Chuck Peddle, designer of the revolutionary MOS Technology 6502 microprocessor, fundamentally shaped personal computing. After working at General Electric and Motorola, Peddle led the 6502 development team in 1974. His decision to sell the 6502 for just $25—when industry claimed prices wouldn't fall below $200—made affordable personal computing possible.

Peddle's creation of the Commodore PET followed Commodore's acquisition of MOS Technology. The PET, announced in 1977 alongside the Apple II, represented the second generation of personal computers. Unlike earlier hobbyist machines, the PET offered plug-and-play functionality for mainstream users, though Peddle noted limitations for business applications.

After leaving Commodore, Peddle founded Sirius Systems Technology to develop the Victor 9000/Sirius 1, featuring 128K memory and the Intel 8088 processor. He positioned this system as the third generation of microcomputers, specifically designed for professional office environments—a market gap he identified in existing personal computers.