Why did microcomputers die off?

I tend to call all classes of 1970-1980 stand alone computers you could sit on a desk "microcomputers" (to differentiate them from mainframe and minis) with terms like "home computers" and "business computers" being categories of microcomputers. Of course these definitions are loose at the edges. The way I see it is that you had your classic hobby micros first (Altair etc.). Then you had the first batch consumer-type personal computers...the Apple IIs. the Commodore Pets..TRS-80 Model 1 and the Atari 800. These could be used for business, home and hobby use. They were jack of all trades. Then the market started to split around 1979-1980 into what I'd call Home and Business. Home computers appeared characterised by colour, sound, low screen real-estate, lack of peripherals as standard and all incompatible with each other. Most of all they were cheap. Designed for not just adults but for kids to enjoy too. They tended NOT to be used for business but still for hobby use and especially for games. In my mind the Atari 400 was an example of one that catered for this market, although it's just really a stripped down 800. The Vic-20, TRS-80 colour computer, the spectrum, C-64 etc. all fall into this category. You could argue the ZX-81 was too, due to it's really cheap price. Meanwhile in the business world, from 1979 to 1983 or so you have many CP/M machines. Some of the Japanese ones were fine examples. Business portables also appeared like the Osborne and Kaypros. The TRS-80 Model III would also go in here. These always had disk drives, usually no colour and good screen real-estate. Their specs were not tailored to playing games and their price put them beyond home and (usually) hobby use also The Apple II+/IIe seemed to be one that came down the middle here. It was a versatile computer which was ok for business, education, home and hobby use. Where I lived (New Zealand) is was way too pricey for families though. This was the case with the BBC too although seldom were they used for business. Although the IBM-PC was first in the market in 1981, it really started to dominate from 1983 onwards. Essentially it killed most of those CP/M business machines as everything had to be IBM compatible. For most of the early to mid 1980s though, IBM PCs and compatibles were far too pricey for either home or hobbiest. Apple found a niche market with Macs in desktop publishing, tertiary institutions and writers. In the mid-late 1908s you still had a home market, although machines were getting better, The Atari ST series, the Amigas and the Amstrads. They were often used for playing games, but there was also a hobbyist and creative element to their use. The business market by this time was completely dominated by PCs. Towards the turn of the decade and into the 1990s, PCs became cheaper and multimedia features started to be come standard. These machines pushed there way into the home market. Also, the computer game console was revived with Nintendo and Sega, fulfilling the role many cheap home computers fulfilled earlier (ironically, the likes of the VIC-20 and other home computers had pushed out 1970s-early 1980s game consoles). Home computers as a line died. So, this is the potted history as I see it. Terry (Tez) On Tue, Dec 24, 2013 at 6:00 AM, BE Arnold <bearnold at outlook.com> wrote: