Personal computers and information networks

© Ferranti Archive held at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester

During the late 20th century there was a dramatic shift from expensive mainframe computers which occupied whole rooms, to personal machines that are networked together to form a powerful tool for communication. How did this major multinational industry grow from university research and a few kids trying to impress each other with their programming skills? And what did the defence industry have to do with it? This is the extraordinary story of how a bunch of nerds with little business experience made up the rules as they went along, ending up creating the personal computing industry that exists today and transforming our global communications landscape.

© National Aeronautics & Space Administration / Science and Society Picture Library