The fact so many people are posting their first personal computer, you are wrong.
Irrelevant. Ask someone if they own a PC or a Mac and they will answer without any confusion.
People are giving their first computer despite the thread title and that is fine, I did it myself. It's really a non issue unless people decide to get nit picky about it.
yes, a fact many seem to gloss over --- macs, tablets, windows machines, all the older compact computers you've ever seen (& even smartphones) are forms of PC
I think it goes back to the 1980s when you had the IBM PC and compatibles and then the Macintosh and all the other types of computer around back then. Now people use it to refer to Windows PCs rather than computers in general.
Irrelevant. Ask someone if they own a PC or a Mac and they will answer without any confusion.
People are giving their first computer despite the thread title and that is fine, I did it myself. It's really a non issue unless people decide to get nit picky about it.
No sorry, IBM do not own the term PC.
There are so many things wrong with only using that as a classifcation now.
I bet IBM didn't make the PC on your desk now for a start!
I think it goes back to the 1980s when you had the IBM PC and compatibles and then the Macintosh and all the other types of computer around back then. Now people use it to refer to Windows PCs rather than computers in general.
I still have a copy of Windows 95 on 1.44MB floppy disks.
There are 28 disks in the set and although each one used to take quite a while to load, there was no time to nip off and make a cuppa between each one, unless you wanted to be installing it for ever.
You could just about turn your back on it to watch some TV, listening for the bzzzzzz-click-click to stop after each disk loaded, then nip back to the computer for a sec to swap disks.
Referring to the PC discussion, yes, PC is generally taken by default to refer to "IBM PC" and compatibles, running PCDOS or MSDOS, which turned into Windows computers. But as some people shorten 'personal computer' to PC, I gave details of both my early types.
I still have a copy of Windows 95 on 1.44MB floppy disks.
There are 28 disks in the set and although each one used to take quite a while to load, there was no time to nip off and make a cuppa between each one, unless you wanted to be installing it for ever.
You could just about turn your back on it to watch some TV, listening for the bzzzzzz-click-click to stop after each disk loaded, then nip back to the computer for a sec to swap disks.
Referring to the PC discussion, yes, PC is generally taken by default to refer to "IBM PC" and compatibles, running PCDOS or MSDOS, which turned into Windows computers. But as some people shorten 'personal computer' to PC, I gave details of both my early types.
28 disks? Wow. And how big is the Windows 8 install file in comparison? Swapping disks must have been a pain. I do know that Windows 95 came on CD ROM as well and installing from the CD must have been a lot easier. I think the whole PC v Mac thing is an 80s leftover. Really it should be Windows v Mac OS.
Well, when started this topic, i was thinking PC as in personal computer. It doesn't really matter if it was a x86, Mac, Atari,Commodore or any other personal computer.
Apricot Xi10 with a 10Mb (not a mistype - HD really was ten megabytes) hard drive. It cost £2500 in 1980 and ran DOS but also with a pre windows type GUI.
Used it for managing cashflows of 20 foreign subsidiary companies with a self programmed Supercald 4. Did the job so well I got fired for not having much to do!! Fortunately I took the program disc home with me......
Are you sure you were running Windows 95 on a 286? I doubt any 286 would have had that much RAM either.
I dread to think what Windows 95 on a 286 was like. I used it on a 486 for a few months and it was painfully slow but on a 286 it was probably like a snail trying to take part in the Olympics :eek: I think I would have been ready to throw the PC out the window and buy a Macintosh.
The first computer I owned was a Commodore VIC20, my first PC was an Amstrad PC 1640 with twin 5.25" floppies and a 3rd party 20Mb hard drive in an expansion slot.
The first PC I used was the IBM Personal Computer model 5150 and the first Apple computer I used was the Apple Macintosh 128K, both as a student.
28 disks? Wow. And how big is the Windows 8 install file in comparison? Swapping disks must have been a pain. I do know that Windows 95 came on CD ROM as well and installing from the CD must have been a lot easier.
Well W95 is about 40MB, W8 64 bit is 3.3GB so 82 times bigger. That's bloatware for you! Yes the CD would have made things a lot easier but my laptop only has a floppy drive!
I dread to think what Windows 95 on a 286 was like. I used it on a 486 for a few months and it was painfully slow but on a 286 it was probably like a snail trying to take part in the Olympics :eek: I think I would have been ready to throw the PC out the window and buy a Macintosh.
I have a working W95 on a Compaq 486 laptop @100MHz. It runs the old Office type business applications just fine, within the limitations of floppy disk storage. Video wasn't really an option, though it does have a 700MB hard drive inside. Internet access is dial-up but I don't have a dial-up provider any more!
an 8086 couldn't reference that much memory...so a 2 or 3 in the middle of the cpu number as certainly most 8086 gear i met generally never had more than about a 32mb HDD
Well stop nit picking and get your own definitive answer this is my favourite from 1994
Quote
Computing Dictionary
personal computer definition
computer
(PC) A general-purpose single-user microcomputer designed to be operated by one person at a time.
This term and the concept has been successfully hijacked by IBM due to the huge market share of the IBM PC, despite its many obvious weaknesses when compared to other equally valid claimants to the term, e.g. the Acorn Archimedes, Amiga, Atari, Macintosh.
(1994-11-02)
And if you are as old as I am PC = Personal Computer I still have the words ringing in my ears IBM PC Compatible
If you're younger whatever you want
IBM PC XT from cashconverters for £50 iirc. Abysmally slow. Changed it for a hugely faster PC (still of the same era) that had an orange screen and played some old adventure games and that
Borrowed a friends Amiga 500 and played syndicate into the early hours too.
First proper one was a compaq presario 4540, AMD k6 233 32mb ram 4 gig HD and SiS graphics or something, was sooooo happy with it ^_^
Interstate '76, Startrek Armada, total annihilation, starcraft, age of empires II, Doom 95, Warcraft 2, C&C red alert...and lots of smaller games I had in this huge (for the time) 500mb archive.
My 1st PC was a 386sx with 375mb hard drive and 1mb ram. This was in about 1990-91. I bought it as I wanted to play Civilization.
My 1st computer was about 10 years earlier.It was an Atari 800. It cost about £600. I had to write 12 cheques for £50 each due to the cheque card guarantee limit.
My First Computer was a Commodore 64.
My first PC was an evesham micros PC. with a 400 mhz Celeron processor, 64MB memory 8GB hard drive, ATI Graphics card, windows 98 and supra express modem.
I still have my ZX81, boxed. I remember spending all afternoon typing programs and working out why I was getting syntax errors.
When I did get it working. I got to move a pixel across one side of the screen to the other.
I don't think I ever did anything productive with it.
As for PCs. My first was a 486 though I don't remember how much ram it had or the speed (though 33mhz sounds familiar). It was over £1000 but worth every penny.
Comments
Irrelevant. Ask someone if they own a PC or a Mac and they will answer without any confusion.
People are giving their first computer despite the thread title and that is fine, I did it myself. It's really a non issue unless people decide to get nit picky about it.
I think it goes back to the 1980s when you had the IBM PC and compatibles and then the Macintosh and all the other types of computer around back then. Now people use it to refer to Windows PCs rather than computers in general.
How many floppies did Windows 2 come on?
No sorry, IBM do not own the term PC.
There are so many things wrong with only using that as a classifcation now.
I bet IBM didn't make the PC on your desk now for a start!
What size floppies?
Who said they did? Certainly not me.
I still have a copy of Windows 95 on 1.44MB floppy disks.
There are 28 disks in the set and although each one used to take quite a while to load, there was no time to nip off and make a cuppa between each one, unless you wanted to be installing it for ever.
You could just about turn your back on it to watch some TV, listening for the bzzzzzz-click-click to stop after each disk loaded, then nip back to the computer for a sec to swap disks.
Referring to the PC discussion, yes, PC is generally taken by default to refer to "IBM PC" and compatibles, running PCDOS or MSDOS, which turned into Windows computers. But as some people shorten 'personal computer' to PC, I gave details of both my early types.
Viglen 8086 1Mhz 2MB Ram 5 1/2 floppy and 500MB HDD.
1st computer
ZX81
Standard 3.5" ones of course
28 disks? Wow. And how big is the Windows 8 install file in comparison? Swapping disks must have been a pain. I do know that Windows 95 came on CD ROM as well and installing from the CD must have been a lot easier. I think the whole PC v Mac thing is an 80s leftover. Really it should be Windows v Mac OS.
Are you sure you were running Windows 95 on a 286? I doubt any 286 would have had that much RAM either.
Used it for managing cashflows of 20 foreign subsidiary companies with a self programmed Supercald 4. Did the job so well I got fired for not having much to do!! Fortunately I took the program disc home with me......
I dread to think what Windows 95 on a 286 was like. I used it on a 486 for a few months and it was painfully slow but on a 286 it was probably like a snail trying to take part in the Olympics :eek: I think I would have been ready to throw the PC out the window and buy a Macintosh.
The first PC I used was the IBM Personal Computer model 5150 and the first Apple computer I used was the Apple Macintosh 128K, both as a student.
Now I feel old
I have a working W95 on a Compaq 486 laptop @100MHz. It runs the old Office type business applications just fine, within the limitations of floppy disk storage. Video wasn't really an option, though it does have a 700MB hard drive inside. Internet access is dial-up but I don't have a dial-up provider any more!
an 8086 couldn't reference that much memory...so a 2 or 3 in the middle of the cpu number as certainly most 8086 gear i met generally never had more than about a 32mb HDD
The term PC generally refers to IBM PCs and compatibles though...you do seem to be nit picking
Quote
Computing Dictionary
personal computer definition
computer
(PC) A general-purpose single-user microcomputer designed to be operated by one person at a time.
This term and the concept has been successfully hijacked by IBM due to the huge market share of the IBM PC, despite its many obvious weaknesses when compared to other equally valid claimants to the term, e.g. the Acorn Archimedes, Amiga, Atari, Macintosh.
(1994-11-02)
And if you are as old as I am PC = Personal Computer I still have the words ringing in my ears IBM PC Compatible
If you're younger whatever you want
Borrowed a friends Amiga 500 and played syndicate into the early hours too.
First proper one was a compaq presario 4540, AMD k6 233 32mb ram 4 gig HD and SiS graphics or something, was sooooo happy with it ^_^
Interstate '76, Startrek Armada, total annihilation, starcraft, age of empires II, Doom 95, Warcraft 2, C&C red alert...and lots of smaller games I had in this huge (for the time) 500mb archive.
My 1st computer was about 10 years earlier.It was an Atari 800. It cost about £600. I had to write 12 cheques for £50 each due to the cheque card guarantee limit.
My first PC was an evesham micros PC. with a 400 mhz Celeron processor, 64MB memory 8GB hard drive, ATI Graphics card, windows 98 and supra express modem.
Cost £700 too as I recall. Bargain!
I still have my ZX81, boxed. I remember spending all afternoon typing programs and working out why I was getting syntax errors.
When I did get it working. I got to move a pixel across one side of the screen to the other.
I don't think I ever did anything productive with it.
As for PCs. My first was a 486 though I don't remember how much ram it had or the speed (though 33mhz sounds familiar). It was over £1000 but worth every penny.