Michael Dell founded Dell in 1984 from his University of Texas dorm room to sell customized personal computers. The business began as PC's Limited, with Dell buying components, assembling systems, and selling directly to customers.
The direct-sales model allowed customers to specify configurations and helped the company avoid some costs associated with traditional retail distribution. Dell's early success came from building IBM-compatible computers and offering them at competitive prices.
Michael Dell left the university in 1984 to run the company full time. PC's Limited became Dell Computer Corporation in 1988 and later Dell Inc. A common mistake is to identify Michael Dell as merely an early executive; he was the founder and remained closely associated with the company's leadership.