In the early 1980s, Macintosh and IBM machines dominated the desktop computer industry. IBM computers mainly used PC-DOS, whereas Apple systems operated a unique operating system created by Apple. IBM made the decision to grant licenses to other makers of the DOS operating system as the market for personal computers started to expand. These businesses started making portable computers known as PC clones or IBM compatibles.

As more producers started making Computers, the number of available units increased and prices started to fall. As a result, sales of IBM compatibles started to rule the personal computer industry and more people were able to buy PCs. It didn't take long for PC sales from the new makers to exceed those of IBM's straight sales of machines. When the Apple Macintosh was launched in 1984, it also significantly increased its market share, but IBM compatibles' cheap price and widespread availability helped to maintain their robust sales.

When Microsoft released the Windows 95 operating system in 1995, sales of IBM compatibles once more saw a significant increase. The phrase "IBM compatible" had, however, almost lost all meaning by that point because Microsoft Windows was the predominant operating system for most Computers. Additionally, PC makers had been creating their own computers for a long time, and IBM's own PCs and IBM compatibles had few features in common.

IBM ceased producing desktop PCs in 2005. The business that launched the Computer explosion no longer exists. Therefore, even though it still applies to Windows-based machines, the phrase "IBM compatible" is a little out of date. Even though it is a little unclear, the word "PC" is preferable because Macs can also be considered Computers. Consequently, it appears that the best method to characterize a contemporary IBM equivalent is to use the word "Windows computer".