Systems
The machines that defined an era.
Acorn Archimedes
The ARM's birthplace
The Acorn Archimedes was the most powerful home computer of its era, introducing the ARM processor that now powers most smartphones.
Amstrad CPC
All-in-one colour computing
Alan Sugar’s Amstrad CPC bundled a computer, cassette deck, and monitor—bringing tidy, reliable 8-bit power to the masses.
Apple II
The computer that launched an industry
Steve Wozniak's Apple II brought personal computing to homes and schools, establishing Apple and proving computers could be consumer products.
Atari 2600
The console that created an industry
The Atari VCS brought arcade gaming home, establishing the cartridge-based console market before hubris brought it crashing down.
Atari 8-bit Family
The 400, 800, and XL/XE computers
Atari's home computers offered superior graphics and sound to their contemporaries, yet never matched the company's console success.
Atari ST
Sixteen-bit music machine
The Atari ST married a 68000 CPU with built-in MIDI ports, making it a darling of musicians, demosceners, and bedroom developers.
BBC Micro
The educational powerhouse
Acorn's BBC Micro brought computing to British schools, taught a generation to program, and spawned the ARM processor architecture.
Commodore 64
The 8-bit every kid could afford
Launched in 1982, the C64 paired the SID and VIC-II chips with an accessible price, becoming the best-selling home computer ever.
Commodore Amiga
The multimedia dream machine
The Amiga family fused 68000 power with custom chips for graphics, sound, and multitasking, redefining creative computing in the late 80s.
Commodore VIC-20
The friendly computer
The first computer to sell a million units, the VIC-20 brought colour computing to the masses and paved the way for the C64.
MSX
The standard that united Japan
MSX attempted to standardise home computers, succeeding spectacularly in Japan while struggling elsewhere, and launching Konami and Metal Gear.
Neo Geo
Arcade perfection at home
SNK's Neo Geo delivered arcade-identical gaming at home for the price of a used car, creating the ultimate enthusiast platform.
Nintendo Entertainment System
Console discipline meets 8-bit charm
Nintendo’s Famicom/NES defined global console gaming, pairing strict licensing with polished 8-bit experiences.
Nintendo Game Boy
Lateral thinking made portable
Gunpei Yokoi's Game Boy chose battery life over power, outlasting technically superior rivals to define handheld gaming.
PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16
The compact powerhouse
NEC's PC Engine bridged 8-bit and 16-bit generations, dominated Japan briefly, and introduced the CD-ROM add-on that would reshape gaming.
Sega Master System
The NES challenger
The Sega Master System was technically superior to the NES but couldn't overcome Nintendo's head start and third-party lock-in.
Sega Mega Drive / Genesis
Sega's 16-bit champion
The Mega Drive broke Nintendo's stranglehold, brought Sonic to life, and made 'Genesis does what Nintendon't' the most aggressive slogan in gaming.
Sinclair ZX Spectrum
Budget brilliance in rubber keys
Clive Sinclair’s £125 Spectrum put colour computing within reach, igniting the UK’s bedroom coding boom.
Sinclair ZX81
Computing for under £70
Clive Sinclair's black wedge computer brought programming to Britain's bedrooms, despite its 1KB RAM and membrane keyboard.
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo's 16-bit answer
The SNES arrived late to the 16-bit war but won through superior software, Mode 7 magic, and the most celebrated game library of any console.
TRS-80
Radio Shack's surprise success
The TRS-80 brought personal computing to Radio Shack stores across America, becoming an unexpected bestseller and establishing the home computer market.