The 1981 PC was a break with IBM’s previous business model, according to which it did not sell computers, but leased them. With the 5150, IBM moved into mass production of a standardized commodity using components produced by other companies.
1981年的个人电脑与IBM先前的商业模式迥然而异。根据以往的模式，IBM并不出售电脑，而是租赁电脑。随着5150电脑的来临，IBM转而使用由其他公司生产的配件大规模生产电脑这一标准化商品。“蓝色巨人”（人们这样称呼IBM）允许其他公司（著名的是襁褓之中的微软）来开发软件。