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Comment by hvis | Hacker News Reader

Your next laptop will be a personal computer?

I believe they meant PC as in PC (Windows) vs Mac. I've encountered a lot of people who use PC <-> Windows Machine interchangeably.

PC as in IBM PC compatible

Does that imply Windows?

From a historical branding perspective —- yes!

"Personal Computer" has long been specifically associated with Windows machines and specifically excludes Mac and Linux. It started with the "IBM Personal Computer" and its branding caused non-IBM machines (eg Macintosh) to use other branding ("a mac"). When IBM partnered with Microsoft to make home computers, this branding really solidified that "PC = Windows".

And then of course, there was the very successful advertising campaign from Apple where they specifically distinguish Macs from PCs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get_a_Mac

Essentially, Macs are "personal computers" but they aren't "Personal Computers", if you know what I mean.

I have been rather miffed that the lack of corporate branding/identity for Linux at the time when Macintosh decided to "distinguish" itself now means that GNU/Linux machines are apparently not "personal computers" anymore.

But if PC = IBM PC, and those basically always came with Microsoft software, I guess history supports that interpretation.

Apple spent a lot of money selling the idea the Mac was totally different to the PC:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eEG5LVXdKo

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