Everything is Computer

This week, the President of the United States stepped into a modern EV and remarked with exuberance, “Everything is computer!”

I will set aside the political context for this, because that’s not the purpose of this blog. I will take a moment to reflect on this humorous comment because it provides me the opportunity to reflect on our relationship with technology in this modern era.

The term “computer”

I still use the term, “computer,” but I also recognize that it’s quickly becoming anachronistic. Back when I started my career, I went into “the computer field.” That turned into “information technology.” Now, we just say “technology” or simply “tech.”

I’ve told people that “I fix computers for a living.” Depending on the audience, that explanation was perfectly appropriate. It’s not exactly accurate, but it’s close enough.

In modern tech lingo, I’ve noticed that we completely avoid the term “computer.” For broad discussions, we’ll use terms like “digital,” “systems,” “apps,” “cloud,” or my favorite, “AI.” For a while, the term, “computer” was relegated to an end-user device such as a laptop or a desktop. But we don’t even call those computers anymore. When was the last time you called your end-user device a computer? It’s probably been a while. We’re more likely to say, “laptop,” “machine,” “PC,” “box,” or “device.”

Maybe I’m just old, but I still like the term “computer.” It reminds me of my roots and feels retro cool to me. Probably just me.

Everything really is computer

In 2011, tech pioneer and venture capitalist, Marc Andreessen famously wrote, “Software is eating the world.” In 2025 that continues to play out. More and more of our human experiences have a digital component to it. As far as I can tell, that trend isn’t stopping anytime soon.

You may find yourself immersed in an overly-digitized world craving a little analog from time to time. You may find it harder and harder to unplug.

Recently, I’ve seen several advertisements for AI technology that seem to miss the mark. The technology is cool. But the use cases still appear to be fleeting. Too many tech leaders are trying to solve problems with AI that don’t really need to be solved. Just because we can, doesn’t mean we should. Here’s a recent example.

That begs the question. Is “everything is computer” good or bad?

I have a very high-tech profession. I balance that out with a very low-tech personal life. Even though I can readily admit that modern EVs can outperform ICEs I still prefer driving a manual transmission. You might be thinking, “A manual? Do they even make those any more?” Fortunately for me, yes they do. I’m not sure for how long, but as long as I can get one, I’ll still drive a manual.

There’s just something about the personal involvement in the driving experience that I really love. Automatics and EVs just detach me too much. Besides that, my left foot gets bored.

Some of you live in the smart home of the future. I have the bare minimum of a few connected gadgets in my house. Otherwise, it’s closer to Little House on the Prairie for me and my family. My kids think it’s hilarious, but we have a microwave from 1979 and it just won’t die. It’s the kind that has a single dial on it. I spin it and it turns on. I don’t even need to set the clock because it doesn’t have one. It even has wood grain. Personally, I love it because it’s simple and reliable. I don’t like spending even 15 seconds trying to figure out the user interface of an unfamiliar microwave. I just find it annoying.

Time off

Those of you who know me well, know that I use my PTO to escape my high-tech job, my low-tech home, and go no-tech. I find rest and replenishment in deep retreats of wilderness. There are a few relevant quotes from John Muir that couldn’t be truer in this modern age. Believe it or not, these quotes are over 100 years old:

“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity.”

“I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out until sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.”

“Everybody needs beauty…places to play in and pray in where nature may heal and cheer and give strength to the body and soul alike.”

“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul”

With that, I’ll answer my own question. “Everything is computer,” is that good or bad? In my opinion, mostly good, as long as you can shut it off.

I enjoy the capabilities of modern technology. I love how it makes us more efficient, more capable, more informed. I love building technology that accelerates the worthy purpose of my company to create connections to empower agriculture. That’s work worth doing and it’s exciting. At the same time, we should always be able to pull the plug. We should be able to maintain our privacy. We should be able to opt-out.

Many families have one EV and one ICE car. Sometimes, you’re feeling “everything is computer!” and sometimes, you’re not. Technology is a good thing, but too much can be a problem. We are humans, not machines. Even the geekiest tech enthusiasts among us have their limits.

So, the comment “everything is computer” was silly, but I’ve made it deep. Along that theme, I was reminded of a favorite scene from an old movie, “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.” At the end of the film, the students gave their history reports. One of Bill and Ted’s classmates famously said:

Everything is different, but the same… Things are more moderner than before… Bigger, and yet smaller… it’s computers… SAN DIMAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL RULES!

If you’d like to relive that glorious speech, watch here.

I love how he said, “it’s computers…” and trailed off without adding any deeper thoughts.? As silly as it is, it’s also profound. That was 1989. 36 years later, every word of that short speech is still true and impacts our world more than ever.

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