If a Mac is not a Personal Computer, then what the hell are they? They're surely not server-grade hardware. The term 'PC' being synonymous with Windows is just stupid. A personal computer can run any operating system you throw at it.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Laptop Hunters - (The untold story).
- Thread starter TeeJayEm
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Then what are they, impersonal computers?
HAHAH I LOLed on that one. Yea OP the Dell computer you received an email about is the Dell Adamo which IMHO is their worst price-per-performance model they carry (lots of review sites mention this too). The Macbook Air is even a better value for it. However, all their other models are great values, and Dell has nice coupons quite often. I think there was a recent deal for a Dell Studio XPS 13 (I believe the closest model they have spec-wise to the Macbook with Core 2 Duo, 13.3" LED screen, webcam, nVidia 9300m or 9500 upgrade, etc.) for like $700-$800 and it has more ports and perhaps a built-in SD memory card reader that the Macbook doesn't have. I have a Dell Latitude E4300 that I paid a great price for so have lots of trouble deciding which one to keep (the Dell E4300 or Apple Macbook). It costs like half of what I paid for my uMB 2.4GHz yet has same specs (better in some respects, worse in others). I like the eSATA port, built-in SD card reader (VERY handy on vacations when I need to empty out my digital camera's SD card), built-in fingerprint reader, Expresscard 34 slot, etc. etc. If only the E4300 could run OS X smoothly I'd end up keeping that
. But alas, I truly believe the "Apple Tax" exists and will be paying it to keep the Macbook 2.4 just because of OS X.
By the definition of the term "personal computer" at it's roots, yes, they are. They're computers, and one uses them personally.
If you want to go with the PC terminology of "PC Compatible" from back back in the day of IBM clones, then no, a mac is not a "PC" in that sense.
The fact that hardware-wise, a Mac is identical to many Dell/IBM/HP setups one can buy now (with the exception of EFI in place of the BIOS in many cases) makes it a "PC." The operating system does not define the term PC. In fact, even in the case of "PC Compatible," the term referred to cloned IBM hardware (Initially the IBM BIOS specifically and later more of the architecture), not software.
Semantics. It's just a buzzword dude. Why does this matter anyway? Apple's got a whole ad campaign banking on the fact that a "PC" is exactly the opposite of a mac.
I was just responding to the nonsense that a Mac is not a PC, even though they contain the exact same components these days. Maybe in the PowerPC days this argument would have held water. The OS does not define what a personal computer is.
"I'm a Mac."
"I'm a Megan."
A computer that I wouldn't mind having on my desk...
