FIT 100
© Copyright 1999-2000
University of Washington
Universality Means ...
vUniversality sets
computers apart from machines that perform physical operations
oConsider a chainsaw,
a bread knife and a cheese slicer
vBuy one computer and
perform any information processing task imaginable … you may not have the right
input/output devices to enjoy the result, but the computer can do
all the work if given the software
Universality trumps the argument that “using a computer is like driving
a car”: People drive successfully without
knowing how a car works … they can use computers without knowing how they work … but one needs to know
more to apply a versatile tool