But the personal computer concept was completely different. Software running on personal computers was “general-purpose.” Your operating system wouldn’t dictate what computations you had to perform. Software like spreadsheets didn’t restrict what you could calculate. Through the free software movement, where anyone could modify software and share it, people in different places wanting to use computers for different purposes could easily take a personal computer, install free software, modify its logic, and make it meet their society’s needs.

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