Is a Computer a Tool?

I definitely think that a computer should be considered to be a tool because it can be considered to be an instrument that helps us to preform a task.  When I hear the word tool, I think about a 'tool kit' so I think about the things that a tool kit includes.  This means I think of things like a screwdriver, and a hammer, nails, etc.  These things are similar to a computer because they all help us to complete something.  I think that although you do not have to exert as much energy when working with a computer as you do when using 'actual' tools, they are still doing the same kind of thing.  Today the computer is viewed as a more sophisticated tool, performing tasks that should augment our performance as humans. It is difficult, though, to demonstrate that the computer has actually increased our performance in any substantive way. Calling the computer a tool may seem a simple matter of word choice but changing the view of the computer from interactive artifact to tool has a significant impact on how we think about the computer, what we expect of it, how we design for it and how we train for its use.