What is a PC or Personal Computer?

On a personal computer, you can do countless tasks such as writing text documents, making resumes or resumes, making budgets, watching videos, listening to music, surfing the web, among others. Have all the information in this article about What is it a PC or desktop computer, origin, what it is for and much more.

Discover everything about what a PC is

An individual's computer equipment is also called a computer or personal computer. However, it is better known as PC acronym that responds to its name in English Personal Computer.

Another term with which it is usually called is desktop or desktop computer, because they always remain in a static position, that is, they cannot be easily transported from one place to another.

Originally this class of microcomputers were created for the exclusive use of a single user. The acronym PC generally refers to IBM PC compatible computers.

Usually the personal computer has a medium size and as already explained it is used by a single person. However, there are multi-user operating systems that allow multiple users to use the computer at the same time.

If it's still not clear to you what is a computer personal or PC, we can tell you that it is a modern computing tool capable of processing, receiving and storing information. It can also perform arithmetic or logical operations automatically.

Due to the above, it can be said that a personal computer is programmed to perform different tasks such as: studying, writing texts, surfing the Internet, making online purchases, as well as doing office or school work, such as: writing letters, make budgets, edit texts, create databases, among others.

If you want to discover other aspects of what a PC is, pay attention to the following presentation in which everything about this topic is explained.

recreational use

In the same way, the computer is used to carry out different leisure activities such as listening to music, watching videos, watching series or movies, playing games, talking through the web, among others.

On the other hand, as far as its mobility is concerned, two types are distinguished: the desktop computer and the laptop, both are capable of performing the aforementioned tasks but they differ in that the first ones are impossible to transport and also only work connected. to an electrical outlet, while laptops can be carried anywhere and can be used without connection to an outlet.

History of the Personal Computer or PC

Before the appearance of computers, there were many non-digital or electronic devices such as the abacus or mechanical equipment that were used to combat large volumes of information.

Another notable antecedent of the computer is the Harvard Mark I, an electromechanical computer created in 1944 by the North American company IBM, later its successors the Colossus Mark I and Colossus Mark 2 emerged.

However, It was not until 1964 that the term personal computer (PC) appeared in various articles in the New Scientist magazine. In this regard, Arthur L. Samuel of IBM's Watson Research Center wrote in the article "The Banishment of Paper Work":

"Although it will be entirely possible to get an education at home, through one's personal computer, human nature will not have changed, and there will still be a need for schools with laboratories, classrooms and teachers who motivate students."

Between 1962 and 1964, the Italian engineer Pier Giorgio Perotto of the Italian company Olivetti invented the first personal computer called Programma 101. It is important to point out that this engineer also created the magnetic card.

Other historical data

This computer was so important that in 1969 NASA used it on the Apollo 11 mission to send the first man to the Moon. In the same year, the American television channel ABC also made use of it to predict political elections, and the United States soldiers used it to plan their operational strategies in the Vietnam War.

On the other hand, the Hewlett Packard 9100 company in 1968 took on the task of designing a personal computer very similar to the Programma 101, for which it faced a lawsuit for plagiarism, being found guilty, it had to pay Olivetti $900.000.

Despite all the uses that were given to the computer, it was not until the end of the 70s that it became a work tool, due to the launch of the VisiCalc spreadsheet. Originally this application was for the Apple II company and later it was for the IBM PC.

Now, the second generation of desktop computers that hit the market in 1977 became very popular and common among users during the XNUMXs, turning the personal computer into a consumer-friendly relationship.

Continue the history of the PC

In the XNUMXs, microcomputers became very popular among families and workers, who quickly acquired PCs because of their low cost. Also because they were less versatile and much more powerful than the computers that companies had at that time.

Another reason that made computers very popular was that they were often used for gaming by computer hobbyists.

Importantly, personal computers became more powerful around the XNUMXs, completely erasing the vast difference that existed between PCs and multi-user computers like mainframes.

Nowadays

Today many non-IBM compatible microcomputers remain very popular for very specific uses, despite the widespread popularity of personal computers.

Today's high-end computers differ from PCs because they are both more reliable and more capable of multitasking, not because of the power of the Central Processing Unit (CPU).

In general, most personal computers use a hardware design much like the IBM PC, also using microprocessors related to the x86 family of processors created by AMD, Intel, or Cyrix.

At the beginning of the millennium, Apple Computer's PowerPC processor and Mac OS X operating system was preferred by users who generally used it for graphic design and the like, as well as being perfectly used at home.

However, as of 2006, Apple stopped manufacturing computers with PowerPC microprocessors, replacing them with Intel ones. Despite this, they remain incompatible, so compatible PCs use the basic input-output system (BIOS) and Macs use the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI).

The personal computer was created primarily for home use and not for business or industrial settings. Based on this and on the great mass production of the PC, it became easy to acquire for all types of public.

Likewise, they were created with their utility for non-technical customers in mind, unlike the first generation microcomputers that required studies related to electronics.

In the first years of the XNUMXs, the use of the term "personal computer" was decreasing in Europe and in the United States the term died at the end of the same decade, all of this responds to the preference of the term "PC" and the appearance of the IBM computer compatible personal computer.

Featured Personal Computers

Before presenting the list of the most outstanding computers from the 1960s to the 1980s, we specify the most significant designs in the United States:

1964: the Italian company Olivetti creates the Programma 101
1977: Apple II
In the year 1981: IBM PC
1982: the Commodore 64
1982: ZX Spectrum
From 1984: Apple Macintosh

It is important to note that scores of other personal computers emerged during this period, but without causing any significant impact on the US market or on the history of home computing.

Many compatible models of a single microcomputer system line can be listed, such as the Apple II and Tandy Radio Shack Z-80 (TRS-80) families.

Which PC is more significant between 1960 and 1980?

Below is a list of the most significant PCs from the 1960s to the 1980s, including the year of creation, as well as their region or country of origin.

1960: EAI Pace (TR 48), PC weighing 145 kilograms and measuring 1,2 meters wide, 60 cm deep and 60 cm high.
1962: at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) – (USA), the first graphic programs were developed for the user to interact with the screen.
By 1962: At the University of Manchester (England) ATLAS computer, introduced modern concepts such as interrupts, pipes, virtual memory, interleaved memory, and paged memory.
1963: DEC (Digital Equipment Corporation) – (United States) launches the first commercially successful minicomputer.
In 1964: the IBM S/360 series appears, it was the first family of personal computers.
1965: "Control Data 6600" (Europe), supercomputer with a 60-bit CPU and 10 peripheral processing units (PPUs).
1977: Apple II (USA), had color graphics and eight expansion slots.
Already in 1977: Tandy Radio Shack (TRS-80) (USA), was the first personal computer with a cost of less than 600 dollars.
1977: Commodore PET (USA), is the first most complete computer, since it included a keyboard, screen and tape.
1979: Atari 400/800 (United States), is the first computer that included a specific chipset and a programmable video chip.
Finally in the year 1979: TI-99/4, it was the first line of personal computers with a 16-bit processor.

Personal computers from the 1980s

1980: Commodore VIC-20 (Germany) the home computer appears with an 8-bit processor, 5 KB of RAM and a MOS 6502 CPU. Its cost was below 300 dollars.
1980: Osborne 1 (USA) was the first “Laptop” portable computer, weighing just 11kg, with a 80 MHz Z4 processor and 64 kilobytes of RAM.
1981: Texas Instruments TI-99/4A, an upgraded computer from the TI-99/4, is the second personal computer with a 16-bit CPU and the first to include sprite graphics.
In the year 1981: IBM PC “Model 5150” (Boca Raton, Florida) is the original version of the IBM PC compatible hardware platform.
1981: Sinclair ZX81 (Europe), had a membrane keyboard, weight 350g, RAM 1Kb. The kit cost 49,95 pounds sterling, it was also marketed in the United States, Argentina and Brazil.
By 1981: BBC Micro (Europe), affectionately known as the Beeb, was one of the first computers used for educational purposes. Many British schools used it to teach computer science and information technology.
1982: Kaypro launches the Kaypro II portable computer and the Olivetti company the Olivetti M20 computer with a Zilog Z8001 processor, it had two floppy drives.
1982: Sinclair ZX Spectrum (Europe), with 8-bit, Zilog Z80A microprocessor, was the favorite of computer and video game fans.
By 1982: Commodore 64, it was an 8-bit home computer, it had a cassette drive and a 5 1/4-inch type floppy drive.

We continue with the eighties

1983: Coleco Adam home computer with a 80MHz Zilog Z3.58A processor and 64 KB RAM, 16 KB VRAM and 32 KB ROM.
1983: MSX (Japan), a domestic microcomputer with an 8-bit processor, was also successful in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Spain, France, the Netherlands and the Soviet Union. 1983: VTech Laser 200 (Hong Kong), was the computer cheapest on the market, with Zilog Z80 processor, 16 kB ROM memory, 4 or 8 KB RAM expandable to 64 kB
In the year 1984, Amstrad/Schneider CPC (England) was created. A computer for home use only lasted 6 months on the market, it had an 8-bit Zilog Z80A processor and 48 KB RAM.
1985: Atari ST, was the first home computer with a graphical interface, 16-bit microprocessor, multiple ports, number of colors. It was a very cheap computer and more than 6 million were sold worldwide.
1985: Amiga 1000 computer noted for its audio and video skills, its OS GUI, and the first multithreaded operating system. Its processor was Motorola 68000 at 7.16 MHz and RAM of 8 MB.
Finally, in 1987, Acorn Archimedes (Europe) was designed, a computer based on the 32-bit ARM processor with 512 KB RAM.

Complete the information on the history and evolution of personal computers or PCs by watching the video that we leave at your disposal below:

Types of Personal Computers

Computers are classified according to their internal and external speed, which also distinguishes the bits processed per second. As well as the memory capacity and the repertoire of computer programs and applications that it can process.

In the same way, the types of computers are differentiated by the manufacturer's brand, the most popular being Intel, Qualcomm and AMD. Therefore, each brand and model of microprocessor contains a specific technology, as well as the length of the internal bits.

Based on the foregoing, it can be stated that the types of personal computers respond to the features that determine them, such as their size, their power and their usefulness.

In this sense we can mention among others the following types of personal computers:

PC Workstation or Workstation
Desktop
quantum computer
The laptop
Super computers or Mainframes
Tablets and cell phones.
PC Gamer

Below we present the detailed information of each one:

PC Workstation

A workstation or Workstation (in English) is defined in computer science as a high-performance computer designed for technical or scientific tasks that are usually very complex.

While in the computer network it is a computer that allows users access to network servers and peripherals, such as: keyboard, mouse, monitor, printer, hard drive, modems or other wireless devices, among others.

The PC Workstation has a network card, and also connects to the servers through cables or adapters. Also, server and workstation components achieve higher computing performance.

Simultaneously they can be reliable, compatible, as well as provide scalability and advanced architecture which makes them perfect for multithreaded environments and to be used by various professionals.

Other characteristics of the PC Workstation

It's worth noting that today's average workstations are more powerful than those of past generations. As a result, the workstation market is becoming more specialized every day, since some of the complex operations that previously required powerful systems can be carried out by general computers.

However, it is important to note that workstation hardware is perfected to respond quickly to situations that require a high level of performance and reliability, where traditional computers would normally fail to operate.

Today there are many manufacturers of workstations that sell these computers to a great extent, among them we have: HP, Dell or LENOVO that use x86-64 CPUs.

We also have Intel Xeon or AMD Opteron with Microsoft Windows or GNU/Linux operating system; manufacturers Apple Inc. and Sun Microsystems with UNIX operating system for their workstations.

Workstations are typically used in graphic design, 3D modeling, engineering, animation, research, deep learning, and data management.

Desktop

A desktop computer, desktop computer, desktop computer or stationary computer is a type of personal computer that was designed and manufactured to be used in a static location, usually located on a desk or work table, either for be used at work or home.

The term “Desktop Computer” comes from the English word “Destkop”, which translated means “on or on the desk”; thus differentiating itself from the term "Laptop" that refers to portable computers.

In general, computers that are marketed at a personal level and that use the Microsoft Windows operating system for their operation are called PC or personal computer. In addition, this microcomputer can be used by a single user or by several simultaneously, depending on the operating system with which they work.

Alternative

Personal computers or PCs have a large number of components that can be grouped separately into two specific categories, namely:

Hardware:it is the physical and tangible part of the system, which is equivalent to the body of the computer. Ali contains the electrical and electronic components necessary to carry out fundamental tasks, such as the power supply of the PC.

Software: it is the brain or mind of the computer and is represented by the intangible, abstract and digital part of the system. In this part, the operations are developed within a simulated environment that facilitates computer-user interaction. This part includes all the programs from the operating system to the applications that are installed later, which make the computer work properly.

quantum computer

As its name indicates, a quantum computer is a system of quantum circuits, capable of creating and manipulating quantum bits, known as qubits, which in turn allows them to perform complex operations.

A notable difference between a quantum computer and a traditional computer is the speed with which it solves complex calculations.

The most considerable use of this computer is the simulation of the behavior of matter at the molecular level, as for example the automobile companies Volkswagen or Daimler simulate the chemical composition of the batteries of electric cars through quantum computers, in order to improve their capacity.

Similarly, pharmaceutical companies use the quantum system to analyze and compare chemical compounds that could lead to the production of new medicines.

We invite you to watch the following video to learn more about what a quantum PC is, what it is for and how it could change the world.

Laptop

A laptop, notebook computer, or notebook computer is a computing device that can be carried or carried from one place to another with relative ease, as they are physically light.

Although its size, weight and dimension is less than that of a desktop computer, the laptop is capable of performing most of the tasks that they perform. Another reason that makes them portable is the ability to operate for a certain time without being plugged into a domestic electrical source, this is because they have a rechargeable battery.

They also work perfectly connected to an electrical network. There is a wide variety of portable computers on the market, among which we can mention: laptop, notebook, netbook, Tablet PC, Smartphone or Smart Telephone, portable calculator or video game console, Mobile Internet device (MID), UMPC (Ultra Mobile PC, Ultra -mobile PC), eBook reader (eReader), GPS Navigator, PDA (Personal Digital Assistant, Personal Digital Assistant), Digital Media Player: MP3, MP4, MP5, among others.

Supercomputers

Supercomputers or Mainframes are the most powerful computer equipment in the world. These computers are integrated by hundreds of processors that work in parallel as a unit, therefore they are capable of calculating and processing data in an amazing way.

What makes them an ideal equipment to be used for specific purposes such as in the field of science, since even if several computers are used at the same time to calculate a large amount of data, they would not give the expected results, much less quickly.

The speed of supercomputers is measured in “Teraflops” which is equivalent to trillions of operations per second. At the National University of Defense Technology of China, there is the "Tianhe-2" supercomputer considered the largest in the world so far.

This colossal supercomputer is capable of performing some 33.48 quadrillion operations per second. Mainframes are mainly used in the following research areas:

In the study of the universe
For the simulation of destructive and dangerous effects, such as nuclear tests
in weather prediction

PC Gamer

A PC Gamer is a computer equipment manufactured for the exclusive use of games with a high graphic level. However, this computer is capable of performing all the tasks that a traditional computer performs, such as creating text documents, making designs in Photoshop, browsing the web, editing images, among others.

for those who don't know what is a gaming pc, is a powerful machine whose main objective is to run games that require many more hardware resources.

They differ from personal computers because they include a high-end processor, a higher capacity RAM memory and broadband, and also have one or more graphics cards that generate excellent quality images.

Gamer PCs, in addition to being used by video game fans, are also preferred by other types of users such as content creators, architects and designers, professionals who take advantage of this PC.

Do you know which is the best Gaming PC to play and work in 2021? Here is a video that answers this question.

What is the Hardware of a PC?

The hardware, equipment or physical support is defined in computing as the physical and tangible parts of a computer system, that is, they are all those external parts that we can touch.

Contrary to software, which is the intangible and logical part of the computer system, hardware is made up of the electrical, electronic, electromechanical and mechanical elements of the computer, as well as cables, peripherals, furniture or boxes and any other physical component that is tangible on the PC.

It is important to highlight that the keyboard, the mouse, the horns, the headphones, the webcams, the monitor, the printer, the microphone, the scanner, the hard disk, the pen drives, the routers are peripheral elements that make up the hardware of the personal computer.

On the other hand, the term comes from the English language and its translation into Spanish does not match any computer word or phrase, so it has been taken as it is and how it is pronounced.

According to the Royal Spanish Academy, hardware is the “Set of components that make up the material part of a computer”.

An important detail to highlight is that the terminology is also applied in other areas of daily life and technology, such as in the field of electronics, hardware is made up of mechanical, electromechanical, electrical, electronic, wired elements. and printed circuit boards.

Hardware history

The history of computer hardware has been divided into several generations, each one presenting an important technological change. Namely:

1st Generation: Between the years 1945 to 1956, the electronics of the computer were made up of relays and vacuum tubes. Here we find the first machines that displaced electromechanical components.
2nd Generation between 1957 and 1963: the transistor displaces vacuum tubes as an electronic component. In addition, the size of the computer was significantly reduced.
3rd Generation from 1964 to 1980: Computer electronics consisted of transistors and other electronic components integrated into a single circuit.
4th Generation from 1981 to 1990: the IC LSI (Large Scale Integration Integrated Circuit) is created, with more electrical components integrated in the same integrated circuit.
5th Generation from 1991 to 2019: the size of the computer was considerably reduced

The Software of a PC

Software is known as all the intangible components of the computer, that is, everything that cannot be touched. Therefore, the software is considered to be the formal system of the computer system, which includes all the instructions that the computer must follow to fulfill the tasks.

It is important to highlight that there are many definitions similar to each other, to enunciate the software, however, the most accepted is the following, extracted from the IEEE 729 standard:

“It is the set of computer programs, procedures, rules, documentation and associated data, which are part of the operations of a computer system”.

If we consider this concept of Software, we could compare it to the mind of the computer, since it is the part that orders, through the different programs and applications, the actions that must be carried out to fulfill a specific task.

An example of this is the text processor that allows the user to write texts, letters and documents in Word. As well as the operating system that allows the rest of the applications to work correctly and therefore providing a perfect interaction between the human and the computer.

In conclusion, the software is the part of the computer that sends the instructions executed by the hardware, this interaction between these components makes it possible for the computer to operate perfectly.

Software Classification

Today there is a wide variety of ssoftware, which must be conditioned and installed to the electronic equipment that you want to manage. For example, computer word processors, smartphone applications, and airplane control programs all use different software to enable them to function.

In addition, many software work at the same time to fulfill the function that the user wants to perform, this is how you can play a video, browse the Internet or simply write a text on the computer or Smartphone.

Here are some of the different types of software:

Basic Input Output System (BIOS)
Operating system
App software

BIOS

The BIOS is the basic input/output system of a computer, the term comes from the abbreviation in English (Basic Input Output System). It is a firmware that resides in a chip installed in the ROM memory of the computer.

Is with fundamental of every computer, being the connection between the hardware and the software of the boot system, since it is in charge of turning on and starting the computer.

In other words, when we press the power button on our PC (in this case it is the Hardware) the BIOS is in charge of the boot sequence, being the way for the operating system to interact with the keyboard, the mouse and the monitor, or with other input/output applications.

The BIOS is also used to identify and configure hardware items such as external storage devices, hard drives, processor, or RAM.

Discover in the following video other aspects of interest about the BIOS, which is heard about when studying PCs, but very few users know what it is. Pay attention.

BIOS classes

It is important to point out that there are different kinds of BIOS, which differ in the method with which the manufacturer records the information on the chip so that it adapts to the ROM memory where it will be installed. Between them we have:

ROM: it refers to the acronym in English Read Only Memory, the information of this BIOS only pIt can be recorded when the manufacturer is making the chip, therefore it does not admit modifications.
EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory): unlike the previous one, the information in this BIOS can be modified since it is recorded and programmed with electrical impulses through the use of ultraviolet light.
FLASH BIOS: also known by the name of flash memory. It is a volatile chip that can be rewritten through a special program that also uses electrical impulses.
PNP: are the acronyms from the English words "Plug and Play", these BIOS are capable of automatically recognizing any hardware device that is connected to the PC, in the same way it establishes the resources for said device to work correctly.

Operating system of a PC

An operating system, OS or OS (operating system) is the conglomeration of programs that control the computer system of a computer, and in turn allows the correct functioning of other programs.

In other words, they are all the programs that manage the memory, information storage media, hard drives, and peripheral resources of a computer, as well as the user interface.

The operating system that predominates in personal computers is Microsoft Windows with approximately 82,74% of the computer market share, followed by Apple Inc.'s macOS with 13,23%, and the different GNU/Linux operating systems they occupy the third place with 1,57%.

However, these are not the only operating systems on the market, but they are the most popular. Other types of operating systems that we can find are the following:

OpenBSD.
solaris.
Unix.
FreeBSD.
Android-x86 (GNU/Linux)
Google Chrome OS (GNU/Linux)

App software

Application software is a program designed to perform specific tasks, functions, or activities that directly benefit the user. These softwares are usually called by the shortening in English App, from application.

In general, the application software is designed and marketed separately from the software included in the computer, therefore it is the user who decides its selection and subsequent installation in the computer's operating system.

So, it can be said that these applications are installed so that they work in certain tasks as a tool for work, leisure or fun, and information, among others.

However, many application software is already pre-installed on the PC, due to agreements between companies or special promotions granted for buying the computer.

Examples of application software are word processors, web browsers, audio or video players, aeronautical flight simulators, game consoles, photo editors, spreadsheets, graphic design programs, etc. digital encyclopedias, digital dictionaries, among others.

Do you want to know more about application software? Then, we invite you to see the following presentation in which you will discover numerous details about this tool.

In this way we reach the end of this article where the question about what a PC is was answered, we ask you to share its content with other readers interested in the subject.

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