The Ultimate Computer

"The Ultimate Computer"

The Ultimate Computer stood at the end of the
Ultimate Computer Company's production line,
at which point the guided tour eventually arrived.

The salesman stepped forward to give his
prepared demo. "This", he said, "is the
Ultimate Computer. It will give an intelligent
answer to any question you may care to ask it."

A smartass stepped forward and asked,
"Where is my father?"

There was the soft hum of powerful electronic
gear going to the task. Panel lights lit and
blinked, and within a couple of seconds the
laser printer printed out a piece of paper:
"Fishing off Florida."

The smartass laughed, "Actually, my father
is dead! It was a trick question."

The salesman, quickly thinking on his feet,
replied that he was sorry the answer was
unsatisfactory, but as the Ultimate Computer
was precise, perhaps a rewording of the
question might work better.

The smartass said to the Ultimate Computer,
"Where is my mother's husband?"

Again, the hum of the powerful electronic brain
filled the room. After a moment, the laser
printer whirred to life. The paper said: "Dead.
But your father is still fishing off Florida."
Received on Fri Apr 21 08:13:13 2006