4 ms·
A game console is not general purpose computing device?
by lliamander 6y ago
A game console is not general purpose computing device?
- dathinab 6y agoYes it only runs games (and maybe multimedia). Phone run everything from games over office apps to unlocking you apartment doors or handling the check-in at a hotel (yes some hotels have app based check-in). (And in the end Apps is just a handy short form of Application, so you could say even the name kinda implicates this ;=) )
- lliamander 6y agoThat's a software limitation, not a hardware limitation. An iPhone is also a general purpose computer that is limited (to a lesser extent ) by the software.
- dathinab 6y agoSure what they have in common is: - A general purpose hardware with specific less general purpose hardware extensions. Where they differ: - By default allowing "mostly" any legal kind of software, but then putting absurd constraints on it. - By default only allowing games and some multimedia and maybe then putting absurd constraints on it (maybe because idk tbh). I.e. even with apples constraints iOs operates as a general purpose platform while XBox/PS5/Switch do not.
- solaceb 6y agoI will disagree with dathinab and say of course gaming consoles are general purpose computing devices. But they are general purpose computing devices with built-in malware that makes the device only useful for the types of computing the seller wants you to do with the device. And that's gaming, of course