very first pc. from the abc news vault we now go back to the pc s sixth anniversary in 1987. reporter: it all started six years ago with this, the ibm personal computer, the pc, which combined good design with even better marketing thanks in part to charlie chaplain. with this tool for modern times reporter: it succeeded beyond even ibm s dreams and became the new industry standard. software companies rushed to write programs for it, which in turn created more demand for the computer. ibm has sold more than 6 million of its various pcs. but imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and the pc family spawned many imitators. some with familiar japanese names like panasonic, toshiba and epson. others are from american firms like newcomer leading edge. and the familiar radio shack change, goes tandy computers include a full line of ibm copies. and they re still coming.