23 Jan
2011
23 Jan
'11
11:09 p.m.
On 2011 Jan 23, at 2:35 PM, Evan Koblentz wrote:
Contrary to what you're implying, I really do 100% agree that it's
subjective. BUT .... wouldn't everyone also agree that, at the very
least, to be a "computer" a machine must be programmable?
I know you want to distinguish between a computer and a calculator, and
of course there is a pertinent distinction to be made between
programmable devices and those that are not, but I think historically
'computer' is pretty much anything that computes. The Antikythera
mechanism is referred to as a computer. Such things as bombsights and
artillery aiming devices are application-specific analog computers.
They are configurable with different parameters, but they always solve
the same equation. They are different than programmable analog
computers, but nonetheless are still called computers.
If I want to distinguish something as programmable I call it
programmable.
electromechanical everything else; and that without the ability to
run a program, it doesn't meet the definition of "computer".
Perhaps
you could enlighten us with the definitive definistion of
"computer"?