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IBM PC compatible

Computers derived from the IBM PC

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General referenceInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionAug 24, 2026
Entity authoritySource title only
Source-derived summary

An IBM PC compatible is any personal computer that is hardware- and software-compatible with the IBM Personal Computer and its successors. Like the original IBM PC, an IBM PC–compatible computer uses an x86-based central processing unit, sourced either from Intel or a second source like AMD, Cyrix or other vendors such as Texas Instruments, Fujitsu, OKI, Mitsubishi or NEC, and is capable of using interchangeable commodity hardware such as expansion cards. Initially such computers were referred to as PC clones, IBM clones or IBM PC clones, but the term "IBM PC compatible" is now a historical description only. IBM itself no longer sells personal computers, having sold its division to Lenovo in 2005. However, Lenovo only got a portion of IBM’s BIOS and UEFI intellectual property after the IBM PC acquisition, until it acquired UEFI/BIOS business of Phoenix Technologies in 2026. "Wintel" is a similar description that is more commonly used for modern computers.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “IBM PC compatible” as computers derived from the IBM PC. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around compatible, Computers and derived.

Editorial reviewA concise reference frame for defining the subject, testing terminology and identifying the institution closest to the evidence. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—2005, 2026—that can be checked directly. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with compatible, Computers and derived providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “IBM PC compatible”, the useful work is to connect “computers derived from the IBM PC” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 24, 2026. The first chronological checks are 2005 and 2026.

Critical limits

The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.

Best used for
  • Subject orientation
  • Search vocabulary
  • Locating named sources
Verify next

The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “IBM PC compatible”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow IBM PC compatible primary sources, IBM PC compatible archive and compatible research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “IBM PC compatible”?
  2. Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
  3. What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “IBM PC compatible” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.