What it is and the problem it solves
A personal computer is a single-user machine, operated directly by an end user, not shared across users or managed by technicians. It solves the problem of exclusive, costly, indirect access to computing power.
How it works
It uses a microprocessor to execute instructions directly for one user. It runs without time-sharing. It requires no specialist operator.
What works
Micral N (1972) works as the earliest commercial, non-kit microcomputer. SCAMP (1973) works as a portable prototype. Both rely on microprocessors — available only from the early 1970s.
What does not
It does not exist in 1957. There were no microprocessors before 1971. No commercial, non-kit microcomputer predates Micral N (1972). No portable prototype predates SCAMP (1973).
What it changes
It redefines access: from centralised, expert-managed computation to direct, single-user control. But this shift only begins in the 1970s — not earlier.
Is it worth your time
No — the personal computer did not exist in 1957. The earliest microcomputers appeared in the early 1970s. Any claim that a personal computer existed in 1957 contradicts all verified evidence.