Use of English PRO

Over (0) THE last 20 years, the personal computer, or PC, has become commonplace (1) ............ our homes. Most households in the UK not only have (2) ............ least one desktop or laptop computer connected to the Internet, but may also have tactile devices, (3) ............ as tablets and smartphones. PCs like the Sinclair ZX Spectrum (4) ............ first sold in the early 1980s and were intended solely for playing games. (5) ............ wasn't until the second half of (6) ............ 1990s that the home computer became utilised for functional tasks, like record keeping and word processing, at home. Along with the rapid development of internet connection speeds came improvement in the functionality of machines and the reduction in their retail value (7) ............ a result of increased demand. The computer (8) ............ become indispensable to modern life as we know it.