I like how you put that. The abacus and the computer are the same in that the consume external power, and adhere to a set of rules. But there is a large differe

I like how you put that. The abacus and the computer are the same in that the consume external power, and adhere to a set of rules. But there is a large difference between an abacus and a computer. A computer can modify the program that is running. It can change its own rules. An abacus cannot do that.