O2BBubbleFree
Contributor
I hijacked another thread, then thought that this might make an interesting discussion in it's own right.
The question is, why do we call them dive 'computers?'
I have a book titled Mathematics and Computers, published in 1957, that generally defines a computer as any device that computes. So it considers an abacus or Pascals Calculating Machine to be a computer. It has a picture of a mechanical calculator that looks like a pepper grinder, complete with crank on top, and mechanical switches all around the perimeter. The title on the picture reads, A Small-Scale Digital Computer. My, how our terminology has changed! By their definition the PADI Wheel qualifies as a computer.
However, in general today we seem to define a 'computer' as a general-purpose computing device, like your PC. Devices dedicated to specific functions are generally not seen as 'computers.' For instance, a high-end, touch screen, universal remote control has a microcontroller, memory, keypad, LCD display, etc. but no one calls it a computer.
Dive computers are dedicated devices much like the high-end remote control, so it seems to me that they go against the general modern definition of what we call a computer.
I would venture to say that digital depth gauges also have microcontrollers, memory, input devices, and displays. Internally they are much the same as a dive 'computer,' they just have more limited capabilities and functionality. So why do they not get computer status?
Seems to me that digital depth gauges and dive computers are in the same category, whether we call them gauges or computers.
The question is, why do we call them dive 'computers?'
I have a book titled Mathematics and Computers, published in 1957, that generally defines a computer as any device that computes. So it considers an abacus or Pascals Calculating Machine to be a computer. It has a picture of a mechanical calculator that looks like a pepper grinder, complete with crank on top, and mechanical switches all around the perimeter. The title on the picture reads, A Small-Scale Digital Computer. My, how our terminology has changed! By their definition the PADI Wheel qualifies as a computer.
However, in general today we seem to define a 'computer' as a general-purpose computing device, like your PC. Devices dedicated to specific functions are generally not seen as 'computers.' For instance, a high-end, touch screen, universal remote control has a microcontroller, memory, keypad, LCD display, etc. but no one calls it a computer.
Dive computers are dedicated devices much like the high-end remote control, so it seems to me that they go against the general modern definition of what we call a computer.
I would venture to say that digital depth gauges also have microcontrollers, memory, input devices, and displays. Internally they are much the same as a dive 'computer,' they just have more limited capabilities and functionality. So why do they not get computer status?
Seems to me that digital depth gauges and dive computers are in the same category, whether we call them gauges or computers.