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From: mwm@eris.UUCP
Newsgroups: misc.jobs.misc,comp.misc
Subject: What's a PC?
Message-ID: <3650@jade.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Wed, 20-May-87 00:49:12 EDT
Article-I.D.: jade.3650
Posted: Wed May 20 00:49:12 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 21-May-87 05:37:55 EDT
References: <839@vu-vlsi.UUCP> <3610@jade.BERKELEY.EDU> <683@mipos3.UUCP>
Sender: usenet@jade.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: mwm@eris.BERKELEY.EDU (Mike (My watch has windows) Meyer)
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In article <683@mipos3.UUCP> ekwok@mipos3.UUCP (Gibbons V. Ogden) writes:
<If Personal Computer is a machine that works on 1-user mode, the PDP-8 is
<probably a PC predating your MITS 8800, as widely available non-custom 
<machine (I used one! but not until '77).

Nah, a Personal Computer is a machine that you can reboot whenever you
want to, without notifying anyone. At least, that's the quick&easy
test. The idea is that a personal computer is personal: "one's own".
Something that only you will be using, and can therefore do with as
you want. The "who do I have to tell if I reboot it" is the qad test.

By that measure, a z80 box running a well-used BBS isn't a personal
computer; as you'll probably have tell whoever is using it that it's
going down. On the other hand, our new systems (VAX 8800's last time
around) are my PC's as they show up, because I'm applying our tweaks
to the kernel and testing them. I reboot them whenever I want to test
a new kernel. They're even under my desk (by two floors).

	<mike

P.S. - this has been redirected to comp.misc, where it belongs.

--
How many times do you have to fall			Mike Meyer
While people stand there gawking?			mwm@berkeley.edu
How many times do you have to fall			ucbvax!mwm
Before you end up walking?				mwm@ucbjade.BITNET