{"id":433436,"date":"2022-04-18T14:00:15","date_gmt":"2022-04-18T11:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/why-is-a-pc-called-a-pc\/"},"modified":"2022-04-18T14:00:15","modified_gmt":"2022-04-18T11:00:15","slug":"why-is-a-pc-called-a-pc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-is-a-pc-called-a-pc\/","title":{"rendered":"#Why Is a PC Called a PC?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2570ec0a4bf\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2570ec0a4bf\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-is-a-pc-called-a-pc\/#%E2%80%9CWhy_Is_a_PC_Called_a_PC%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Why Is a PC Called a PC?&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-is-a-pc-called-a-pc\/#The_Legacy_of_the_IBM_PC\" >The Legacy of the IBM PC<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-is-a-pc-called-a-pc\/#The_Birth_of_the_Personal_Computer\" >The Birth of the Personal Computer<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-is-a-pc-called-a-pc\/#Are_Macs_PCs\" >Are Macs PCs?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CWhy_Is_a_PC_Called_a_PC%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Why Is a PC Called a PC?&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<figure style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage size-full wp-image-796959\" data-pagespeed-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/pc_question_hero_2.jpg?width=398&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 400w, https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/pc_question_hero_2.jpg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, 400w, 1200w\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/pc_question_hero_2.jpg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"An IBM PC with question marks around it on a blue background\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"type:primaryImage imagecredit\">IBM<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If you buy a computer that runs Windows, it\u2019s usually called a \u201cPC.\u201d But sometimes a Mac is called a PC, too. What\u2019s going on here, and why is a PC called a \u201cPC\u201d anyway? We\u2019ll explain.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Legacy_of_the_IBM_PC\"><\/span>The Legacy of the IBM PC<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In August 1981, IBM released the IBM Personal Computer in the United States. Since the product\u2019s name was a mouthful, people almost im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>tely began calling it the \u201cIBM PC\u201d for short.<\/p>\n<p>Within a few years, companies began cloning IBM PCs and creating compatible machines without the IBM label. At that point, the term \u201cPC compatible\u201d or just \u201cPC\u201d became a generic catchall for non-IBM computers that descended from the IBM PC. These PCs could use peripherals and software created for that platform and its clones.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-678673 size-full\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/ibm_pc_5150.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"A 1981 marketing photo of the IBM PC 5150\" width=\"650\" height=\"445\" data-credittext=\"IBM\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">IBM<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Microsoft Windows originated on the IBM PC platform as a graphical shell that ran on top of MS-DOS, which originated in 1981 alongside the IBM PC. While Windows did briefly <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ear on <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tech-insider.org\/windows\/research\/1991\/1001.html\">alternative architectures<\/a> (and can also run on ARM chips currently in a special version), it\u2019s historically been tied primarily to the PC-compatible platform. So when people say \u201cPC\u201d these days, they usually mean a computer running Windows, although sometimes people clarify by saying \u201cWindows PC\u201d instead.<\/p>\n<p>Even so, IBM didn\u2019t pull the term \u201cpersonal computer\u201d out of thin air, and that\u2019s where things get complicated. Since \u201cPC\u201d is short for \u201cpersonal computer,\u201d the term can apply to other types of machines as well. \u201cPersonal computer\u201d is a broad historical category that predated the IBM PC, and it that can include computers like Macs, Commodores, Ataris, and more.<\/p>\n<p>But wait\u2014what is a personal computer anyway?<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Birth_of_the_Personal_Computer\"><\/span>The Birth of the Personal Computer<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>What makes a personal computer? It\u2019s a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kennettclassic.com\/what-was-the-first-personal-computer\/\">contentious topic<\/a> among historians. For example, just what constituted the \u201cfirst personal computer\u201d is constantly up for debate, much like the first video <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a>. That debate comes from the meaning of the term \u201cpersonal computer\u201d itself, which can vary depending on subjective criteria such as size, price, commercial availability, and more.<\/p>\n<p>Broadly speaking, the concept of a \u201cpersonal computer\u201d <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/news\/pc-pioneers-the-forgotten-world-of-s-100-bus-computers\">emerged<\/a> in America in the mid-1970s (although the term itself reportedly <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/2000\/12\/the-first-pc\/\">originated<\/a> in 1968, and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kenbak-1\">early contenders<\/a> shipped in 1971). It typically referred to a new wave of small, microprocessor-based computers that were inexpensive enough to be owned and operated by one person at a time.<\/p>\n<p>Why one person at a time? Because before the personal computer era, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ibm.com\/ibm\/history\/exhibits\/mainframe\/mainframe_FT1.html\">most computers<\/a> were very large and very expensive. To varying degrees, they required a specially trained staff to run, and were <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a>ly only owned by large organizations such as governments, corporations, and universities.<\/p>\n<p>To get the most out of these large, expensive computers, engineers invented <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Time-sharing\">time-sharing<\/a>, which allowed several or many people to use a large computer at the same time, sometimes remotely through teletypes. This was sort of an intermediate step between monolithic single-task computers and personal computing since individuals could run personalized computing sessions\u2014but the computer was still not under the user\u2019s ownership or control.<\/p>\n<p>Computers had a lot of potential, and the idea of owning your own personal computer that you could completely control <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fastcompany.com\/3047428\/how-two-bored-1970s-housewives-helped-create-the-pc-industry\">was exciting<\/a> for many technically-minded people in the 1970s. It spawned groups like the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Homebrew_Computer_Club\">Homebrew Computer Club<\/a> in California, where members such as Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs shaped the future of the personal computer industry.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_Macs_PCs\"><\/span>Are Macs PCs?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Since the term \u201cpersonal computer\u201d can apply to any computer that an individual can own or operate, that leaves the door open for non-PCs (in the IBM PC sense) to be called PCs as well.<\/p>\n<p>In particular, when Macs switched from PowerPC to the x86 architecture, more and more people began grouping Macs in with PCs. In the 2000s, PC World Editor-in-Chief Harry McCracken notably decided to cover Macs in the historically PC-compatible magazine. \u201cWe never went whole-hog on covering Macs in PC World, but stopped pretending they didn\u2019t exist,\u201d he told How-To Geek. Apple noticed, and even <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=K5M6RddZjBI\">mentioned<\/a> PC World\u2019s reviews in its famous Mac vs. PC ads.<\/p>\n<lite-youtube videoid=\"K5M6RddZjBI\" style=\"background-image: url('https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/K5M6RddZjBI\/hqdefault.jpg');\">\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"lty-playbtn\"><br \/>\n<span class=\"lyt-visually-hidden\">Play Video<\/span><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/lite-youtube>\n<p>But wait, the rabbit hole goes deeper. During Steve Jobs\u2019 <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/allthingsd.com\/20070531\/d5-gates-jobs-transcript\">famous appearance<\/a> at the D5 Conference in 2007, Jobs himself grouped Macs in with PCs several times (mentioning \u201cThe PC,\u201d as a monolithic idea), which led to a clarification that he meant \u201cpersonal computer in general\u201d as opposed to a tablet like the iPad.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-796960\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/steve_jobs_pc_claim_1980.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Excerpt from an August 198 Wall Street Journal ad by Apple\" width=\"650\" height=\"371\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Apple<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It\u2019s not surprising that Steve Jobs thought this way. In 1976, Jobs helped kick-start the personal computer industry before IBM released the IBM PC. And what\u2019s more, in 1980, Apple <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/macmouse.com\/applead\/applead.htm\">ran an ad<\/a> in the Wall Street Journal written in the voice of Steve Jobs that claimed he and Steve Wozniak invented the personal computer (which, we should note, is not generally regarded to be true.)<\/p>\n<p>The aforementioned Jobs <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/allthingsd.com\/20070531\/d5-gates-jobs-transcript\">discussion<\/a> about iPads and PCs from D5 is also enlightening because there was once a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zdnet.com\/article\/apple-finally-admits-ipad-pro-wont-replace-your-pc\/\">general debate<\/a> about whether to consider devices such as smartphones and tablets \u201cPCs\u201d (or even merely a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerworld.com\/article\/2467858\/apple-s-ipad--is-it-a-computer-.html\">\u201ccomputer\u201d<\/a>). Some favor excluding them because they typically can\u2019t run arbitrary software without vendor permission, and yet they are computer devices owned and operated by a single person. Most industry analyst groups (such as <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/273495\/global-shipments-of-personal-computers-since-2006\/\">these stats on Statistia<\/a>) don\u2019t group smartphones and tablets in with desktop and laptop computers, however, and instead consider them different market segments.<\/p>\n<p>So what is a PC? It all depends on context. Like many terms, it can mean multiple things depending on how you use it. And in the end, one thing is clear: Language is very complicated.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/796809\/why-is-a-pc-called-a-pc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Why Is a PC Called a PC?&#8221; IBM If you buy a computer that runs Windows, it\u2019s usually called a \u201cPC.\u201d But sometimes a Mac is called a PC, too. What\u2019s going on here, and why is a PC called a \u201cPC\u201d anyway? We\u2019ll explain. The Legacy of the IBM PC In August 1981, IBM&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":433437,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/pc_question_hero_2.jpg?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-433436","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/433436","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=433436"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/433436\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/433437"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=433436"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=433436"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=433436"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}