First post, by Kerr Avon
Further to a discussion at work today, most PCs are actually 'PC compatibles' (as they used to be called), as a genuine PC is made by IBM, who invented (or at least came to be most associated with) the format. Is that literally correct? Are 'real' PCs still being made?If not, what were the last models, and what games would run on the last real PCs? Without up-grading to non 'real-PC' hardware, I mean.
And, on a slightly related note, given the political and economical conditions that have been causing hardware shortages of late, especially silicon chips, why don't western countries build more factories to create these chips? The majority of the CPU/GPU/hard drive parts, etc, are apparently made in Asian countries, but given the periods of shortages with these components, couldn't the Western companies make them too? The added competition would also help bring the prices down for consumers.
I mean, the Playstation 5 is two years old now, and still difficult to find in brick and mortar shops. And since everything seems to include computer components now, the shortage problems could become much worse over time.
And why has 'scalping' (the not very moral practice of buying some, or many, of something desirable that's new and fairly rare, and then selling them at a vastly inflated profit to people who now can't find any from the legitimate sellers) become such big business now? It's always existed, of course, but since Covid it's really shot up in prominence and degree.
And in the very unlikely even that I'm still alive when total immersion video games become a reality (when the game somehow feeds all of your senses, so you genuinely are 'in' the game (as far as your senses are concerned) and you feel like your legs are walking, your tongue's taste buds feel like they are tasting food, etc, then I really don't want to be stuck in the position of not getting one of these gaming set ups because of a chip shortage or because scalpers have bought so many and are selling them for four times the cost.