what is your personal computer? i use a mac pc

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Personal computer From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Macs like the iMac Core Duo are also "personal computers". Unlike many PCs, the iMac is an "all in one" with all its components, including processor and speakers, in one case.A personal computer (PC) is a microcomputer whose price, size, and capabilities make it suitable for personal usage. The term was popularized by Apple Computer with the Apple II in the late-1970s and early-1980s, and afterwards by IBM with the IBM Personal Computer. Contents[hide] 1 History 1.1 Mainframes and large "minicomputers" 1.2 Computers at home 1.3 Back to business 1.4 Today 2 Uses 3 Configuration 3.1 Motherboard 3.2 Central processing unit 3.3 Main memory 3.4 Mass storage 3.5 Graphics – video card 4 Laptop computers 5 Non IBM-compatible personal computers 6 See also 7 Notes 8 External links [edit] History Main article: History of computing hardware (1960s-present) Time shared computer terminals connected to central computers were sometimes used before the advent of the PC, such as the TeleVideo ASCII character mode smart terminal pictured here. [edit] Mainframes and large "minicomputers"Before the advent of the microprocessor in the early 1970s, computers were generally large, costly systems owned by universities, and institutions. End users often did not directly interact with the machine but instead would prepare tasks for the computer on off-line equipment such as card punches. A number of assignments for the computer would be gathered up and processed in batch mode. After the job had completed, users could collect the results. In some cases it could take hours or days between submitting a job to the computing center and receiving the output. A more interactive form of computer use developed commercially by the middle 1960's. In a time-sharing system, multiple computer terminals let many people share the use of one mainframe computer processor. This was common in business applications, and in sciences and engineering. A different model of computer use was foreshadowed by the way in which early, pre-commercial, experimental computers were used, where one user had exclusive use of a processor. Some of the first computers that might be called "personal" were early minicomputers such as the LINC and PDP-8, and later on VAX and larger minicomputers from Data General, Prime, and others. By today's standards they were very large (about the size of a refrigerator) and cost prohibitive (typically tens of thousands of US dollars), and thus were rarely purchased by an individual. However, they were much smaller, less expensive, and generally simpler to operate than many of the mainframe computers of the time. Therefore, they were accessible for individual laboratories and research projects. Minicomputers largely freed these organizations from the batch processing and bureaucracy of a commercial or university computing center. In addition, minicomputers were relatively interactive and soon had their own operating systems. The minicomputer Xerox Alto (1973) was a landmark step in the development of personal computers, because of its graphical user interface, bit-mapped high resolution screen, large internal and external memory storage, mouse, and special software.[1] The minicomputer era was an intermediary step from mainframes to personal computer usage. [edit] Computers at home One early use of the term "personal computer" appeared in a November 3, 1962 New York Times article reporting John W. Mauchly's vision of future computing as detailed at a recent meeting of the American Institute of Industrial Engineers. Mauchly stated, "There is no reason to suppose the average boy or girl cannot be master of a personal computer.[2]"The minicomputer ancestors of the modern personal computer did not use microprocessors, which explained their size and high cost. After the commercialization of the "computer-on-a-chip", the cost of manufacture of a computer system dropped dramatically. The arithmetic, logic, and control functions that previously occupied several costly circuit boards were now available in integrated form. Concurrently, advances in the development of solid-state memory eliminated the bulky, costly, and power-consuming core storage used in prior generations of computers. A programmable terminal called the Datapoint 2200 is the earliest known device that bears any significant resemblance to the modern personal computer[3][4]. It was made by CTC (now known as Datapoint) in 1970 and was a complete system in a small case bearing the approximate footprint of an IBM Selectric typewriter. The system's CPU was constructed from a variety of discrete components, although the company had commissioned Intel to develop a single-chip processing unit; there was a falling out between CTC and Intel, and the chip Intel had developed wasn't used. Intel soon released a modified version of that chip as the Intel 8008, the world's first 8-bit microprocessor[5]. The needs and requirements of the Datapoint 2200 therefore determined the nature of the 8008, upon which all successive processors used in IBM-compatible PCs were based. Additionally, the design of the Datapoint 2200's multi-chip CPU and the final design of the Intel 8008 were so similar that the two are largely software-compatible; therefore, the Datapoint 2200, from a practical perspective, can be regarded as if it were indeed powered by an 8008, which makes it a strong candidate for the title of "first microcomputer" as well. Development of the single-chip microprocessor was an enormous catalyst to the popularization of cheap, easy to use, and truly personal computers. The Altair 8800, introduced in a Popular Electronics magazine article in the December, 1974 issue, at the time set a new low price point for a computer, bringing computer ownership to an admittedly select market in the 1970s. It was arguably this computer that spawned the development of both Apple Computer as well as Microsoft, spawning the Altair BASIC programming language interpreter, Microsoft's first product. The second generation of microcomputers — those that appeared in the late 1970s, sparked by the success of the Steve Wozniak-designed Apple release, the Apple II — were usually known as home computers. These were less capable and in some ways less versatile than large business computers of the day. They were generally used by computer enthusiasts for learning to program, running simple office/productivity applications, electronics interfacing, and general hobbyist pursuits. By the late 1990's, the "home computer" was becoming a less common label in favor of "personal computer." The graphics and sound capacities of "home" systems were matched by those intended for "business" purposes, with a general decrease in costs. The two market segments fused. These computers were pre-assembled, often pre-configured with bundled software, and required little technical knowledge to operate. A university computer lab containing many desktop PCs A release photo of the original IBM PC (ca. 1981) [edit] Back to business It was the launch of the VisiCalc spreadsheet, initially for the Apple II (and later for the Atari 8-bit family, Commodore PET, and IBM PC) that turned the microcomputer into a business tool. This was followed by the August 12, 1981 release of the IBM PC which would revolutionize the computer market. The Lotus 1-2-3, a combined spreadsheet (inspired by VisiCalc), presentation graphics, and simple database application, would become the PC's own killer app. Good word processor programs would also appear for many home computers, in particular the introduction of Microsoft Word for the Apple Macintosh in 1985 (While earlier versions of Word had been created for the PC, it became popular initially through the Macintosh.). In the January 3, 1983 issue of Time magazine, the personal computer was named the "Person of the Year" for 1982. [edit] Today 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 brute CPU ability. In today's common usage, personal computer and PC usually indicate an IBM PC compatible. Due to this association, some manufacturers of personal computers that are not IBM PCs avoid explicitly using the terms to describe their products. Due to networks and the Internet, modern personal computers are no longer the exclusive tools of their users. Support of desktop computers in business now requires as much bureaucracy and professional training as did operating a time-sharing system, with the draw back of much lower security and users skilled enough to get into deep trouble but not skilled enough to get out. [edit] Uses Personal computers are normally operated by one user at a time to perform such general purpose tasks as word processing, internet browsing, internet faxing, e-mail and other digital messaging, multimedia playback, video game play, computer programming, etc. The user of a modern personal computer may have significant knowledge of the operating environment and application programs, but is not necessarily interested in programming nor even able to write programs for the computer. Therefore, most software written primarily for personal computers tends to be designed with simplicity of use, or " user-friendliness" in mind. However, the software industry continuously provide a wide range of new products for use in personal computers, targeted at both the expert and the non-expert user. [edit] Configuration An exploded view of a modern personal computer: Display Motherboard CPU (Microprocessor) Primary storage (RAM) Expansion cards Power supply Optical disc drive Seconda