In January 1975, a photograph of an outlandish metal box with toggle switches and flashing lights appeared on the cover of Popular Electronics magazine. This is how the Altair, the predecessor of today's PCs, was introduced to the world. Its appearance marked the beginning of the personal computer revolution and the birth of an industry that soon reached a turnover of tens and hundreds of billions of dollars. How the pioneers of personal computers moved from suburban garages to the luxurious offices of Wall Street, how their brilliant talent, passion, enthusiasm, friendly rivalry changed the world, and tells the story of Paul Freiberger and Michael Swain's classic work, Fire in the Valley. The first edition of this history of the creation of personal computers was published in 1984 and with rare force captured the explosive energy and creativity of the days of the revolution that broke out in Silicon Valley. Russian readers are offered a translation of the second edition of the book, which includes new chapters and photographs. The narrative is supplemented with modern materials from the Internet era. The authors trace the exciting history of the development of such companies as Apple, Microsoft, Sun, Netscape, Lotus, Oracle and others. How was it? How were personal computers invented and brought into our reality? You will receive the most complete and accurate answers to these questions by reading “Fire in the Valley.”