Microcomputer
small, relatively inexpensive computer
A microcomputer is a small, relatively inexpensive computer having a central processing unit (CPU) made out of a single integrated circuit microprocessor. The computer also includes memory and input/output (I/O) circuitry together mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB). Microcomputers became popular in the 1970s and 1980s with the advent of increasingly powerful microprocessors such as the MOS Technology 6502, Zilog Z80, and Intel 8088. The predecessors to these computers, mainframes and minicomputers, were comparatively much larger and more expensive.
Many microcomputers (when equipped with a keyboard and screen for input and output) are also personal computers (in the generic sense). An early use of the term "personal computer" in 1962 predates microprocessor-based designs. (See "Personal Computer: Computers at Companies" reference below). A "microcomputer" used as an embedded control system may have no human-readable input and output devices. "Personal computer" may be used generically or may denote an IBM PC compatible machine.
The abbreviation "micro" was common during the 1970s and 1980s, but has since fallen out of common usage.
The public source identifies “Microcomputer” as small, relatively inexpensive computer. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Microcomputer, small and relatively.
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The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 25, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q32738. The Library of Congress control number is sh85084804. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1962.
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This entry incorporates text from “Microcomputer” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.