1 Nov
1998
1 Nov
'98
8:38 a.m.
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