Best-selling personal computers

[+Philsan]

We know that the best-selling single personal computer model of all time is Commodore 64.

What about Atari 8-bit family of computers?

Are they in second place? Maybe third?

Edited September 4, 2008 by Philsan

[Rybags]

Sadly, probably not.

 

I'd guess the Apple II, although it had several incarnations (original, IIe, IIe, IIgs etc).

 

Then you have the TRS-80 Colour Computer. IMO probably the crappiest home machine to come out of the US, but it probably outsold Atari at times.

 

And you have the Spectrum which sold a lot in Europe, no idea how it compares to Atari.

 

And the BBC and Acorn although I don't think they were huge sellers.

 

 

Finally, you have the Amiga. Despite only having a run of 8 years or so before C= went under, I'd say that there's every possibility that it sold more machines than the 8-bit Atari.

 

OK, not quite finally, but there is also the distinct chance that any number of PC models or clones could have had runs in the millions.

Edited September 4, 2008 by Rybags

[+Philsan]

Ah, yes, I have forgotten Amiga models (for example the successful A500).

And what if we narrow the range to 8 bits?

Spectrums have done well in Europe but in the USA?

[Rybags]

I don't think the Spectrum had much success outside Europe.

 

Reducing the field to 8-bit machines only would make it a close race. I don't know how the TRS-80 CoCo did in relation to Atari. One thing for sure is that they had the retail might to move the machines, which seems to be an area which Atari almost always was left wanting.

 

Also there's the TI99/4A, but I'm not sure it was ever a huge seller and in any case was a fairly early victim of the price wars around the mid 80s.

 

Another thing to consider are the MSX machines - although I don't think they were very predominant outside of Japan.

[Ross PK]

The BBC did really well in the UK, since nearly every single school over here had either one or several.

[atarian63]

I don't think the Spectrum had much success outside Europe.

 

Reducing the field to 8-bit machines only would make it a close race. I don't know how the TRS-80 CoCo did in relation to Atari. One thing for sure is that they had the retail might to move the machines, which seems to be an area which Atari almost always was left wanting.

 

Also there's the TI99/4A, but I'm not sure it was ever a huge seller and in any case was a fairly early victim of the price wars around the mid 80s.

 

Another thing to consider are the MSX machines - although I don't think they were very predominant outside of Japan.

Here in the US you hardly ever saw a trs-80 et all

[atarian63]

We know that the best-selling single personal computer model of all time is Commodore 64.

What about Atari 8-bit family of computers?

Are they in second place? Maybe third?

Probably the IBM PC/clones

Then C64 (god knows why)

Apple II series(schools)

Atari800

 

Not sure after that

[Oswald]

Then C64 (god knows why)

 

everyone knows. (including god)

[aftermac]

We know that the best-selling single personal computer model of all time is Commodore 64.

What about Atari 8-bit family of computers?

Are they in second place? Maybe third?

Probably the IBM PC/clones

Then C64 (god knows why)

Apple II series(schools)

Atari800

 

Not sure after that

 

I don't think the IBM PC and its clones would count, since "single model" implies from one company.

 

Then C64 (god knows why)

 

everyone knows. (including god)

 

<sarcasm>Sure... It was on the market for 40 years... and cost as much as a loaf of bread.</sarcasm>

[games-video]

UKs best selling computer: Sinclair Spectrum but UK success only

UKs second: C64

UKs third: BBC (as mentioned it was given to schools)

UKs 4th: A8

UKs fith: Amstrad CPC

 

Germany:

C64, tops

A8 second

CPC third (Schneider version)

 

France:

C64

CPC

 

no Apples ][ 'fraid (shame)

 

16bit:

ST first, Amiga later (all 3 countries)

Edited September 4, 2008 by games-video

[www.atarimania.com]

France:

C64

CPC

1. Amstrad CPC

2. Thomson

3. Apple II (a big market in the early years)

4. Spectrum / C64 / MSX

 

--

Atari Frog

http://www.atarimania.com

[www.atarimania.com]

Atari probably sold something like 7-8 million 400/800/XL/XE/XEGS computers worldwide. Far from C64 or Spectrum figures - the MSX line and Apple II certainly fared better as well - but that's still more than TI-99/4A, BBC computers, TRS-80 or Amstrad CPC numbers.

 

--

Atari Frog

http://www.atarimania.com

[games-video]

France:

C64

CPC

1. Amstrad CPC

2. Thomson

3. Apple II (a big market in the early years)

4. Spectrum / C64 / MSX

 

--

Atari Frog

http://www.atarimania.com

 

 

Wow, I got that wrong about the C64, was gonna mention the Thomson TO7/MO5, forgot about that one. Also the Oric Atmos did well in France in the later years.

 

In Germany, all 3 8-bit leaders were treated the same way, as Happy Computer constantly made comparions:

 

 

look at those awful looking Germans during the 80s, I suppose the A8 guy looks the sanest

 

 

Japan also had the NEC PC-8xxx series, best selling pre-MSX computer.

Edited September 4, 2008 by games-video

[atarian63]

Then C64 (god knows why)

 

everyone knows. (including god)

Hardly

[peteym5]

Hope this does not turn into another C64 vs A8 thing. Reason why the C64 outsold many other computers was the price of one back in '83. It was cheaper than many of the 64k computers on the market at the time. The Vic-20 sales were very high in 1982-1983. The Atari 800XL cost more when it hit the market. Atari was scrambling to get the 800XL on the market to compete with the C64, but they were a few months too late. Plus the fact the C64 sold so many units contributed to the 1983 video game crash, along with Atari making poor games for the 2600 years after it was outdated.

 

However I can say the IBM PC & Clones out sales everything because it is the standard for personal computers today. All the other personal computer technology became obsolete because the world was looking for a single standard. Not sure how the MAC with OSX is surviving because it cannot directly run everything the PC can.

 

I think those 6502 based systems would have done better if their parent companies got a hold of faster and power powerful compatible CPUs like the 65816. Made faster systems that were backward compatible. Atari could have made a more capable video chip that ran on a faster bus and still have modes to run all the Antic/GTIA stuff. Same for the Vic-II and Vic-III chipsets, and whatever the Apple II used. I think if the market stayed open for the 6502 based technology, it would have progressed in a similar manner as the 80x86 did. Someone would be making 64bit CPUs that can read the original 6502 assembly. Maybe a RISC processor with A,X,Y, as 64 bit registers, along with all of page 0 as registers, run at 3+ GHZ and addressing gigs of memory. But these companies went with 68000, a different CPU standard with new machines that couldn't run the old software.

[JamesD]

C64

APPLE II

Spectrum

 

After that it's unclear thanks to no sales numbers on some machines.

The original 400 and 800 sold poorly but later models sold better.

The CoCo was Tandy's top seller for it's entire production run but Tandy didn't release numbers. The Model I outsold the 400/800 so I wouldn't be surprised if the CoCo outsold the Ataris but I don't have proof either way.

[FastRobPlus]

Don't forget MSX (Asia)

[FastRobPlus]

Sales chart

[FastRobPlus]

Forgot about this pretty well researched chart.

It looks like in North America, it was the C64 (I must be a god because I do know why), the Apple II, The Atari 8 and the TRS-80 (behind the Atari by only 25%)

Sales chart

[Rybags]

That chart seems to totally omit the XL and XE lines.

[FastRobPlus]

That chart seems to totally omit the XL and XE lines.

 

Nah. It just calls the 8-bit line "Atari 400/800" They were not selling 400/800s in 1985/86.

 

One thing you may notice - by '87 the Atari had fallen off the face of the U.S. I remember getting a clerance XEGS from Toys R Us in 88, but it would have "sold in" and been reported on Atari's books in 87. By '88 in the US all Atari 8 bits were on clearance.

I understand it survived much longer in other places.

[roland p]

Forgot about this pretty well researched chart.

It looks like in North America, it was the C64 (I must be a god because I do know why), the Apple II, The Atari 8 and the TRS-80 (behind the Atari by only 25%)

Sales chart

Seeing so many IBM PC + Clones being sold just hurts...

[+Philsan]

Sales chart

Thank you very much for sharing this link!

 

So, IMHO, worldwide, 8-bit computers:

 

1. C64

2. Apple II (thanks to a very long life also in the 16-bit era)

3. Atari (leader of the market 1979-1982)

4. Spectrum (second in Europe after C64)

5. MSX (they arrived too late on the market, but in this period the total number of computer sold in the world was higher)

Edited September 5, 2008 by Philsan

[JamesD]

Forgot about this pretty well researched chart.

It looks like in North America, it was the C64 (I must be a god because I do know why), the Apple II, The Atari 8 and the TRS-80 (behind the Atari by only 25%)

Sales chart

The chart doesn't show the newer Atari's and Tandy never provided CoCo sales figures.

The CoCo3 wasn't even introduced until the chart shows 0 sales.

The Model I was discontinued in '81, the Model IV came out in '83 and sold for several years.

I think Tandy only provided data until '83 on the Model I - IV line.

 

But then this was discussed in another thread and the same useless sales chart was provided.

C64 and Apple numbers are *probably* the most accurate since those companies were anxious to share sales numbers.

 

<edit>

Well, apparently the newer Atari's are included from another comment in this thread.

Edited September 5, 2008 by JamesD

[JamesD]

Sales chart

Thank you very much for sharing this link!

 

So, IMHO, worldwide, 8-bit computers:

 

1. C64

2. Apple II (thanks to a very long life also in the 16-bit era)

3. Atari (leader of the market 1979-1982)

4. Spectrum (second in Europe after C64)

5. MSX (they arrived too late on the market, but in this period the total number of computer sold in the world was higher)

Atari? Leader of the market from 79-82?

That's the period where the TRS-80 outsold it according to the chart:

http://www.jeremyreimer.com/totalshare2.gif

 

And remember... Tandy didn't release CoCo numbers so that has to be Model I/III sales. And if the CoCo was Tandy's best seller (their words) for it's entire life then it had to be outselling the Atari from '81-'82 since the Model I/III outsold it.

 

Face it... that web page can't be trusted.

 

BTW, that page also doesn't take into account clones that could run the same software. The Apple II, Sinclair, Model I and CoCo had many clones where the C64 and the Atari had none. If you want to count total users you would need to count them.

 

MSX never hit the US market which was recognized as the largest in the world. At least Sinclair had some brief success there. Too bad the 1500 wasn't their first model and the Spectrum their second. I think they would have lasted longer.

Edited September 5, 2008 by JamesD