Dictionary of Computer and Internet Terms: PC compatibility
PC compatibility
the ability of a computer to run the same programs and use the same hardware accessories as the original IBM Personal Computer (PC) or newer computers of the same general type. In order to be fully PC-compatible, a computer needs an 8088-family processor (which nowadays means a Pentium or equivalent). Some other computers can software-emulate a Pentium and thereby run PC software on a completely different CPU, such as a Sun RISC CPU or a PowerPC chip.
