It turns out that the term “PC” is packed with more nuance than you might have thought!
Dictionaries record how we use words and how their meanings change over time.
The broadest meaning of “Personal Computer” covers any computer designed for personal use.
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In general, “computer” in this sense means a general-purpose computer.
One that can run any pop in of tool and can be programmed in infinite ways.
Under this broad umbrella, a smartphone certainly counts as a PC.
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There’s no fundamental difference between it and a typical laptop computer.
However, there is an argument that an Android tablet is a personal computer while aniPadisn’t.
On anAndroid tablet, you’re able to install whatever you like.
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Undoubtedly, every Mac, Linux, or Windows system is certainly a personal computer in the broad sense.
The IBM PC
Some confusion around the term “PC” is thanks to the IBM PC.
In 1981IBM released the Model 5150, which was just another microcomputer.
“Microcomputer” is a term that refers to small computers you might use on a desk.
Other contemporary microcomputers included the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, and BBC Micro.
IBM’s design was cloned, creating a massive open market.
Related:40 Years Later: What Was it Like to Use an IBM PC in 1981?
Every gaming PC can trace its family tree in a straight line back to the first IBM PCs.
They all use “x86” CPU architecture.
Linux, Windows, and myriad other x86 operating systems are all PC operating systems.
Apple Mac computers competed directly with all other microcomputers, including IBM PCs, and had a distinct architecture.
Apple Silicon Macs are definitely not PCs in the IBM-compatible sense!
What About x86 Gaming Consoles?
Another interesting wrinkle to the question of what a “PC” really is comes from modern gaming consoles.
Microsoft and Sony moved to x86-based consoles with the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
The Xbox Series and PlayStation 5 consolesretained this change to x86 hardware, so these devices are customized PCs.
In the case of Xbox’s consoles, even the software is essentially Microsoft Windows.
So why are these “consoles” and not “PCs”?
Related:What is an Operating System?
They are different in many ways, whether you think of them as “consolized” PCs or PC-derivatives.
An x86 laptops and an x86 desktop computer are both PCs.
They have the same hardware architecture, execute the same software, and conform to open industry standards.
The Steam Deck is an x86 IBM-compatible, open-platform personal computer.
Related:PCs Before Windows: What Using MS-DOS Was Actually Like
