Often scientists are using hardware to acquire new data. The acquisition hardware might be on a PC that came installed from the manufacturer where you are told

Often scientists are using hardware to acquire new data. The acquisition hardware might be on a PC that came installed from the manufacturer where you are told not to change anything. Touching that PC, in anyway would be considered harmful to everybody using that specific piece of equipment. Therefore, from the beginning of your acquisition, you are basically using a machine you don't control.