What is your definition of a PC?

Everyone has a different definition of what a PC is, which it's acronym, of course means Personal Computer.

But to me a PC is a machine that encompasses a set of hardware (CPU, GPU, RAM, Storage, Motherboard) and OS with primary input using a physical keyboard and mouse, and is capable of creating content without compromising input or performance.

I don't consider smartphones and tablets to be PC's. I consider them media consumption devices. Sure they can do limited PC tasks, but for the most part they are set up for reading, viewing, and listening.

 

Well, to be honest, PC is a vague term.

A PC could be referred to as an x86, but many tablets and servers have x86 processors.

A PC could be a Wintel, but many PC's use AMD/VIA processors and other OS'es such as Linux/BSD.

A PC could be a device with a physical keyboard, but many AIO PC's have touch/physical keyboards are not required to use them, yet they are fully known as a PC. Also i could hook up a keyboard to my tablet, and that would make it a PC?

A PC could be a device where one can load their own OS, but my phone can do that thanks to it's unlocked boot-loader.

So bottom line, a PC means personal (non-multiseat) computer, and nothing more It's a vague term, but generally it refers to devices that are traditionally used for computing, aka laptops and desktops.

 

HTWingNut,

I have to agree with your assessment - "...is capable of creating content without compromising input or performance."


Specifically:

Win8.1x64 Pro
i7 QC Haswell based platform
ASUS M/B
32+GB DDR3 1866+ RAM
2x ~500GB SSD's (one for O/S+Programs, one for WIP (work in progress) - SanDisk Extreme II's or higher)
2x 27" or larger monitors (3x preferred)
6-8x 4TB HDD's used with Win8's 'Storage Spaces'
2-4x 2TB HDD's used with Win8's 'File History'
1x Mechanical Keyboard
1x Hi DPI mouse
1x Wacom tablet
12x Wacom pens (customized)

The above with a full complement of programs to utilize all that power is all I need (and the air that I breathe...).

 

PC-Personal Cash$$$

 

I use the term PC solely in reference to any computer that's not a Mac. If I'm speaking of computer in general, then I say computers. I would also not call a tablet or a smart phone a PC. However I would consider them all to be computers.

 

i use the term PC for any set of hardware that operates under OSX/linux/windows environment, which are the operating systems that reply heavily on certain input devices:

1) keyboard for document content creation
2) mouse for information collection on the internet, navigating the operating system, and creative content creation
3) graphics tablet for content creation

any set of hardware that are put together and have a non-touch based operating system currently is my definition of PC, but if content creation software under those operating system have been proofed to be more user friendly and efficient with the assistant of a touch panel/monitor my definition of PC will expand, but yes smartphone and tablets are not optimised for content creation, so they are not on my definition of PC list

a machine's definition is something that makes our life easier, and if touch screen helps for content creation it will be on my book, just not now though

 

Desktops, laptops. That's it as far as I'm concerned. Tablets are not PCs, neither are smartphones, etc. It's the form factor and input/output methods that concern my definition of a PC.

 

What about convertible tablets, like your X61t?

 

Well, it's just a laptop with a different type of hinge. So I would count it as a laptop (same with the Yoga, Helix, etc.).

My only grey point would be the (full) Win 8/8.1 tablets. They are definitely tablets, though with the right ports, I supposed they can be used as a desktop/laptop ad hoc, albeit very poorly.

 

I do not care what you say just do not put a ticket in at work and say "My CPU wont turn on" It's one of my biggest pet peeves and even my boss calls a PC a CPU and I had to call him out on it and make a big deal at a meeting.

 

LOL. I always get "My tower doesn't work"... lol. Several people I know constantly refer to their PC's as "towers", well I guess it is. But they use it interchangeably with "PC" for everything.

 

Originally a computer with x86 architecture which was available for personal use.

Over the years a lot of things get such as FSB and BCLK, it was always BCLK and FSB was for example a quadrature phase of BCLK (4x BCLK). SetFSB used to set BCLK, FSB was just the result of it. 1600MHz RAM which is really 800MHz RAM with 1600MTS. Such things usually end up being what the majority think it should mean rather than what it was supposed to be.

Whys is the proper spelling of not allowed???