Time machine · 40 years ago
Computers in 1986
3 computers in the atlas launched in 1986: Apple Macintosh Plus, Amstrad PC1512, Atari 1040ST. The most memory you could get in our catalogue was 1 MB (Apple Macintosh Plus); a 2025 flagship phone has 8,192× that.
$2,862what $1,000 in 1986 is worth in 2024 (US CPI)
8,192×more memory in today's phone than 1986's best in the catalogue
0people in the atlas got their first computer in 1986
1.9 million×memory growth expected since 1986 from the catalogue trend
Launched in 1986
Also on sale around 1986
NEC PC-9801NEC · 128 KB · 5 MHz¥298,000Commodore 64Commodore · 64 KB · 1 MHz$595 → $1,930 todaySinclair ZX Spectrum 48KSinclair Research · 48 KB · 3.5 MHz£175Dragon 32Dragon Data · 32 KB · 0.89 MHz£199.5Timex Sinclair 1000Timex · 2 KB · 3.25 MHz$99.95 → $320 todayPravetz 82Pravetz · 48 KB · 1 MHzAtari 800XLAtari · 64 KB · 1.79 MHz$299 → $940 todayApple IIeApple · 64 KB · 1.02 MHz$1,395 → $4,390 todayMSX computer (Sony, Philips, Yamaha, Sanyo…)Various (MSX standard) · 64 KB · 3.58 MHzAcorn ElectronAcorn · 32 KB · 2 MHz£199Compaq PortableCompaq · 128 KB · 4.77 MHz$2,995 → $9,430 todayApple Macintosh (128K)Apple · 128 KB · 7.83 MHz$2,495 → $7,530 today
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