23 Jan
2011
23 Jan
'11
3:16 p.m.
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.
Analog is a whole different can of worms. If it makes you happy then I
consent to adding the prefix "digital" to everything I've said so far.