PC Hardware in a Nutshell, Second Edition

Chapter 1. Fundamentals

This chapter covers a mixed bag of important fundamental information about PCs, including how PCs are defined, an overview of PC components and technologies, a brief explanation of system resources, guidelines for building, buying, and upgrading PCs, smart buying practices, and suggestions as to what to do with old PCs.

PCs Defined

Who decides what is and what is not a PC? That question is not as trivial as it sounds, because there has never been (and probably will never be) an all-embracing de jure standard to define the PC. IBM created the de facto PC standard (and trademarked the name) when they shipped the first IBM Personal Computer in 1981. For more than five years, until their introduction of the ill-fated proprietary PS/2 line in 1987, IBM defined the PC standard. For a short time thereafter, some considered that Compaq defined the standard. But the days when any PC maker defined the PC standard are far in the past.

These days, Intel and Microsoft jointly define the de facto PC standard. In fact, a good working definition of a PC is a computer that uses an Intel or compatible processor and can run a Microsoft operating system. Any computer that meets both requirements—a so-called Wintel computer—is a PC. A computer that does not is not. Computers based on some Intel processors cannot run any Microsoft operating system, and thus are not PCs. Conversely, some computers with non-Intel processors can run Microsoft operating systems, but also do not qualify ...