I'm not indicating that computers have free will. But you have
differences in temperature, humidity, usage patterns.
The longer you use a computer, the less alike it is to any other
computer on the planet earth.
I'm thinking on the level of flip/flop states though. On a far
away zoom, yes, they can be considered identical.
But what packets they are receiving from the 'net?
Key presses from operator? Memory states?
I've worked with computers since I got my first one in 1983
(Tandy Coco2) and never stopped. The love for computers and
their workings has stayed with me since I was 11 years old.
But they really *do* exhibit 'personality traits' of some kind
over long periods of ownership. Most bugs can eventually be
tracked down, but the logic you have to use can be VERY strange.
First encounter with a weird situation was a piece of commercial
Foxpro based software back in... gosh, 1992.
They couldn't figure out why this software was locking up in the
same place, but NOT every time. It appears consistent yet also
random.
The software company was no use. The computer company was no
use. They had 5 technicians before me and THEY couldn't figure
it out. Wasted weeks on this critical piece of software that
JUST stopped working reliably.
I was one of their carpet cleaners. [it was a carpet cleaning
company]. But I knew computers and helped people on the side for
cash.
What did it turn out to be?
Bad video card. Hercules graphic card developed a hot spot.
Replaced the card, and $12 later (and paying me $100 for the
troubleshooting/repair) they were saved... after wasting a lot
more money on others.
