The computer revolution didn't come into people's homes overnight. There was a long period when the public was still discovering all the things they could do if they owned a computer — and this led to some truly outrageous TV ads. Check out the most hilarious and creative classic home computer ads ever made.


A 1956 commercial for UNIVAC, produced by Remington Rand

IBM 5100, one of the first portable computers, introduced in 1975

Sperry UNIVAC BC/7, 1978

Tom Baker and Lala Ward in Prime Computer ads, 1980

William Shatner selling Commodore VIC-20, 1981

ZX Spectrum, 1982

"Does it have a handle?", a Compaq Portable Plus commercial made by John Cleese, 1983

AWA Sequel, 1983

Apple's 1984 Super Bowl commercial introducing Macintosh computers, directed by Ridley Scott

An IBM Personal Computer commercial from 1984

Commodore 64, 1985

"I wouldn't watch this commercial", by John Cleese to advertise Compaq's DeskPro 386

Compaq Portable II, compared to a fish by John Cleese, 1986

Compaq Portable III, made by John Cleese for Compaq, 1987

Radio Shack Color Computer 3