Release Notes: What Exactly Is a Personal Computer?
Release Notes: What Exactly Is a Personal Computer?
Posted 11/19/2009 at 10:30am
| by Will Smith
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If I asked you in 1993, “What’s a PC?”, you’d probably have pointed to the beige box sitting under your desk at work. In 1999, if I asked you the same question, the odds are good that you’d have shown me a grey box in your den. In 2005, you would probably have shown me a shiny new notebook. But, as I sit here in 2009, I’m finding it difficult to answer this seemingly simple question.
Sitting on my desk, I have four extremely powerful computing devices, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Let’s decide which of these are personal computers together.
Machine A features four CPU cores, and a host of GPUs and coprocessors. Machine B is more modest, with three CPU cores and a decent GPU. Machine C is even more modest, with a dual-core CPU, but a woefully inadequate GPU. Machine D pushes a lot of its workload onto dedicated processors, but still sports a dedicated GPU.
So, what’s all this powerful hardware? A home-built gaming PC, an Xbox 360, a Lenovo X200s notebook, and an iPhone 3GS.
The gaming rig and the notebook clearly fit the classical definition of a PC, but what about the iPhone and Xbox 360? I’m not sure. Let’s see if we can figure out what gives a device its essential PC-ness.
In the old days, it was safe to say that an Intel CPU and a Microsoft OS made your computer a PC. But now other types of hardware and software are gaining ground on the WinTel duopoly. What makes my machines PCs is that they’re platforms—constructs that allow me to run software that does what I need, assuming it follows the basic rules of the platform. Network connectivity is key, as well. Without a connection to the net, computers are much less valuable. For the most part, I use my four PCs to browse the web, communicate with friends, play games, and work.
Does the Xbox 360 meet my essential PC-ness test? It’s definitely a platform that I use to play games and watch video, and it’s connected to the Internet. However, it’s a locked system, so I can only run Microsoft-authorized software on it and connect Microsoft-authorized hardware to it. I can’t write a word processor for Xbox 360 because Microsoft wouldn’t let me run it. Clearly, the Xbox 360 isn’t a personal computer.
The iPhone is a tougher question. It’s a closed platform, but there are mechanisms that let me run apps from a finite, but very large pool. The device is net-connected 24/7, and I find myself using my iPhone for many of the tasks that I once exclusively used a PC for. This is a new class of device that we call the smartphone—but I’d be hard pressed to describe a more personal computer than the one that I carry in my pocket with me everywhere.
Could you?
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dmonkyking
November 20, 2009 at 8:47am
I don't know, I always thought a PC was defined as a device that was based on the X86 architecture. That's always how I viewed it at least.
JDorfler
November 19, 2009 at 10:00pm
If it has a processor, computes, and doesn't take up a whole room, it's a PC. Heck, by classificiation of what a computer is, it doesn't have to have a processor. It can have a series of transistors that compute 1s and 0s.
That means, even Macs are PCs. Video game systems are PCs. Your Casio calculator watch is a PC. Your mobile is a PC. It's kind of like all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares. There are just different names and classifications of PCs, but they are all PCs.
PC stands for Personal Computer. Unfortunately "personal definition" means nothing. There is only the definition.
Sager NP5797 (Clevo)
nVidia GeForce 9800 GTX/Intel QX9300/4GB DDR3 1066
Vista/Ubuntu/Fedora OSes
yagisencho
November 19, 2009 at 5:17pm
I'd say that the strict definition of a PC is still a general-purpose processing device containing upgradable subcomponents.
On the other hand, an iPhone is a PC of a sort. But then so are the old, decidedly unsexy Windows Mobile PDAs. I'd say that any of the modern smart phones fit this definition. They're just not as general-purpose or extensible as a laptop or desktop computer. Portable computing device, or PCD, is probably as good a term as any.
aviaggio
November 19, 2009 at 1:20pm
I'd say a device who's primary function is as a general computing device. I wouldn't put an iPhone or iPod (or even a PSP or DS) in that category as their primary functions are a cellphone and music player (and portable gaming devices), respectively. But I would put in something as simple as a calculator. Yes it's functionally limited, but its primary job is to do basic computations.
But this is just my own perception. I guess if you wanted to be a stickler you could say they are all "personal computers" as they are all personal devices (i.e. smaller than a refrigerator) and they all compute. But by that token so would your DVD player, microwave oven, and most coffee makers :)
50 Calibre AssHole
November 19, 2009 at 11:10am
A "Personal" Computer is one that can only be accessed by the owner!
It does not contain XP-SP3. Vista, Windows 7 or any other OS containing backdoor access for the Government!
It is NEVER connected to a network or the Internet!
It's hard drive is completely encrypted by open source SOFTWARE / not HARDWARE to ensure that backdoors have been avoided!
It does not have a wireless keyboard, mouse or any other wireless device!
It is a computer that keeps YOUR data safe and out of the hands of everyone except YOU!
It normally has multiple complete backups that are on encrypted hard drive located "Offsite" in case of disaster!
And the owner of True Personal Computers never listens to security propaganda by Maximum PC Writers or anyone else because whenever you trust your security to anyone else, you have NONE!
All other computers are "PUBLIC" computers whether you want to believe it or not!
You should have listened to PeriodHyphenUnderscore and tried his tips before banning him for telling the truth!
lunchbox73
November 19, 2009 at 11:57am
Yay! He's back!! Wait, let me grab my aluminum foil hat before I read this again.
Who
November 19, 2009 at 11:06am
most people i know would refer to a pc as a box with a separate monitor, keyboard, and mouse. :)
mr_usi
November 20, 2009 at 12:12am
well just because the iphone's monitor, keyboard, etc is integrated.. doesnt mean it can't be a pc.
just look at a tablet pc. use a mac os. shrink it to size.. oh wait! its an iphone! :D
look at windows mobile smartphones... those are as much as a pc than a full size i7-975 with quad 5970s and 2x 1tb SSD on raid 0.
DBsantos77
November 19, 2009 at 10:28am
Hard to say where the iPhone sits at, with tech advancing so quickly, hard not to call it a PC to an extent.
-Santos
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