Yeah, the term "Personal Computer" is used in a outdated sense - a lot of people assume every desktop or a laptop is a PC when it isnt. A laptop you use for work for isnt a Personal Computer, its a work computer, especially if its used by multiple people.

Basic definition is a personal computer (PC) is a digital device designed for a single user to perform tasks like word processing, browsing the internet, and playing games.

For me personally, my personal computer (PC) is my iPhone and my general use desktop since I follow the definition for those two devices.

As for both of my gaming computers, I dont use them for browsing or word processing of any kind, so I dont consider my gaming computers PCs, they are just gaming desktops to me.

The same for my consoles (Switch, Switch OLED, PS5 and Xbox Series X) - they are gaming consoles and I dont use them for browsing or watching stuff.

Edit: My iPhone is the reason why I dont have a laptop anymore (which is what I used to use for personal computing purposes) and when it comes to PC gaming, I just get desktops because they are more powerful than a gaming laptop.

There was a time when Sony tried to declare PS2 consoles as PCs instead of gaming consoles to save on import duties:

https://www.theregister.com/2006/06/20/ps2_not_a_pc/

At the time the term PC was used this way no tablets and phones existed, so it was a bit cheeky from me to term it this way. The main time it was used as IBM-compatible PC, but the IBM part was dropped and the compatibility is nowadays pretty vague. But mostly it now is used for Computers that derived in their design from the IBM-compatibles. Although as I said Macs are now often also refered as PC. So, the term is very vague and undefined.

The control thing - it was not the intention as the term was coined. It is coincidental. But it is a fair observation that most things called PCs are under your control, although it is more and more debatable. Secure Boot puts a lot of that control in Microsofts hand. In theory they could lock down your computer and totally ban software with secure boot. But they don't because of fear of user backlash.

Any multi-task computer designed to personal use and intended to be operated directly by an end user (i.e. someone who lacks major knowlege in computing or engineering)

Some people mistake them as devices designed to stationary use, but this is a weak definition 

Tablets and laptops absolutely count as personal computers, and they are portable and mobile 

The best way to define what is a Personal Computer is to identify what is NOT a personal computer, like servers, mainframes and embedded systems 

See? Thats what i mean?! And you are by far not the only one!! I do the same (the only difference is i never needed them), only that i use a Samsung Galaxy and no Iphone.

You just pointed it out: "school ipads"- no desktop PCs. Only because desktop PCs are not portable and lack a touchscreen does not make a Tablet a Personal Computer. Thats what i mean: If another device does anything a desktop pc can't do, lets call it a PC, problem solved. I am not as famous as Elvis Presley when i sing in a Karaoke bar? Lets call Elvis a Karaoke singer. 

I didn't write desktop PCs. Personal computers can have different form factors.

"A tablet computer, commonly shortened to tablet, is a mobile device, typically with a mobile operating system and touchscreen display processing circuitry, and a rechargeable battery in a single, thin and flat package. Tablets, being computers, have similar capabilities, but lack some input/output (I/O) abilities that others have."

What's next? Will you argue that a laptop PC also ain't a PC because it is portable?

Fanboy is the negative term, the positive term used is called "fan", which is why it is often better to use the term "PC fan" instead of "PC fanboy".

You haven't been here for years, so of course you likely wouldn't know, but you do now. Also none of us PC fans are "soldiers" on this site. Go over to our main PC thread and you will see us talking about games and hardware.

No you won't be using the word, or you'll get reported, simple as. If you are planning to become the next Kerotan, I can guarantee you will not last long on here. If you keep acting antagonistic towards an entire platform of users on here, you will be ejected in time, trust me. 

I care very little for you not buying a PC, let alone your boss, but that is not going to stop other people from going out and buying laptops, pre-built desktops, SFF and custom built PC's or the Steam Deck/other PC handhelds. 

The bolded statement highlights the entailment, you'd need to make a concerned effort to justify the PS5.  When we go to games many of the PS5's multiplayer games are on PS4.  Should the wife and kids(plural) want to play, $70($50 if third party) for a second, $140($100) for a third controller.  

While the Switch is not cheap either it ships with two controllers and is pretty quintessentially the family console.  I'm not accusing you of this but if I were to ask my wife to make this concession she'd glare with the most "selfish bastard" eyes she could muster, haha. 

I find typing on those tiny keyboards to be an effort in frustration as a touch-typist myself (Mechanical vs Chiclet)... Many also don't feature a num-pad as well, so for those working with lots of numbers, it's also less than ideal.

On the software side of the equation, the word processors/spreadsheets/databases tend to be very barebones in terms of features if they are native programs.

But you are right, they are just a PC.
Android is based on Linux and iOS is based on Unix. - Both are PC derived operating systems optimized for a mobile environment.

Why propagate this lie? Again, you cannot connect and output your tablet to four or even six 8k displays and use it as a single display.

I have already demonstrated that this is a lie. You can do more than 8k on PC.


wccftech.com/grand-theft-auto-v-16k-resolution

The PC is the most flexible computing platform available. - You can use A.I upscaling to upscale and improve lower definition (I.E. 4k blu-ray) video.
https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/rtx-video-super-resolution/
https://community.amd.com/t5/gaming/amd-video-upscale-streaming-enhancements-and-more/ba-p/669353
https://www.avclabs.com/video-enhancer/ai-upscaling-video.html

The PC can also have high resolution audio, many external DAC's are extremely competent and can be responsible for the audio quality... For example the Gustard x30 DAC has four ESS Sabre 9039 PRO chips with can deliver upwards of 140db.

https://soundnews.net/reviews/sources/dacs/gustard-x30-dac-review-the-quintessential-delta-sigma-dac/

I honestly don't think you understand what the PC can truly do.

Again. Most of the content you are consuming is NOT true 8k content.
Arguably most of the content you are consuming is not even true 4k content... Most 4k Blu-rays are using a 2k intermediate. (Aka. Slightly more than 1080P)
And then apply various post-processes to "improve" the image quality.

But more often than not, the 1080P blu-ray ends up being a better release than the 4k master.

Pirates of the Caribbean is a fine example of this.
https://ultrahd.highdefdigest.com/100250/piratesofthecaribbeanthecurseoftheblackpearl4k.html

Your Youtube, Netflix and so-on? Again. That's streaming... And whilst streaming tends to use highly efficient codecs, they still have one massive and glaring issue. - Bitrate. Or lack there-of.
The lower the bit-rate, the less data you have displayed on screen, with everything else kept equal.

4k Streaming tends to "max out" at 16Mbps of bitrate... 1080P blu-ray is 40Mbps and 4k Blu-Ray is upwards of 128Mbps, that is a massive difference in perceived quality.
https://restream.io/learn/what-is/video-bitrate/

Sorry to school you on all of this, using evidence, but I feel it needed to be done so you stop repeating the same false information and rhetoric.

Name a single thing another platform can do that a PC cannot.

You made that claim, now you need to provide evidence for it... Or we can regard that as another lie.

If you don't need a PC, that is your choice as a consumer... But I would argue a PC would be highly beneficial in the way you write and layout your posts.

You mean a portable desktop PC with a touch-screen like this?


Or do you mean a PC like this?


Or even a PC like this?


Name a single thing another device can do, that a Windows PC (Note: I said Windows to try and differentiate it from other ecosystems) cannot do.

I'll wait.

You will not use the word in it's derogatory context.

We aren't trying to convince you to buy a PC.
No one actually cares if you own a PC or don't.

We are simply refuting your false claims.