A home computer was a class of personal computers entering the market in 1977 an becoming common during the 1980s. These computers typically cost much less than business, scientific or engineering-oriented desktop personal computers of the time, and were generally less powerful in terms of memory and expandability. However, a home computer often had better graphics and sound than contemporary business personal computers, and was usually sold for purposes of education, game play, and personal productivity use such as word processing. Advertisements for early home computers were rife with possibilities for their use in the home, from cataloging recipes to personal finance to home automation, but these were seldom realized in practice as they usually required the home computer user to learn how to program; a significant time commitment many weren't willing to make. Still, for many the Home Computer offered the first possibility to learn to program.