---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The biggest effect of the personal…"
description: "\"The biggest effect of the personal computer revolution has been to allow millions and millions of people to experience computers themselves decades bef..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2c/steve-jobs-307_computer_the-biggest-effect-of-the-personal-compu_198727.jpg"
---

#  The biggest effect of the personal computer revolution has…

![“The biggest effect of the personal computer revolution has been to allow millions and millions of people to experience computers themselves decades before they ever would have in the old paradigm.” quote by Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2c/steve-jobs-307_computer_the-biggest-effect-of-the-personal-compu_198727.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2c/steve-jobs-307_computer_the-biggest-effect-of-the-personal-compu_198727.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2c/steve-jobs-307_computer_the-biggest-effect-of-the-personal-compu_198727.jpg)

> “The biggest effect of the personal computer revolution has been to allow millions and millions of people to experience computers themselves decades before they ever would have in the old paradigm.”

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Personal computers democratized technology, letting many experience computing early.

**In simple terms:** Computers became accessible to many early on.

Key Takeaway

Leverage early tech access for innovation.

Themes

technology democratization innovation

Mood

reflective hopeful

Type

inspirational philosophical

When to use this quote

- education
- startup founding
- digital literacy programs

Key Concepts

personal computing digital revolution accessibility

Questions to Reflect On

- How can early tech exposure shape future careers?
- What barriers still limit tech access?

A Different Perspective

Access alone doesn’t guarantee effective use.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Paradigm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paradigm/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Personal computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-computers/) [Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/)

## Related quotes

> [“The short moment in the 1980s that it was called a personal computer was when the revolution peaked, and the time we will look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-short-moment-in-the-1980s-that-it-was-called-a-personal-computer/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [No one will need more than 637Kb of memory for a personal computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/no-one-will-need-more-than-637kb-of-memory-for-a-personal-computer/)

[Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/)

> [People tend to personalize technology so they can't get to the systemic analysis. They say, "Oh, I can't give up my personal computer." Or,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chellis-glendinning/people-tend-to-personalize-technology-so-they-can-t-get-to-the/)

[Chellis Glendinning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chellis-glendinning/)

> [I feel certain that the personal computer is as revolutionary in terms of the way it will change the way we work, learn, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/i-feel-certain-that-the-personal-computer-is-as-revolutionary-in/)

[Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/)

> [I talk to myself through the computer. I ask myself questions, leave things to be looked at again, things that you would do with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-cray/i-talk-to-myself-through-the-computer-i-ask-myself-questions-leave/)

[Seymour Cray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-cray/)

> [The most important work I got a chance to be involved in, no matter what I do, is the personal computer... I even knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/the-most-important-work-i-got-a-chance-to-be-involved-in-no-matter/)

[Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/)

> [The vast majority of people do not have, nor will they ever have a personal computer. They haven't been exposed to Windows or Office,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-elop/the-vast-majority-of-people-do-not-have-nor-will-they-ever-have-a/)

[Stephen Elop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-elop/)

> [The term, information at your fingertips, is to remind people what a broad role the personal computer will be playing. It's not a computation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/the-term-information-at-your-fingertips-is-to-remind-people-what-a/)

[Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/)

> [What's your personal computer, anyways? Your personal computer should be something that's always on your person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-joy/what-s-your-personal-computer-anyways-your-personal-computer-should/)

[Bill Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-joy/)

> [Where do you draw the line as a human being? Written record is only, what, a couple thousand years? And this scientific revolution is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiroshi-sugimoto/where-do-you-draw-the-line-as-a-human-being-written-record-is-only/)

[Hiroshi Sugimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiroshi-sugimoto/)

> [I can safely say that losing my mum at the age of 12 and therefore shutting down all of my emotions for the last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-harry/i-can-safely-say-that-losing-my-mum-at-the-age-of-12-and-therefore/)

[Prince Harry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-harry/)

> [“The private decisions we make about where we want to raise our families, the agreement we make with other parties, and the amount of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judge-andrew-napolitano/the-private-decisions-we-make-about-where-we-want-to-raise-our/)

Judge Andrew Napolitano

> [When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/when-i-was-young-there-was-an-amazing-publication-called-the-whole/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/if-i-had-never-dropped-in-on-that-single-course-in-college-the-mac-2/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [Computers are merely ingenious devices to fulfill unimportant functions. The computer revolution is an explosion of nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/computers-are-merely-ingenious-devices-to-fulfill-unimportant/)

[Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/)

## More by Steve Jobs

> [Who wants a stylus. You have to get em and put em away, and you lose em. Yuck. Nobody wants a stylus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/who-wants-a-stylus-you-have-to-get-em-and-put-em-away-and-you-lose-em/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [I admire Mark Zuckerberg... for not selling out, for wanting to make a company. I admire that a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-admire-mark-zuckerberg-for-not-selling-out-for-wanting-to-make-a/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [If you want to hire great people and have them stay, you have to be run by ideas, not hierarchy. The best ideas have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/if-you-want-to-hire-great-people-and-have-them-stay-you-have-to-be/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you and you can change it, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/everything-around-you-that-you-call-life-was-made-up-by-people-that/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [“Innovation is not about saying yes to everything. It's about saying NO to all but the most crucial features.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/innovation-is-not-about-saying-yes-to-everything-it-s-about-saying-no/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-have-always-said-if-there-ever-came-a-day-when-i-could-no-longer/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [When you first start off trying to solve a problem, the first solutions you come up with are very complex, and most people stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/when-you-first-start-off-trying-to-solve-a-problem-the-first/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [I'm not dismissing the value of higher education; I'm simply saying it comes at the expense of experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-m-not-dismissing-the-value-of-higher-education-i-m-simply-saying-it/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [“To YoYo Ma: "You playing is the best argument I've ever heard for the existence of God, because I don't really believe a human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/to-yoyo-ma-you-playing-is-the-best-argument-i-ve-ever-heard-for-the/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [The most important thing is a person. A person who incites your curiosity and feeds your curiosity; and machines cannot do that in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-most-important-thing-is-a-person-a-person-who-incites-your/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [The tragedy is that Dell didn't win it - we lost it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-tragedy-is-that-dell-didn-t-win-it-we-lost-it/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [“I think great artists and great engineers are similar, in that they both have a desire to express themselves. In fact some of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-think-great-artists-and-great-engineers-are-similar-in-that-they/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [It's rare that you see an artist in his 30s or 40s able to really contribute something amazing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/it-s-rare-that-you-see-an-artist-in-his-30s-or-40s-able-to-really/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [We're going to be able to ask our computers to monitor things for us, and when certain conditions happen, are triggered, the computers will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/we-re-going-to-be-able-to-ask-our-computers-to-monitor-things-for-us/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

[Explore all 695 Steve Jobs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

## More Computer quotes

> [Issac:"I dislike living in a world without Augustus Waters." Computer: "I don't understand-" Issac: "Me neither. Pause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/issac-i-dislike-living-in-a-world-without-augustus-waters-computer-i/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/)

[Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/)

> [The display is the computer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-hsun-huang/the-display-is-the-computer/)

Jen-Hsun Huang

> [It's interesting that the greatest minds of computer science, the founding fathers, like Alan Turing and Claude Shannon and Norbert Wiener, they all looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/it-s-interesting-that-the-greatest-minds-of-computer-science-the/)

[Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/)

> [One of our big goals in search is to make search that really understands exactly what you want, understands everything in the world. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-page/one-of-our-big-goals-in-search-is-to-make-search-that-really/)

[Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/)

> [We are beginning to see intimations of this in the implantation of computer devices into the human body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kurzweil/we-are-beginning-to-see-intimations-of-this-in-the-implantation-of/)

[Ray Kurzweil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kurzweil/)

> [I'm from the South, so I'm very old-fashioned and I'm not very computer savvy at all, but I'm getting it. I understand that, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-harmon/i-m-from-the-south-so-i-m-very-old-fashioned-and-i-m-not-very/)

[Angie Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-harmon/)

> [“To all the secret writers, late-night painters, would-be singers, lapsed and scared artists of every stripe, dig out your paintbrush, or your flute, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/to-all-the-secret-writers-late-night-painters-would-be-singers-lapsed/)

[Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/)

> [A little bit more than 50% of what you see on screen is handcrafted and the other 50% was about emulating these textures on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-abreu/a-little-bit-more-than-50-of-what-you-see-on-screen-is-handcrafted/)

[Alex Abreu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-abreu/)

> [Well I'm trying to think what I put in... I think I put in 'why?' to see if I'd confuse the computer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pilkington/well-i-m-trying-to-think-what-i-put-in-i-think-i-put-in-why-to-see-if/)

[Karl Pilkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pilkington/)

> [Our brains are great at knowing what to forget. We actually have to teach computers to do the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-maney/our-brains-are-great-at-knowing-what-to-forget-we-actually-have-to/)

[Kevin Maney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-maney/)

> [Nor would anybody suspect. If was one thing all people took for granted, was conviction that if you feed honest figures into a computer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/nor-would-anybody-suspect-if-was-one-thing-all-people-took-for/)

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

> [In nine months, a group of children left alone with a computer in any language will reach the same standard as an office secretary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sugata-mitra/in-nine-months-a-group-of-children-left-alone-with-a-computer-in-any/)

[Sugata Mitra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sugata-mitra/)

> [Why do you do what you do? Why do you dress the way you dress?Why do you do what you do with your time?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-conway/why-do-you-do-what-you-do-why-do-you-dress-the-way-you-dress-why-do/)

[Tim Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-conway/)

> [Yeah, I'm a geek. I read sci-fi and I watch sci-fi films. I love my computer and I love to fix it. I'm a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-benson/yeah-i-m-a-geek-i-read-sci-fi-and-i-watch-sci-fi-films-i-love-my/)

[Amber Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-benson/)

[Browse all 3,924 Computer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The biggest effect of the personal computer revolution has been to allow millions and millions of people to experience computers themselves decades before they ever would have in the old paradigm.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Steve Jobs"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-biggest-effect-of-the-personal-computer-revolution-has-been-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Computer"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-biggest-effect-of-the-personal-computer-revolution-has-been-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2c/steve-jobs-307_computer_the-biggest-effect-of-the-personal-compu_198727.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2c/steve-jobs-307_computer_the-biggest-effect-of-the-personal-compu_198727.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2c/steve-jobs-307_computer_the-biggest-effect-of-the-personal-compu_198727.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The biggest effect of the personal computer revolution has been to allow millions and millions of people to…” — Steve Jobs",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Steve Jobs",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The biggest effect of the personal...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-biggest-effect-of-the-personal-computer-revolution-has-been-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-biggest-effect-of-the-personal-computer-revolution-has-been-to/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
