Personal computer
3Gigahertz personal computer and peripherals,, photographed in October 2003.
From left to right: printer (just seen to the left of the TV), monitor (this
one is a CRT type although TFT monitors are now common), broadband cable
modem for the internet and a scanner. The tower (CPU, hard drive, etc) can
be glimpsed, under the table,at bottom right. The keyboard and mouse are
wire-less.
Larger version
The term personal computer or PC has three meanings:
* IBM's range of PCs that lead to the use of the term - see IBM PC.
* A generic term used to describe microcomputers that are compatible with
IBM's specification - (discussed here)
* A generic term sometimes used to describe all microcomputers -
(mentioned here)
The first generation of microcomputers were sometimes known as home
computers, and are discussed in that section.
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A personal computer is an inexpensive microcomputer, originally designed to
be used by only one person at a time, and which is IBM PC compatible -
(though in common usage it may sometimes refer to non-compatible machines).
The earliest known use of the term was in New Scientist magazine in 1964, in
a series of articles called "The World in 1984". In "The Banishment of Paper
Work," Arthur L. Samuel of IBM's Watson Research Center writes, "While it
will be entirely feasible to obtain an education at home, via one's own
personal computer, human nature will not have changed."
The first generation of microcomputers that started to appear in the 1970s
(see Home Computers) were markedly less versatile and powerful than business
computers of the day, and were generally used by computer enthusiasts or for
playing games.
It was the launch of the VisiCalc spreadsheet, initially for the Apple II
and later for the IBM PC that became the "killer app" that turned the
microcomputer into a business tool. The low cost of personal computers led
to great popularity in the home and business markets during the 1980s. In
1982, Time magazine named the personal computer its Man of the Year.
During the 1990s, the power of personal computers increased radically,
blurring the formerly sharp distinction between personal computers and
multi-user computers such as mainframes. Today higher-end computers often
distinguish themselves from personal computers by greater reliability or
greater ability to multitask, rather than by straight CPU power.
Architecture and Expansion
Most modern personal computers use the IBM PC compatible hardware
architecture, using x86-compatible processors made by Intel, AMD, or Cyrix.
The hardware capabilities of personal computers can usually be extended by
the addition of Expansion cards.
With regard to portability we can distinguish:
* the desktop computer
* the notebook or laptop
* the wearable computer
Non IBM compatible "Personal Computers"
Despite the overwhelming popularity of the personal computer, a number of
non IBM PC compatible microcomputers (sometimes also generically called
Personal Computers) are still popular in niche uses. The leading alternative
is Apple Computer's proprietary Power Macintosh platform, based on the
PowerPC computer architecture, which is widely used for grapic design and
related uses.
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