What is the difference between the two kanji variants for 「けいさんき」, the other word for 「コンピューター」?
- 計算器
- 計算機
What is the difference between the two kanji variants for 「けいさんき」, the other word for 「コンピューター」?
計算機 usually means a calculator, although it can also mean a computer in academic contexts and legal contexts as YOU, Axioplase, and Rei stated. For example, the Information Processing Society of Japan has a special interest group called 計算機アーキテクチャ研究会 (the Special Interest Group for Computer Architecture). The usual word for a computer is コンピューター or パソコン (for パーソナルコンピューター (personal computer)), as Axioplase and Rei noted.
The notation 計算器 is rare. According to web search, the notation 計算器 seems to mean either:
I think that in general, using 器 instead of 機 implies simplicity, which sometimes refers to mechanical nature but not always. As an evidence that 器 does not always mean a mechanical construction, the Japanese word for an adder, an electronic circuit for addition, is usually written as 加算器, although the notation 加算機 is also sometimes used.
Edit in revision 2: Added that 計算器 can mean a slide rule.
For what it is worth, パソコン and コンピュータ are also very valid words for computer, used in IT and CS contexts. I don't think we use 計算機 except to express the wording "a machine that does computations".
Edit: I just asked around me: 計算機 is a technical word. You will be understood by specialists (like computer scientists, who were likely to be the only ones to have access to computers initially when the word was coined), but the average person will think of a pocket calculator instead. パソコン、 コンピュータ、 PC、and マック are used by the non specialists.
機 usually refers to a somewhat large(-scale) "machine" (機械), while 器 usually refers to a small(-scale) "tool" (器具). So I think the latter would be closer to a computer (back when they were huge, beastly machines) and the former would be closer to a calculator (電卓). But the 機 or 器 definitely implies scale.
計算機
means computer
, while 計算器
means calculator
.
The rough difference (with possible exceptions) are as follows:
`器` mechanical, has direct contact with human, not motored, often human powered, handy
`機` not necessarily mechanical, large, motored
Nowadays, most computers are electronically driven, with no mechanical parts playing a crucial role (fans, disks are not used for computing). In addition, it is electrically powered, (E.g., without necessity for a human turning a crank). So to mention the present computers, 機
is appropriate. If you want to mention a physically driven human powered calculator/computer, like Pascal's calculator, then 器
is appropriate.