1 Nov
1998
1 Nov
'98
1:10 p.m.
I consider anything that was marketed as a personal computer a
personal computer. I would not consider the PDP a personal computer if
I had one because it's not a personal computer. If you used a sedan
to haul around heavy things, would you call it a truck?
>operate. If I could find a SYS/360 or SYS370, or
Sigma/7 or Sigma/9
or
That's exactly how I've viewed it as well. When I told people that
my personal computer was a pdp-11/93 or a uVax system, they generally
balked at the idea, though. I've had to remind them that it is a
computer (that's never in question), and that I own it and use it.
Hence a *personal* computer... And although I didn't have one back
when the Imsai became available, I did get my first one (an 11/10)
in 1980.
Megan Gentry
Former RT-11 Developer
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1 Nov
1 Nov
12:35 p.m.
I consider anything that was marketed as a personal
computer a
personal computer. I would not consider the PDP a personal computer if
I had one because it's not a personal computer. If you used a sedan
to haul around heavy things, would you call it a truck?
Then by your own definition, and lack of specifying a model of PDP, you'll
have to consider a PDP a personal computer, as some were marketed that way.
But seriously trying to catagorize such things is like trying to define
when a computer stops being a Micro and starts being a Mini, or a Mini
stops being a Mini and starts being a Mainframe. Personally the best
Mini/Main answer I've heard is when you need special environmental
considerations it's a Mainframe. Never have a good answer on the
Micro/Mini one though.
Zane
| Zane H. Healy | UNIX Systems Adminstrator |
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2 p.m.
"Max Eskin" <maxeskin(a)hotmail.com> wrote:
I consider anything that was marketed as a personal
computer a
personal computer. I would not consider the PDP a personal computer if
I had one because it's not a personal computer.
By your own criteria, the original PDP-8 *is* a personal computer. DEC
specifically marketed it based on the it being small enough that someone
could transport it in their automobile (specifically, a Volkswagen), and
cheap enough that someone could afford it.
3:22 p.m.
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6:55 p.m.
On Sun, 1 Nov 1998, Max Eskin wrote:
I consider anything that was marketed as a personal computer a
personal computer. I would not consider the PDP a personal computer if
I had one because it's not a personal computer. If you used a sedan
to haul around heavy things, would you call it a truck?
If you mean 'sedan', then it is probably a "Sport Utility Vehicle" (SUV)
and, yes, I do call that a truck!
- don
9345
days inactive
9345
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