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From: mwm@eris.BERKELEY.EDU (Mike (My watch has windows) Meyer)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: What's a PC?
Message-ID: <3712@jade.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Mon, 25-May-87 03:55:28 EDT
Article-I.D.: jade.3712
Posted: Mon May 25 03:55:28 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 26-May-87 01:25:58 EDT
References: <852@vu-vlsi.UUCP> <587@ll1.UUCP>
Sender: usenet@jade.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: mwm@eris.BERKELEY.EDU (Mike (My watch has windows) Meyer)
Organization: Missionaria Phonibalonica
Lines: 30

In article <587@ll1.UUCP> cej@ll1.UUCP (One of the Jones Boys) writes:
<In article <852@vu-vlsi.UUCP>, colin@vu-vlsi.UUCP (Colin Kelley) writes:
<> Was the mnemonic "PC" in wide use before IBM introduced theirs?  I'm sure
<> some people referred to Personal Computers, but wasn't the term
<> Home Computer most popular back in the late 70s?
<
<	Later, when IBM first released their IBM-PC, and put the
<lock on PC, most all of the people that I talked to about it (who
<knew computers) felt like I did, that the WORD personal-computer was
<in common, though maybe limited, usage and IBM couldn't use it.
<
<	Unless initials and what they stand for are different enough?

I think that the ACM Special Interest Group on Personal Computers
(SIGPC, natch) significantly predates the introduction of the IBM PC.
Someone might verify that for me, though. Of course, if it didn't, I
wanna know why they called it SIGPC.  If being used by one of the two
largest organizations of professional programmers & CS types int the
US doesn't qualify for prior use, I'd sure like to know what does.

And I agree with Colin; I recall several outbursts in the micro mags
about IBM attempting to co-opt the phrase "personal computer" as their
own.

	<mike
--
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