Though many personal computers in the early 1970s were much cheaper, the most basic model of an HP 3000 sold for $95,000 in 1972, the equivalent of slightly over half a million in today’s dollars. Here are a look of what a computer cost from the 70s to more recent.
1971
Notable computer: Kenbak I
Price tag: $750
Inflation adjusted price: $4,659
1972
Notable computer: HP 3000
Price tag: $95,000
Inflation adjusted price: $571,791
1981
Notable computer: IBM Personal Computer 5150
Price tag: $1,565
Inflation adjusted price: $4,332
1982
Notable computer: Commodore 64
Price tag: $595
Inflation adjusted price: $1,551
1990
Notable computer: Poqet PC
Price tag: $1,995
Inflation adjusted price: $3,840
At the time of its release, the Poqet PC was the smallest computer on the market. It was powered by just two AA batteries and had innovative power management software that could make the batteries last for several weeks.
1991
Notable computer: Apple Macintosh PowerBook
Price tag: $2,299
Inflation adjusted price: $4,247
2000
Notable computer: Gateway Performance 1500
Price tag: $3,089
Inflation adjusted price: $4,513
The first computers with Pentium 4 processors became available in 2000. The Gateway Performance 1500 was one of the most popular of the inaugural Pentium 4 computers.
2001
Notable computer: Apple Titanium PowerBook G4
Price tag: $3,499
Inflation adjusted price: $4,971