The title "father of the personal computer" is often attributed to Henry Edward Roberts, an American engineer, entrepreneur, and inventor. Roberts is best known for creating the Altair 8800, the first commercially successful personal computer, which was released in 1975. His work laid the foundation for the personal computing revolution and inspired a generation of tech pioneers, including Bill Gates and Paul Allen, who co-founded Microsoft after writing software for the Altair.

However, the development of the personal computer was a collaborative effort involving many innovators over several decades. Other key figures who contributed significantly to the evolution of personal computing include:

1. Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs: Co-founders of Apple, they introduced the Apple I in 1976 and the Apple II in 1977, which were among the first user-friendly personal computers aimed at the general public.

2. Douglas Engelbart: Known for inventing the computer mouse and pioneering concepts like hypertext and graphical user interfaces (GUIs), Engelbart's work in the 1960s influenced the design of modern personal computers.

3. Alan Kay: A visionary computer scientist who conceptualized the idea of a portable, user-friendly personal computer, which he called the "Dynabook." His ideas heavily influenced the development of laptops and tablets.

4. Chuck Peddle: The designer of the Commodore PET, one of the first all-in-one personal computers, which helped bring computing to homes and schools in the late 1970s.

5. Ed Roberts' Altair 8800: While not the first computer, it was the first to capture the imagination of hobbyists and entrepreneurs, sparking the home computer revolution.

While Henry Edward Roberts is often credited as the father of the personal computer due to the Altair's groundbreaking impact, the personal computer as we know it today is the result of contributions from many individuals and companies over time. Each played a role in shaping the technology, accessibility, and usability of personal computing.