone. The company is well-known for its MacIntosh computer line. Many Macs were revolutionary in design and were leaders in terms of its light weight and small foot print.

When evaluated based on revenue and profit, Apple is the largest technology company in the world. In fact, the company earns more than both Microsoft and Google joined. In 2010, the annual revenue equaled to $65 billion.

Historically, Apple had some memorable moments. In 1983, Apple IIe was introduced to the public. This computer ran Applesoft’s BASIC and features 64 KB of RAM and a 6502 processor. The computer sold for $1400.

In 1986, the Mac Plus was introduced to the public for $2,600. The keyboard featured a numeric keypad, cursors and one megabyte of RAM.

4. Dell

Dell is one of the world’s largest IT companies. The company was founded by Michael Dell in 1984 and made $73 million in its first year of operation after introduced the Turbo PC in 1985. Dell is the third largest PC maker behind HP and Lenovo. According to some publications, Dell is the world’s fourth largest IT company. Dell is a provider of computers for the home, business and government entities. They are the leading provider for the health care industry.

5. Compaq

Texas Instruments engineers and Rod Canion founded Compaq Computer Corporation in 1982. This was one of the first companies in history to introduce a clone of IBM’s PC to the public. With this introduction, Compaq became IBM’s major competitor. Compaq has not gained the sales or revenue of Dell, Lenovo or HP, but the company has a presence in the field and is known for its influences of PC development.

Compaq was one of the largest PC suppliers in the 1990s. In 2001, Dell took the ranking from Compaq. By 2002, the company was acquired by HP for $25 billion. The Compaq brand was completely phased out by 2010. Compaq made huge contributions to the computer industry before it retired in 2010 and is definitely one of the most successful and influential computer businesses of all time.

About the author

Stephen Holyman is a network administrator and contributor at Best Computer Science Degrees, a site with information about getting an online computer science degree.