Assume that you are interested in purchasing a new model of a personal computer whose reliability has not yet been perfectly established. Measure reliability in terms of the num ber of days in the shop over the first three years that you own the machine. (Does this def inition of reliability pass the clarity test?) Now assess your utility function for computer reliability over the range from 0 days (best) to 50 days (worst). Use whatever assessment technique with which you feel most comfortable, and use computer assessment aids if they are available.