People use NES systems all the time to make music. I can't say I blame them, some of those old theme songs are incredible. It's such a distinct and recognizable sound. I'm sure you could use the Gameboy for the same thing if you knew what you were doing.

yea they do. sometimes annoying sounds but your right. guess just all how you look at it.

from the dictionary:

i'm pretty sure computer can fall into that category

Anything can be used to produce music... That does not mean it is an instrument. Look at blue man group. Just because they use trash cans and sticks does not mean that the trash can is now an aluminum drum.... It is still a trash can...

We're not asking whether a computer is a saxaphone...
Why can't people wrap their heads around the concept of what the word "instrument" actually means rather than what they associate with it?

instrument means something that is used for a certain purpose

in·stru·ment
   /ˈɪnstrəmənt/ Show Spelled[in-struh-muhnt] Show IPA
–noun
A contrivance or apparatus for producing musical sounds: a stringed instrument.


Here is the definition posted on the first entry. Read it.... Producing musical sound... A computer does not produce musical sound. It may produce music/noise via speakers but it is programmed to produce these sounds. Everything is coded and programmed on a computer for eventual output of some sort.... It is not an instrument....

FYI: You have also just made the argument that synthesizers are not instruments.

What can I say? I like to argue! Hahahahaha

I guess I am just old fashioned in my thinking but I guess today's age can say that a computer is an instrument... I just don't think of it as a musical instrument.... It does not require the skill of a guitar player to know chords, modes and scales to produce different harmonies. Nor does it require the sweat of a drummer producing crazy breakdowns and off tempo rhythms.

Sure it does. Knowledge of music theory is just as important/unimportant no matter what you're using to create music.