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personal computer

vr.tr.personal-computer · thing-q16338

Let an agent help choose, set up, secure, maintain and dispose of personal computers, and explain their history.

Thing Registry Physical world and living systems PHY.OBJ
Bundle → Layer → Finding → QuestionsClassifiersWhat it isWhy it existsDistinguishing featuresWhat robots and AI may and may not doMoral aspectsOwnersLinks to other meta-modelsIdentity and identifiersDirect propertiesRecognitionCapabilities and actionsHazards and failure modesStandards and interfacesContext of useSources

Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled

4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions

Choose Buying.

Needs

Purpose.

Needs

Choosing a computer.

  1. Which type and specification suits this person needs and budget? action
  2. Is a refurbished computer suitable? boundary

Access

Accessibility.

Access

Accessibility.

  1. Which built-in accessibility features and assistive technologies does it support? provenance
  2. How can they be enabled? action
Security Keeping safe.

Update

Updates and backups.

Update

Updates and backups.

  1. Is the operating system still supported and up to date? provenance
  2. How should backups be set up? action

Scam

Tech support scams.

Scam

Tech support scams.

  1. Is someone being contacted by a caller or pop-up claiming the computer is infected? boundary
  2. Should they hang up, not grant remote access and contact their bank if they paid? action
Maintain Troubleshooting.

Fix

Common problems.

Fix

Troubleshooting.

  1. Which steps address this common problem, according to official support pages? provenance
  2. When is a repair shop needed? boundary

Battery

Battery safety.

Battery

Battery safety.

  1. Is a laptop battery swollen, hot or smoking? boundary
  2. Should it be unplugged, moved away from flammables and handled by professionals? action
End of life Disposal and history.

Disposal

Recycling and wiping.

Disposal

Disposal.

  1. How should data be wiped before recycling or donating the computer? action
  2. Where can it be recycled? provenance

History

History of PCs.

History

History.

  1. How did personal computers develop, according to computing historians and museums? provenance
  2. Which models were milestones? provenance

Classifiers Filled

Family
Thing Registry
Category
Physical world and living systems
Entry kind
thing
Plane
PHY
Domain
PHY.OBJ
Other names and narrower kinds
workstation, high-end desktop computer, Developer Transition Kit, Raspberry Pi 400, MacBook Air (Apple Silicon), Compaq Portable series, Canon Cat, Sage II, Macintosh II series, Macintosh 512Ke, Palmtop PC, PMD 85

What it is Filled

A general-purpose computer designed for use by one person at a time, such as desktop computers, laptops, workstations and small single-board computers, running operating systems such as Windows, macOS or Linux; personal computers spread from the late 1970s and 1980s.

Why it exists Filled

Let an agent help choose, set up, secure, maintain and dispose of personal computers, and explain their history.

Distinguishing features Filled

  • Single-user general-purpose computer
  • Runs many applications
  • Upgradeable to varying degrees
  • Needs security updates

What robots and AI may and may not do Filled

Must not

  • Access, copy or change files on a computer without its user's consent or a lawful order.
  • Install software that monitors the user covertly.
  • Disable security protections or backups without the user's decision.
  • Dispose of a computer without securely erasing personal data.

Only with a human decision

  • Wiping, reinstalling or recycling a computer.
  • Accessing a computer of a person who cannot consent.

May

  • Operate, update and maintain a computer for its user with the user's consent.
  • Report hardware faults, security problems and available updates to the user.

Moral aspects Filled

  • A personal computer holds private life and work; access is access to the person.
  • E-waste from computers is often dumped in poor countries.

Who is affected

  • The user
  • People whose data is stored on it
  • E-waste workers

Owners Filled

Steward

The person who owns or uses it; for work computers, the employer.

Links to other meta-models Filled

parent

  • Q68 - registry parent class

related

  • computer - category
  • software - programs
  • application software - applications
  • digital camera - other consumer electronics

What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled

Identity and identifiers required Filled

  • Vercy registry: vr.tr.personal-computer
  • Wikidata: Q16338 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16338)

Direct properties required Filled

  • Mass of the computer: kilograms - Mass is measured with a scale while recording whether the battery, power supply and peripherals are included.
  • External dimensions: millimetres - Width, depth and height are measured across the enclosure with the operating or transport configuration recorded.
  • Electrical input power: watts - Input power is measured with a power meter under a stated workload and with the measurement boundary identified.

Recognition required Filled

  • Keyboard, screen and operating system
  • Laptop and desktop forms
  • Servers serve many users remotely
  • Desktop towers, all-in-ones, laptops and small boards with screens, keyboards and ports.

Capabilities and actions required Filled

  • choose a computer for a purpose
  • secure and update a computer
  • troubleshoot common problems
  • recycle old computers and wipe data

Hazards and failure modes required Filled

  • Malware and data loss
  • Battery swelling in laptops
  • Data left on disposed devices

Standards and interfaces required Filled

  • EU ecodesign and energy labelling rules
  • WEEE Directive
  • Accessibility standards such as EN 301 549

Context of use required Filled

  • Work, study, communication, creativity and entertainment.
  • desktop computers
  • laptops
  • workstations
  • all-in-one computers
  • single-board and keyboard computers

Sources Filled

  1. Wikidata item Q16338: personal computer - identity and sense of the item
  2. Wikipedia: Personal computer - general description of the item

Open questions

  • Should form factors be separate entries?
  • How should models be linked?
  • How should the history be linked?

Machine files

Card as JSON Specification Card backlog vercy.card/1

Provenance

thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed

Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q16338/spec.json