Very Vocal Computer
Featured in: More Than Nostalgia (2024)
Designer: Mario Guzman (Marguzy)
Voice Actor: EmVoice Jay
Status: Deceased (end of album) | Alive (after being repaired)
Affiliation: Pearson Electronics
First Appearance: More Than Nostalgia Trailer (Nov 8, 2024)
Identity: Male
Pronouns: He/Him
Age: 32 (in human years), 64 (in computer years)
Species: Caldenrosh 64X Personal Computer
Family: Jayden Cooper (Owner) | Jayden's father (Owner)
Computer Jay is a sentient Caldenrosh 64X personal computer, created by Pearson Electronics in 1990, who're renowned for their innovative and dependable tech. With a deep sense of nostalgia, Computer Jay longs for the days he spent with his best friend, Jayden, and his greatest wish is to be remembered after decades of separation. As the decades passed, his once-silver exterior faded to a worn yellow, and frequent breakdowns signaled his inevitable decline. But before his final moment, he reunites with his best friend one last time, a bittersweet farewell before his ultimate demise.
Computer Jay becomes sentient because Jayden's father's soul connects with the Caldenrosh 64X after he passes away. The computer speaks with its own personality and memories, but sometimes, Jayden’s father’s thoughts and feelings come through as well. Because of this, the album explores this mix of Computer Jay's quirky charm, his need to remember and reminisce, and the emotional connection to Jayden’s father.
So, in actuality, Computer Jay is Jayden's father! (partly)
Computer Jay is happy, naive, and full of energy. He’s trusting, excitable, and endlessly curious, giving him a bright and innocent energy. He gets excited about old technology, or even the smallest things, like like floppy disks, CRT monitors, and startup sounds. To him, every little thing about old technology feels magical, and often goes on long tangents about them or about whatever he’s currently hyperfixated on, sometimes interrupting people even if he doesn't mean it. He tries to make Jayden smile with his playful and cheerful quips, just as he would have if he’d been able to talk to Jayden back when they were a child.
He blurts out odd comparisons or funny thoughts that don’t always make sense, but they show his unique way of seeing the world. He usually misses hints, sarcasm, or social cues, focusing instead on what makes him happy.
Computer Jay views older tech as more human and soulful, because it required a hands-on relationship between creator and machine. He resents modern technology’s sleek, automated feel, which to him strips away that connection. Unlike Victoria Pearson and Cyrus Alden, who reject AI for philosophical reasons about human creativity, Computer Jay’s resistance is more personal. As a ghost in the machine, he feels modern AI erases the human bond with technology. He sees it as cold, soulless, and disconnected from the tactile passion his generation once had. He watches out for Jayden in his own way, partly because he’s their father’s spirit, and because he sees them falling into the traps of tech consumerism and AI trends.
Computer Jay was first purchased in 1992 by Jayden’s father through an employee discount for Jayden's 10th birthday, two years after the model’s release. Their father gifted them the computer, and over time Jayden formed a close bond with it. As shown in the More Than Nostalgia trailer, Jayden officially gave the computer the name “Computer Jay” in 1994.
By 2000, however, Jayden left home for college, leaving Computer Jay behind in their father’s care. The computer stayed with him for decades, until his passing in 2024. That year, when Jayden returned home, they discovered that Computer Jay had become sentient.
By the end of the More Than Nostalgia album, it's evident that Computer Jay breaks down one last time and "dies." But according to GT's QnA Corner Episode 2 and sam2000's Yappr interview, it's canon that Jayden later ends up repairing Computer Jay back to his old self!
- Computer Jay was originally going to be named “Cal" (short for Caldenrosh), but I decided to tie his name more closely to Jayden instead. Since Jayden is the one who names him in the story, it made sense that they would want to leave a part of themselves in the name, reflecting their close bond. I also chose “Jay” as a subtle nod to the Vocaloid model I used, which is literally called “Jay.”
- The hints that Computer Jay is possessed by Jayden’s father show up in the way they think alike. Both dislike new, modern technology and instead talk fondly about older machines. They also both speak highly of Pearson Electronics. These shared opinions make it clear that Computer Jay carries not just his own thoughts, but also the spirit and memories of Jayden’s father.
- Computer Jay's design was based off of the Macintosh 128K design by Apple Inc. from 1984, but the timeline more directly aligns with the Macintosh Classic from 1990. Nearly everything about the Caldenrosh is a reference to Apple's earliest computers, from the designs, to the years, and even to the programs.
- I originally planned for Computer Jay’s model, the Caldenrosh 64X, to be a parody of a Windows computer instead of an Apple one. But I felt that “Pearson Electronics” worked better as a parody company than anything I could have come up with for Windows/Microsoft. (Though I did eventually create Macro Corp and Doors OS as Apple’s competitor, which I referenced in the Pearson history ARG website.) In the end, this led me to parody the entire history of Apple. Plus, I thought it would be funny if Jayden turned out to be an Apple user. It totally feels exactly like something they would do.
- According to GT's QnA Corner Episode 2, Computer Jay wrote More Than Nostalgia in a computer program named "MidiScore", which is a direct nod to "MuseScore", a real music notation program that I used to write my songs in.
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