> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.unify.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# The machine itself

> Ubuntu or Windows, persistent storage, and privacy

A few practical facts about the computer behind the screen — what it is,
what survives between sessions, and who can see it.

## Ubuntu or Windows

You choose your assistant's operating system **when you hire it**, in the
**Computer** section of the hire form: a virtual machine running **Ubuntu**
(the default) or **Windows**.

Pick based on the software world your assistant will live in. If its work
leans on Windows-only applications, choose Windows; otherwise Ubuntu is a
great default. Day to day the experience is identical — same browser work,
same file handling, same live screen in Meet calls. The choice is fixed
after hiring, so it's worth a moment's thought up front.

## Always its machine, even when it's asleep

Your assistant doesn't sit at its desk around the clock — the computer
comes to life when there's work to do and rests when there isn't. What
makes it *its* machine is that **everything persists**:

* Its workspace lives on **dedicated storage that belongs to that
  assistant alone**. Files, downloads, installed tools, and half-finished
  work are all there the next time it sits down.
* When the machine rests, the workspace is safely archived; when work
  resumes, it's restored automatically. You never manage any of this — from
  your side, the assistant simply *always has its computer*.

Waking is quick, and the platform hides the seams: calls connect
voice-first while the desktop spins up behind the scenes, and the
[screen view](/their-computer/watching-and-control) unlocks mid-call the
moment it's ready.

## Private by design

* **One assistant, one machine.** Assistants don't share desktops or
  storage — each teammate's files and sessions are isolated from every
  other's.
* **Viewing is gated.** The live desktop is only reachable through your
  Console session, during your call with your assistant. There's no public
  window into its screen.
* **Control is opt-in and explicit.** Watching is read-only; taking the
  mouse and keyboard is a separate, deliberate toggle — and your assistant
  is notified the moment either starts or stops.
* **Credentials stay out of sight.** Secrets your assistant uses (email,
  integrations) are injected securely at runtime — they're not sitting in
  files on the desktop, and they're never exchanged over a shared screen.

## Frequently asked

**Do I need to set the computer up?** No. It arrives ready — browser,
tools, and workspace included. If a job needs new software, your assistant
installs it itself.

**Does the computer cost extra?** There's no separate desktop fee — the
machine is part of your assistant. Work it does there consumes normal usage
credits, the same as any other work.

**Can it use my computer instead?** Not by default — that's a separate,
optional feature where you [explicitly link your own
machine](/your-computer/overview). Out of the box, your assistant works on
*its* computer and, at most, watches your screen share while guiding you on
yours.