Is a computer not a machine designed for the express purpose of
making new
machines?
Obviously not. Computers are machines
designed for the express purpose of not having to make new machines. Any
kid using his computer will see this.
That is, sure, this or that
program makes my computer a new machine, it does
something different when it
runs!
This proves nothing. You can have a new use for a machine
without making a new machine. Of course when you have a new use the machine does
something different. But a new use is not a new machine.
Here is another
thought. The relationship between bits and their meanings is not an operations
of electronics and it has no tangible/physical presence in the computer.
Therefore the combination of computer and software is not a machine. An element
necessary to its function (semantics) is not a component which could be part of
a machine because it is an abstraction. This is why wondering whether the
particular machine is new is a moot point. No machine is being made in the first
place.
Calling a programmed computer a particular machine is an error
similar to saying a novel is an arrangement of ink on paper.
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