Compaq originally competed directly against IBM, manufacturing computer systems equivalent with the IBM PC, as well as Apple Computer. In the 1990s, as IBM’s own PC division declined, Compaq faced other IBM PC Compatible manufacturers like Dell Computer, Packard Bell, AST Research, and Gateway 2000.
At the time of their 2002 merger, Compaq and HP were the second and third largest PC manufacturers, so their combination made them number one.
