definition of personal computer

From: Doug Yowza <yowza_at_yowza.com>
Date: Sun Nov 1 16:38:10 1998

On Sun, 1 Nov 1998, Buck Savage wrote:

> I know perfectly well the accepted definition of personal computer but,
> language is as much subjective as objective. So, though society may
> subscribe to a specific definition, there is no reason to assume that
> all persons of that society also agree to subscribe. After all, this is not
> France, and we have no national language police. Nevertheless, your
> point is well taken.

Yes, this is France (as well as several other countries). There is no
"accepted definition" of personal computer, but I like mine, and it does
help reduce the noise when we all mean the same thing by the terms we use.

Of course, you may own a Cray 1 as your personal computer (used in the
"accepted" meaning of personal property), but that doesn't make a Cray 1 a
"personal computer" in the taxonomical sense.

Since popular jargon is so ambiguous, perhaps we should invent our own
vocabulary for this list. Take all of the known computer variations,
assign a variable to each attribute, solve a system of simultaneous
equations, and then assign arbitrary words to the attributes. (Oh, that's
a nice fwerp you've got there, Buck :-)

-- Doug
Received on Sun Nov 01 1998 - 16:38:10 GMT