clipka wrote:
> so if a contemporary Wikipedia article claims that Colossus could be re-programmed
"partially (by re-wiring)", then I find it difficult to imagine that this is to be
interpreted anything other than as "partially (by re-wiring /only/, providing no other
option)". 

Um, I don't?

> So in this sense, say: Can a computing machine that is programmable /by 
> re-wiring only/ ever be Turing complete?

What about a real physical implementation of a Turing machine, where 
rewiring it gives you different Turing machines?

True, you have to get the data onto the tape initially, but since that 
wouldn't be part of the "program" per se, I don't see where that's addressed.

> but I guess we agree that this is not normally the scope of how we'd 
> define a computing device.

Not *now*, no. Back in Turing's day, that's exactly what it was. :-)

-- 
   Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   I ordered stamps from Zazzle that read "Place Stamp Here".

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