KENBAK-1 Digital Computer
First commercially-available personal computer, 1971

The Kenbak-1, first advertised at $750 in September1971 by John Blankenbaker, is widely regarded as one of the world's first personal computers. It was a simple and affordable machine designed for educational purposes, featuring a 256-byte memory and 1 MHz speed, using toggle switches for programming.

John Blankenbaker's vision for the Kenbak-1 began in the late 1950s while he was working at Hughes Aircraft Company, where he first conceived the idea of a low-cost, programmable computer. It wasn’t until 1970, after becoming unemployed, that Blankenbaker seriously pursued this idea. His goal was to create a computer that was inexpensive, educational, and capable of demonstrating fundamental programming concepts.

The Kenbak-1 was characterized by its minimalist design, featuring switches and lights for input and output, which helped keep costs down. Of the 44 initially sold, only 14 are thought to survive. One of these was offered for auction at Christie's in 2024, and sold for about $120,000.