Digital Equipment Corporation

Founded in 1957 by Ken Olsen and Harlan Anderson, Digital Equipment Corporation — usually called DEC, or simply Digital — grew into one of the most important computer companies of the 20th century. Starting in Maynard, Massachusetts, it first built circuit modules and then broke through with the PDP line, especially the PDP-8, which became famous as a successful minicomputer.

DEC earned a huge following by making computers that were powerful enough for serious work but more accessible than the giant systems that had dominated earlier computing. Its machines were widely used in laboratories, engineering, science, education, and business, and later the VAX line became one of the company's signature successes.

At its height, DEC was one of the biggest names in the industry and was often seen as IBM's strongest rival outside the mainframe world. The company struggled in the changing computer market of the 1990s, was acquired by Compaq in 1998, and later became part of Hewlett-Packard through Compaq's merger with HP.