What Is a PC Compatible?
Summary
Matthew Garrett explores what it really means for a machine to be 'PC compatible,' tracing the historical evolution from BIOS-based compatibility to modern firmware like UEFI. He argues that true PC compatibility is a social construct shaped by hardware, firmware, and software ecosystems, and that modern machines rarely meet the strict original criteria. The piece blends history, technical detail, and candid reflections on the limits of compatibility across generations of hardware.