Expensive Personal Computers During the 1990s

We now live in an age were information and communications technology has become democratized. Mobile devices and computers have become user-friendly: There is no need to study complicated programming codes to operate these devices.

Owning a personal computer during the mid-1990s used to be very expensive in terms of money and space. A proof is a newspaper advertisement that was placed by ElectroWorld, an affiliate of appliance store chain Abenson, on the Philippine Daily Inquirer in April 1996.

In this advertisement, the Compaq Presario 7110 M540 personal computer along with the EPSON Stylus COLOR printer is sold for a whopping PhP 59,995! The set have a 3-year limited warranty. No surcharge is imposed on major credit cards, such as BPI Express Credit, Citibank, Diners Club International, Equitable Visa, and Unicard.

Specifications are enumerated for comparison with present-day computers.

* 486 DX4/100 Processor
* 8 MB RAM
* 540 MB Hard Disk
* Quad Speed CD-ROM Drive
* 3.5" 1.44 MB Floppy Disk Drive
* 14.4 Data/Fax Modem
* Microphone
* 16 Bit Stereo Sound
* Stereo Speakers

Other new features

* User Interfaces:  Tabworks 2.00, Launch Pad

* References: Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia, Life Magazine

* Business Softwares [sic]: Perfect Works, Quicken SE

* Games: King's Quest VII, Incredible Toon Machine