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A personal computer, often referred to as a PC or simply computer, is a computer designed for individual use. [1] It is typically used for tasks such as word processing, internet browsing, email, multimedia playback, and gaming. Personal computers are intended to be operated directly by an end user, rather than by a computer expert or technician.
The history of the personal computer as a mass-market consumer electronic device began with the microcomputer revolution of the 1970s. A personal computer is one intended for interactive individual use, as opposed to a mainframe computer where the end user's requests are filtered through operating staff, or a time-sharing system in which one large processor is shared by many individuals.
This category, personal computers, contains articles related to those microcomputers intended for use by individual people primarily for (home) office and productivity applications and telecommunications. However other uses such as gaming, playing music, and editing personal photographs and home movies are also a significant, and growing, part ...
The original IBM Personal Computer, with monitor and keyboard. The IBM Personal Computer, commonly known as the IBM PC, spanned multiple models in its first generation (including the PCjr, the Portable PC, the XT, the AT, the Convertible, and the /370 systems, among others), from 1981 to 1987.
From the introduction of the IBM Personal Computer (ubiquitously known as the PC) in 1981, the market for computers meant for the corporate, business, and government sectors came to be dominated by the new machine and its MS-DOS operating system. Even basic PCs cost thousands of dollars and were far out of reach for typical home computer users.
Personal computer, a general-purpose computer for individuals IBM PC compatible, a ubiquitous personal computer architecture an IBM PC specifically running Microsoft Windows; Programmable controller (disambiguation) Pica (typography) (pc), a typographic unit of measure; Program counter, a special register inside CPUs
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A decade later they were generally replaced by IBM PC compatible "PCs", although technically home computers are also classified as personal computers. Examples of early home computers are the TRS-80, Atari 8-bit computers, BBC Micro, ZX Spectrum, MSX, Amstrad CPC 464, and Commodore 64.