Microsoft (then still Micro-Soft) did not start by manufacturing computers — its first products were software. But if we talk about the first computer released under the Microsoft brand, it was:

Microsoft SoftCard (1980)

  • Not a computer, but an expansion card for the Apple II.

  • Allowed running the CP/M OS (popular before DOS) and compatible programs.

  • This was Microsoft’s first hardware product.

Microsoft Xenix (1980) – an OS, not a computer

  • Microsoft licensed the Unix-like Xenix system, but did not manufacture hardware for it itself.

The first computers with Microsoft

For a long time, the company focused on software, and its name was associated with OSs for PCs from other manufacturers:

  • IBM PC (1981) – the first mass-market computer with MS-DOS (but the PC itself was made by IBM).

  • Tandy 2000 (1983) – one of the first PCs with MS-DOS 2.0.

Microsoft’s own hardware projects

  • Microsoft Mouse (1983) – the first input device.

  • Microsoft PixelSense (2008, formerly Surface) – an interactive table (not a PC).

  • Microsoft Surface (2012) – the first line of laptops and tablets under the Microsoft brand.

The first full-fledged Microsoft computer – Surface RT (2012)

  • An ARM-based tablet with Windows RT.

  • Failed because it was incompatible with regular x86 programs.

Surface Pro (2013)

  • Already a full-fledged PC running Windows with an Intel processor.

  • Considered Microsoft’s first successful computer.

Conclusion

Microsoft started with software, and its first own computer appeared only in 2012 (Surface). Before that, it partnered with IBM, Dell, HP, and others, supplying OSs.