Last Updated on May 3, 2025 by Colby Droscher
The 1980s marked the beginning of a quiet revolution, one driven not by politicians or celebrities, but by hobbyists, engineers, and curious teenagers tinkering with machines in their basements and garages. Personal computers were just beginning to enter homes, and with them came a new kind of culture: one built around experimentation, late-night programming, and a shared sense of wonder. These early adopters weren’t just learning how computers worked; they were imagining what the future might look like.
As these machines grew more powerful and accessible, they began to inspire a grassroots movement of digital creativity. People traded floppy disks at local meetups, subscribed to niche computer magazines, and taught themselves to code through trial and error. In garages and living rooms across the country, software was written, games were invented, and communities were formed, long before the internet made connections instant. This was a time when the rules hadn’t been written yet, and every breakthrough, no matter how small, felt like uncharted territory. We hope you’re ready to go back in time, because here are 20 photos of early computer culture in the 1980s.
1. The Commodore 64 computer
He just got the new Commodore 64 for Christmas in 1983. He won’t be leaving his room for a while.
2. The IBM Personal Computer, 1981
This computer was marked as “the start of the PC era.”
3. The spreadsheet that started it all, Visicalc
It isn’t pretty, but it worked well.
4. MegaMan X
This is one of the most inviting photos I’ve ever witnessed.
5. Microsoft MS-DOS
Did you know Microsoft didn’t develop MS-DOS, but bought it off of a programmer named Tim Paterson?
6. A computer lab from the 1980s
This lab featured a series of Apple II computers, and each had the keyboard integrated into it.
7. Who used WordPerfect in the ’80s?
This was the dominant word processor of the ’80s.
8. The birth of PC gaming
Zork and other PC games were invented in the late ’70s, but gained massive popularity in the ’80s.
9. ’80s computer science books
Kids today don’t need books to learn how to use a computer; they’re the ones teaching us how to use them.
10. Does this look familiar?
Countless hours were spent playing these games.
11. The high school computer lab, 1980
This is where you’d sneak away to play solitaire.
12. MacPaint, 1984
This program really showcased the power of GUI computing.
13. BBS (Bulletin Board Systems)
The pre-Internet way to chat and share files.
14. Floppy disks
Internal storage was extremely limited. We didn’t use hard drives in the ’80s, we used these.
15. Dot matrix printers
Noisy, yes. But essential.
16. Steve Jobs, 1980s
Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak co-founded Apple in 1976.
17. The Amiga 1000, 1985
This was a groundbreaking multimedia computer with advanced graphics and sound.
18. The Print Shop, 1984
This program made creating banners and cards on dot matrix printers fun and easy. Plus it was awesome to give Mom a card you made yourself on the computer.
19. Who remembers Carmen Sandiego?
“Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego” and other educational games were used massively in schools in the late ’80s.
20. A young Bill Gates with Steve Jobs, 1985
The founders of the 2 biggest computing companies.
Love retro tech snapshots?
Browse 15 Vintage Computers That Show How Far We’ve Come, revisit 80+ Photos That Totally Sum Up the 1980s, or see 20 Gadgets We Thought Were the Future, But Totally Weren’t.
