I believe that Traveller computers are not all that far off base. I use the
following rationaliztions to make sense of the following rules, and negate the
objections to the rules:
Computers too big: When you consider the cumputer as the major or entire
control system of the ship, spread throughout the ship, with only the
traditional computer components: CPU, Memory, Console, storage, printout, at
the bridge, the size of compters makes more sense. The size of the fiber optic
computers I rationalize as the "fiber optic" setup being as it states, a *"back
up"*, in addition to the normal computer. It is stupid, if there are no
drawbacks, to use the FO only as backup, but I believe this is a rule whose
purpose is to make FOC special items.
Computers run too few programs: These programs are massive **realtime** sensor
and simulation programs. You are comparing these to batch or timesharing
programs. You can only get a given number of MIPS out of a box, no matter how
you slice it.
Jim Baranski DEC Tewksbury MA