Personal computer price and performance

Abstract

Price and performance: that was the theme of Crawford's first Library Hi Tech article on PCs, way back in 1984. It's still an important theme, and one of the most unpredictable but enjoyable areas of personal computing. To celebrate the completion of Library Hi Tech's first decade, and as part of the tenth year of writing for Library Hi Tech, the author is preparing a brief series of articles that look back at the last decade in microcomputing. This “Looking Back” installment includes graphic analysis of how prices have changed in the direct‐market PC arena since 1986, with additional price/performance notes from previous articles going back to 1984. The author explains why “PC prices keep going down forever” is a myth and notes how difficult it is to predict the rate of price/performance changes. Trailing Edge #15, later in this issue, discusses factors to consider in buying a computer today, and includes the usual citations from the PC literature.

Citation

Crawford, W. (1993), "Personal computer price and performance", Library Hi Tech, Vol. 11 No. 1, pp. 7-27. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb047869