PC: what is it?

In English, PC means personal computer and today designates thecomputer office or the microcomputer. It has become considerably commonplace in a country like France where 83% of households own a computer home. Some 458 million devices were sold in 2020 across the world.

A PC is a personal computer. Its household equipment rate doubled between 2004 and 2019. It exists in two forms, the desktop computer and the microcomputer.

Desktop computer

While the desktop computer faces competition from the laptop, it has a number of advantages:

• it is generally more powerful than a laptop;
• it is 20 to 40% cheaper than a portable device, especially if you are used to gambling;
• it is less expensive and easier to repair than a laptop computer;
• its longevity is longer than that of a laptop because it is often enough to add second-hand parts;
• in matter ergonomic, it is possible to adjust the height of the screen and choose the appropriate removable keyboard.

In France, according to Statista, the desktop computer market generated sales of $ 1,888 million in 2020.

The laptop

Unlike the desktop device, the laptop is designed to move around:

• it is easy to take away, Wi-Fi broadcast and very high speed makes it usable everywhere;
• it is easy to store it in the house;
• it adapts to small apartments at a time when real estate prices are particularly high;
• it is sufficiently autonomous to continue operating during power outages.

What is a PC for?

Today, the PC has fallen into common use and is used for just about everything. He entered everyday life. The list of advantages of the personal computer is not exhaustive. A PC serves:

• Store personal information and get rid of paperwork. Your PC allows you to save space in your home and to better organize your information. Administrations and companies have opted for personal spaces which keep documents formerly classified in boxes.
• To communicate, to play, to watch films and series. More than half of the world’s population uses email. GAFA have become widely popular. In 2020, the French market for video game has exceeded five billion euros. You can watch movies and series on thanks to companies like Netflix… which has rented more than five billion DVD since its creation. The DVD market is not dead.
• To the development of a new economy. The rise of the PC confirms the theories of Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter on creative destruction. Artificial intelligence and the democratization of the PC have given rise to new needs and given new life to professions such as that of editor, or even created that of community manager (Community Manager).

How does a PC work?

The microprocessor is the brain from the computer. It applies the content of the RAM or RAM (Random Access Memory), which is active. When the device is turned off, the RAM is erased, but the data is kept in the Hard disk. The computer needs:

• a keyboard;
• of a mouse (even a trackpad for a laptop);
• of a screen.

You can add an external hard drive, speakers or a webcam.