In the 40 years since the launch of PC Magazine on newsstands, we've gone from a world where only the most arcane techno-wizards could communicate electronically to one where we can learn about anything—from quantum computing to what our neighbor had for dinner—all from the tiny computer in our pockets.
To see just how far we've come, we looked at the very first PC, the IBM Personal Computer Model 5150 from 1981, and compared it with several of its spiritual successors—a popular IBM PS/2 from 1987, 2011's Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 91z, and the Lenovo ThinkCentre M90a All-in-One that debuted in 2021.
We chose all-in-one PCs with integrated monitors because the original IBM PC came with its own single-color screen, although it would be hard to call it "built-in." Lenovo comparisons are fitting, since Lenovo bought IBM's PC business in 2005.
![The original IBM PC review in our first issue in 1982.](https://i.pcmag.com/imagery/articles/0752fZDbOchUyROR9qQGtEi-3.png)
The IBM PC was made for a time when paper dominated record-keeping. The latest Lenovo is designed for a time when research and meetings are conducted online from a home office chair.
We went from a 4.77MHz processor, 64K of memory, a wired keyboard, two floppy drives, and an 11.5-inch CRT screen that displayed text in one color (green), to a couple of technological marvels. Consider, for instance, the original monitor, which had a resolution measured in characters, not pixels—compared with today's Lenovo, with its 23.8-inch 1,920-by-1,080-pixel display. That's a science-fiction-sized leap, yet it's hardly even the best monitor available.
![The IBM PS/2 from our May 26, 1987 issue.](https://i.pcmag.com/imagery/articles/0752fZDbOchUyROR9qQGtEi-4.png)
Likewise, we went from storing data on a 160K 5.25-inch floppy disk to today's pretty standard 500GB hard drive—3.125 million times as much storage. Then consider the speed of that old floppy compared with the optional solid-state drive of the M90a with almost instant memory access.
The newest PC is also a heck of a lot lighter, easier to set up, and (without the stand) is only 1.94 inches thick. Yet, that ThinkCentre M90a isn't even the top of the line. There are plenty of other PCs with faster processors, better graphics, and larger screens.
Check out the vast differences in their tech specs below.