History of Computers - Dell

Created by Ribhu Nag

In 1984, Michael Dell started Dell from his dorm room at the University of Texas, originally known as PC Limited. Dell became very popular quickly due to its cheap prices and reliability. Although Dell has grown through the years and had its ups and downs, Dell is very strong at what they do and continue to sell a various amount of electronic devices.

Overview

Dell was a computer technology company started by Michael Dell in 1984 in Austin, Texas. Dell's initial name was was PC's Limited. Dell's first computer was the Turbo PC and grossed nearly 70 Million from this computer. The company switched names in 1987 to Dell Computer Corporation. Dell first started selling their products online in 1996, making it easier to purchase their products straight from them. The company expanded in 2002 as they started selling electronic devices such as printers and televisions among others. Over the years, Dell has bought out many small technological corporations and have made a self-sufficient office in India. Dell is known for its user friendly and reliable computers. Dell is currently based in Round Rock, Texas and is one of the largest technological corporations in the world employing upwards of 100,000 people. Dell was ranked in the top 100 consistently in the Fortune 500 until 2013 when it became a private company. Between 2000 and 2004, Dell was the number one computer manufacturer in the world. Today, Dell computers are very popular throughout the world and continue to make new models, including those that utilize touchscreen.

Significance

Dell Computers were known to be quality products that were reliable and gave people the option of getting service on their computer. Dell developed the “direct model”, figuring out what the customers want before making orders by talking to them. Dell Computers were also much cheaper than others because he would directly sell to the consumers. Unlike the other technological corporations at the time, Dell was the first company to start selling directly to the consumers. Dell would also manufacture their products close to where their consumers were based thus allowing to keep a low inventory and making sure computers don't depreciate.