Radio Shack TRS-80, Apple II, and Commodore PET Computers Introduced at 1977 West Coast Computer Faire

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1977: Consumer Computers at the West Coast Computer Faire

The personal computer became established as a consumer appliance rather than just a hobbyist homebrew contraption when the First West Coast Computer Faire was held the weekend of April 15, 1977. At this event three consumer computers were announced that were packaged ready for immediate use. Clockwise from the lower left these were the Radio Shack TRS-80, the Apple II, and the Commodore PET. Of these three, the standout and best seller was the Apple II, which didn't come with a monitor, but could be hooked up to a television to produce stunning color graphics (for 1977). The popularity of the Apple II at this event was depicted in the 1999 TV movie Pirates of Silicon Valley.

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