Really, those with a tendency to refer to computers running Windows as “PC”s?
At what point was such a blanket term as “PC” (which Merriam-Webster still defines simply as “Personal Computer”) deemed fit to describe only those machines running on a particular operating system platform? Is this to imply that only one kind of “PC” is worth a mention? Or perhaps to indicate the generic nature of “PC”s that operate on this platform?
As a cross-platform computer user, I take no sides in the “great” and poorly-named “debate” of “Mac vs. PC.” The unabashed and unnecessary co-opting of general terms to refer to specific things may cause some shudders upon reading that this very entry was most assuredly made on a Macintosh PC. Figure that one out if you dare, then get back to me about whether Really?
Wednesday, 6 August, 2008 at 3:23 pm
If you believe Mac OS X and Windows are the only options for home users, then I see nothing wrong with referring to Windows PCs as PCs (even Apple does so in their commercials bashing Windows).
Since I happen to believe Linux to be a viable option for the email-web-photos-word-music crowd (i.e., most home users), I don’t believe PC should be a term that refers to Windows computers.