This is because long ago there was the Apple Macintosh and the IBM Personal Computer. So things that were “PC compatible” were not Macs. So the term got applied to Windows stuff. It’s not used very much now, but that article is from 2007.
So while it’s correct terminology to say Windows are PCs and Macs aren’t, it’s pretty outdated and another example of his failure to be recent on tech trends. I don’t think I’ve used the term PC to mean Windows since 2020 at least. Probably longer.
Kinda? Whether you like it not that’s just how society functions. You either acknowledge what society decides or you end up becoming the guy who argues that drawing swastikas doesn’t make you a nazi because it’s a symbol of luck.
And if you want to go down the rabbit hole of “PC is personal computer” good luck defining what a computer is without defaulting to what society thinks a computer is, because technically your phone is a computer that is for your personal use. Your phone is a PC. In a sense so is your TV and your gaming console and the steam deck and possibly even your fridge. Maybe even your car.
Save yourself the headache and use PC as you understand it while accepting that others have a different meaning for PC.
or you end up becoming the guy who argues that drawing swastikas doesn’t make you a nazi because it’s a symbol of luck.
That’s a very poor and far-fetched analogy.
good luck defining what a computer is
A computer that runs an OS designed to be used with kb+mouse. See? It wasn’t that hard. Refusing to call a Windows computer a “PC” as if that were the only thing it could be doesn’t mean that I’m obtuse. It just means that I refuse to abide by the rules set by a set of crappy, inaccurate ads a massive corporation ran like 13 years ago.
Save yourself the headache and use PC as you understand it while accepting that others have a different meaning for PC.
Thanks, but no. If you want to misuse the term, go ahead. I’m just as free to point out the incorrect use of the term if I want to.
You’re right. I should’ve said “the guy who argues swastika isn’t just a nazi symbol”, because that’s essentially what you’re saying: PCs aren’t just windows machines.
A computer that runs an OS designed to be used with kb+mouse. See? It wasn’t that hard.
You do know that Android and most modern gaming consoles support kb+m? And I case you want to hang onto to the word “designed”, as in they’re designed to work without a physical kb+m, then I guess the moment I install SteamOS my PC it stops being a PC?
You’re doing the same thing you’re complaining about, using a generally accepted definition of a word instead of the actual definition.
Thanks, but no. If you want to misuse the term, go ahead. I’m just as free to point out the incorrect use of the term if I want to.
So it’s okay to misuse words when you also misuse them, but not okay when you don’t misuse them? What are you, a self-important hypocrite?
You’re right. I should’ve said “the guy who argues swastika isn’t just a nazi symbol”, because that’s essentially what you’re saying
Ok yeah, sure. A couple of ads a random tech company ran are the same thing as the Nazi regime. Give me a break. It’s an erroneous analogy and you know it.
You do know that Android and most modern gaming consoles support kb+m?
They support it but that’s not what they were designed for. Don’t be obtuse.
So it’s okay to misuse words when you also misuse them, but not okay when you don’t misuse them? What are you, a self-important hypocrite?
A) I’m not misuing anything B) You’re starting to sound quite like a douche.
In that case it would be a Windows laptop. PC stands for Personal Computer. It has nothing to do with the OS.
PC absolutely has to do with the OS in certain contexts. Do you not remember the “Hi, I’m a Mac.” “And I’m a PC.” Line of commercials?
Example of the usage: https://www.computerworld.com/article/1568544/mac-vs-pc-cost-analysis-how-does-it-all-add-up.html
This is because long ago there was the Apple Macintosh and the IBM Personal Computer. So things that were “PC compatible” were not Macs. So the term got applied to Windows stuff. It’s not used very much now, but that article is from 2007.
So while it’s correct terminology to say Windows are PCs and Macs aren’t, it’s pretty outdated and another example of his failure to be recent on tech trends. I don’t think I’ve used the term PC to mean Windows since 2020 at least. Probably longer.
I do remember those ads but I did not know about the IBM Personal Computer distinction, to be honest. Thanks for the added context!
The Mac vs PC ads back in the day influenced language a bit
If you want to eat up Apple’s marketing then yeah.
A good chunk of the population did.
Even if that were true, does that mean that we should all accept it and drink the Apple Kool-Aid? A PC was, is and will always be a Personal Computer.
Kinda? Whether you like it not that’s just how society functions. You either acknowledge what society decides or you end up becoming the guy who argues that drawing swastikas doesn’t make you a nazi because it’s a symbol of luck.
And if you want to go down the rabbit hole of “PC is personal computer” good luck defining what a computer is without defaulting to what society thinks a computer is, because technically your phone is a computer that is for your personal use. Your phone is a PC. In a sense so is your TV and your gaming console and the steam deck and possibly even your fridge. Maybe even your car.
Save yourself the headache and use PC as you understand it while accepting that others have a different meaning for PC.
That’s a very poor and far-fetched analogy.
A computer that runs an OS designed to be used with kb+mouse. See? It wasn’t that hard. Refusing to call a Windows computer a “PC” as if that were the only thing it could be doesn’t mean that I’m obtuse. It just means that I refuse to abide by the rules set by a set of crappy, inaccurate ads a massive corporation ran like 13 years ago.
Thanks, but no. If you want to misuse the term, go ahead. I’m just as free to point out the incorrect use of the term if I want to.
You’re right. I should’ve said “the guy who argues swastika isn’t just a nazi symbol”, because that’s essentially what you’re saying: PCs aren’t just windows machines.
You do know that Android and most modern gaming consoles support kb+m? And I case you want to hang onto to the word “designed”, as in they’re designed to work without a physical kb+m, then I guess the moment I install SteamOS my PC it stops being a PC?
You’re doing the same thing you’re complaining about, using a generally accepted definition of a word instead of the actual definition.
So it’s okay to misuse words when you also misuse them, but not okay when you don’t misuse them? What are you, a self-important hypocrite?
Ok yeah, sure. A couple of ads a random tech company ran are the same thing as the Nazi regime. Give me a break. It’s an erroneous analogy and you know it.
They support it but that’s not what they were designed for. Don’t be obtuse.
A) I’m not misuing anything B) You’re starting to sound quite like a douche.