The original use of the term ‘personal computer’ can be traced back to the early days of IBM as they referred to their models as the ‘IBM Personal Computer’ but the term has lost any brand significance over the years.
In some cases, however, the term PC is still used to differentiate a Windows-based computer from an Apple computer because of the different operating systems used.
A PC by definition is technically any computer system suitable for individual use and would include desktops, all-in-ones, laptops, tablets, and other computing devices. Colloquially, only Windows-based desktops and laptops would normally be considered a PC.
With this in mind, the term laptop is really just a subsection of the broader PC group at large meant to distinguish it as a portable personal computer rather than simply a personal computer.
Is a laptop considered a Desktop?
Here is where the differences start.
A laptop is not considered a desktop because it can be easily transported from one place to another, operates on battery power, and can charge anywhere there is a place to plug in its adapter. A desktop, on the other hand, is very difficult to move and is typically kept in the same place all of the time.
Although it might seem like laptops have been around forever, it’s only been about 4 decades since the world was introduced to something resembling the laptops we use today – a portable typing machine.
Laptops and desktops might both be considered personal computers today but there are still key differences between the two despite the fact that they share so many things in common.
Similarities between a desktop and a laptop
A laptop is not a desktop but both are considered personal computers.
Since both a laptop and a desktop are personal computers they essentially function exactly the same in terms of their components and function. In fact, laptops and desktops both include the same things in one form or another:
Laptops and desktops even use the same operating system (such as Windows) and, for all intents and purposes, they are the exact same thing except that you can easily pick up a laptop and take it with you.
Unless you are a true power user that routinely performs work that puts a heavy load onto your computer (such as video editing) it is unlikely that you will notice much of a difference between the average desktop computer and the average laptop.
Despite these similarities, however, the laptop’s smaller form factor and lack of internal space means that there are some necessary engineering differences between the two.
