When Computing Got Personal: A history of the desktop computer
As an Amazon Associate, SpecPicks earns from qualifying purchases.
*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Price and availability subject to change.
Bottom line: The When Computing Got Personal: A history of the desktop computer is a niche pick — read recent reviews before buying in the reference & guides category, priced around $20.08. Compare close alternatives before committing.
SpecPicks Verdict
SpecPicks scored When Computing Got Personal: A history of the desktop computer using a rating × review-volume × price-fit model applied to our editorial and benchmark analysis across the reference & guides category. Matt Nicholson(Author)Format:Paperback's reference & guides lineup sits within the broader category mid-tier; price and specs are the deciding factors over brand loyalty here. Mixed or limited buyer feedback at this price point — focus your evaluation on recent reviews that specifically address build quality and long-term reliability, and shortlist one or two close alternatives before deciding.
Common buyer scenarios for reference & guides of this kind: matching it to an existing build, replacing a failing part, or upgrading from a previous-generation equivalent. Check the spec table below against your current setup — particularly socket / form-factor / power-rating fields — and confirm compatibility on the Amazon listing before purchase. Prices, stock, and Prime eligibility update directly from Amazon's catalog and may have moved since this page was last verified.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓ Backed by Matt Nicholson(Author)Format:Paperback's warranty and support channels
- ✓ Ships via Amazon with Prime eligibility and the standard returns policy
Cons
- ✗ Confirm socket / form-factor / power-rating compatibility against your build before ordering
- ✗ Price, stock, and Prime eligibility update from Amazon and may have changed since this page was last verified
Full Specifications
| Brand | Matt Nicholson(Author)Format:Paperback |
|---|
Ready to buy?
When Computing Got Personal: A history of the desktop computer is sold on the used and vintage market, where eBay carries the live inventory — Amazon does not stock this part. Prices and condition vary by seller and move in real time, so we link the live listing rather than quote a cached price. SpecPicks earns a small commission on qualifying purchases — thank you for supporting independent review work.
*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Price and availability subject to change.
Related Reference & Guides
Retro Gaming: A Byte-sized History of Video Games – From Atari to Zelda
Computing: A Concise History (The MIT Press Essential Knowledge series)
Nostalgia Nerd's Gadgets, Gizmos & Gimmicks: A Potted History of Personal Tech
Generative AI For Dummies (For Dummies (Business & Personal Finance))
The Computer: A History from the 17th Century to Today (Multilingual Edition)
More guides & deep dives from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all articles & guides →- Best Retro Handhelds in 2026 — From $35 to $500
- Emulation Hardware in 2026: FPGA, Software, and Cart-Reader Ecosystems
- Best 1440p Gaming GPUs in 2026
- Best Budget Gaming PC Build 2026 — ~$1,000 ($800 on Sale)
- The Complete Voodoo5 5500 AGP Driver Guide (2026 Edition)
- How to Build a Windows 98 Retro PC in 2026
- RTX 4070 Super vs RX 7800 XT — Which to Buy in 2026
More reviews from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all reviews →- Build a Raspberry Pi Zero W Cyberdeck in 2026: BOM + Wiring Guide
- ComfyUI on an RTX 3060 12GB: Stable Diffusion Throughput and VRAM Limits in 2026
- OG NeoGeo Stick vs 8BitDo SN30 Pro: Which Feels More Period-Correct for Fighting Games in 2026?
- Best 4K Monitor for PS5 in 2026 (Without Overpaying)
- Raspberry Pi Pico W Becomes a Driverless USB WiFi Adapter
- 3dfx Voodoo5 5500 PCI Boots in a Modern ASUS Z77 Board
- Best CPU Cooler for AM5 Overclocking: Noctua NH-U12S vs Cooler Master ML240L
- DeepSeek V4 vs Claude Opus 4.6: Local Inference Hardware for the Open-Weight Challenger
- LM Studio on an RTX 3060 12GB: Local-LLM Setup and tok/s in 2026
- SNES Classic vs Sega Genesis Mini in 2026: Which Is Worth It?
- When OpenAI Retires a Model: Build a Local RTX 3060 Hedge
- Why PSU Fans Aren't Built for Repairability
- Best Budget Local-LLM Box: RTX 3060 12GB + Ryzen 5 5600G
- Intel Arc B580 vs RTX 3060 12GB for Local LLMs in 2026
- AMD Ryzen AI HALO vs RTX 3060 12GB for Local LLMs in 2026
- Steam Deck LCD Battery Swollen: Diagnosis & Safe Fix Guide
- 8BitDo Sn30 Pro vs Pro 2: Best Bluetooth Controller for Raspberry Pi 4 Emulation
- Best PC Cooling for High-TDP Builds in 2026
- Best SSD for a Steam Deck or ROG Ally Upgrade (2026)
- Raspberry Pi 4 8GB vs a Used Mini PC for a 2026 Beginner Homelab
- Best GPU for AI image generation in 2026 — Flux, SDXL, SD 3.5
- Why AI Memory Bandwidth Matters: From Micron's HBM to Your GDDR6
- AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE Linux Performance 2026
- AI-Driven Driver Hunt: Installing Vintage Sound Cards on Windows 98 With Claude
Earliest SpecPicks reviews
Browse full archive →- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 8B (2026)
- Best GPU for Qwen 3 14B (2026)
- Best GPU for Qwen 3 32B (2026)
- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 70B (2026)
- Best GPU for DeepSeek-R1 32B (2026)
- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 405B (2026)
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Qwen 3 14B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Qwen 3 32B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Llama 3.1 70B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run DeepSeek-R1 32B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090