| GameOver22 said: I will apply the principle of charity with your argument on this one becuase there are some flaws in it. First, you are using console and video game console interchangeably. Even based on your definitions, the CPU of a PC is a console. You leap to saying a console is designed for a singular task while this is not contained in the definition. There are multiple tasks a telvision can perform depending on how you want to describe the situation (it has audio and video output for example). Overall, I think you are arguing that a PC is not a gaming console though, so I am still following you there. Second, the definition you give for gaming console is extremely limited. A gaming console has processors that process inputs and produce outputs, just like a computer (maybe someone more computer literate can help me on this). The claim that a gaming console uses a television is also spurious, but this could be corrected by just saying monitor instead. The CPU is a componant within a PC, is part of the grouping of componants and software that creates the PC as a whole, a machine that is optomized to do many things. Not a machine that is optimized to perform one task.A TV is technically a console (although not a gaming console obviously) because it exists for one main purpose, watching TV, while it can perform other tasks, these are limited in form, and in number. I use the term console, and gaming console interchangeably because it was my impression that everybody would know that when I said "console" I was refering to the term "gaming console" however, I see that is not the case. from here on out to avoid further confusion, I will only use the term "Gaming Console" The other primary problem I have with your agument is just one of consistency. You say PCs and gaming consoles have specific purposes because they are designed. This means what defines a gaming console or PC is independent of what it is actually used for; it just depend on what it was designed for. If I accept this premise for the sake of argument, then you cannot, as you later do, change a "gaming rig" into a "drafting rig" just by mere action. You would have to alter the purpose of it by redesigning it. Using this logic, I could turn my PS3 from a gaming console into a CD player tomorrow, but I would argue I am not changing anything. I am just using the PS3 to perform one of the many functions it was designed to do. Once again, you are mistaking the very premis of my argument. A PC was designed to do perform many tasks, and while it is a console (I apologise for causing confusion) it is not a gaming console. Mainly because it is not designed solely for gaming. I used the example of my taking the gaming rig that you designed, and simply used it for drafting (many gaming rigs use the same setup as drafting rigs, so this is a plausable argument) Thus proving that even though your PC is optimzed to perform gaming tasks, the same setup can be used to perform other tasks such as drafting. I cannot take a gaming console, as is, and use it for drafting can I? Lastly, your CD argument is flawed, thats like me saying the PC is just a CD player, not a computer because happen to be listening to a CD. Also, may I point out that even though a console can perform other tasks, it's main task is playing games, that initially what they are built for, they cannot perform other tasks like drafting, designing, writing essay papers, running a powerpoint presentation etc. Overall, I would agree that a PC is not a gaming console but not based on your argument. The differentiation between the two is really just one of definition, and this really makes it an empty argument. A PC does not necessarily need to be used for gaming purposes, so it cannot be a gaming console. It is pretty easy to imagine of a computer that is not used for gaming purposes. I do not think there is much debate surrounding the point because you are reducing it to a straw-man argument. As others have pointed out, the stronger argument to attack would be whether a PC is a gaming platform, and I think you would be hard-pressed to prove that a PC is not a gaming platform. My intent is not to prove that a PC is not a gaming platform, Please tell me where I have even suggested this. Infact, I believe I said in an earlier post that the pc was a platform and a viable gaming option, you are reading to much into this my friend. There are people who deny that the PC is not a gaming console, (for proof, just read some of the earlier posts) and they are the reason I have made this thread. |
