Computers in FFS/TNE

Well Anthony, you spured me on last night (and one of the players in our
group demanding to know about desktop/handheld computers). I went through
and details out the technology breakpoints and what happened at them
(guessing in some cases) and extrapolated the data out to various forms.
So... here's the rundown. (The format for TL is intro/wide-spread use). My
information is from Classic Trav&Book 8 Robots, MT Referee's companion.

Breakthrough                   Classic Trav   MegaTrav
non-volitale memory               8/9            9
optical storage mediums           8/8            8
massive parallel processing       7/8            8
voice recognition                 9/10           9
voice transcription               10/11          10
synaptic processing               10/12          11
25% synaptic processing           14
50% synaptic processing           16
  (AI breakthrough)
Personality Sims                  15             15
  (Psuedo-Reality)
Holocrystal Storage               12/13          13
Direct Neural implants            14/15          14

Side Technologies
Holovideo                         10             10
Handheld holorecorder                            13
artificial eyes                   11             11

Now the interesting bits: The neural implant computers are rated very
similiarly to the mainframe computers. They both stay similiar in size
from mod 7 to mod 9, then they start growing at mod 10 and peak out at
mod 13. This led me to believe that the TL12 7M neural implant computer
functioned the same as a TL7 Std computer.

Interestingly enough, the breakpoint on size peaked out at TL13 - where the
holocrystal memory has been listed as being a breakthrough in computing.

Another interesting bit is the mention of the TL15 Mod 10M neural computer
is the first model of neural implant computer capable of "hosting" the virus
- - making me suspect that it's compatriot the TL10 Mod 10 Std 'mainframe'
computer (where they start growing 'bigger') is actually introducing the
synaptic processing into the machine. This is essentially hardware that
re-writes itself (a step up from re-configuration) to match the needs of the
application. They also mention that earlier versions can still contain the
virus as "carriers". This leads me to the conclusion that TL9 & previous
computers are largely safe from the virus (just restart them).

Okay - so now I've even more theories on virus which I won't mess with,
cause this isn't about the silicon worm... Here's the extrapolation (in TNE
form) for other sizes of computers (somewhere between the 1000kg and .1kg
versions listed).

         "Mainframe" comps                  Neural Implant Computers
 (listed in Brilliant Lances & FFS)              (listed in FFS)
Model#    TL   Vol(m^3)  Mass(tonnes)   Model#    TL   Vol(l)  Mass(kg)
   7       7       5        1             7M      12   *.1       1
   8       8       5        1             8M      13   *.1       1
   9       9       5        1             9M      14   *.1       1
   10      10      6        1.2          10M      15   *.12     1.2
   11      11      7        1.4    * the volumes weren't listed, so I guessed/
   12      12      8        1.6      extrapolated. I figured .1 liters was
   13      13      9        1.8      still to large to fit in a skull, so it
   14      14      8        1.6      had to be fused in component parts to the
   15      15      7        1.4      spine.

The TL11 hand comp is listed as being rated the same as a "Model 1". I had
to look back to MT to check it, but they spec'd a model 1 as a TL5 computer.
Since we've obviously progressed beyond that point - I equivilant'd it to a
mod 7 flight computer.

So now... the new stuff:
 Desktop/Laptop computers                    These models function as the
Model#    TL   Vol(L)  Mass(kg) Price(MCr)   equivilant to the Model # std.
  7D      9     2       2.5        .02       i.e. a TL11 Mod9D is the equiv
  8D      10    2       2.5        .016      of a TL9 Mod9 Std computer.
  9D      11    2       2.5        .024
 10D      12    2.4     3.0        .04
 11D      13    2.8     3.5        .06
 12D      14    3.2     4.0        .08
 13D      15    3.6     4.5        .1
 14D      16    3.2     4.0        .12
 15D      17    2.8     3.5        .14
 16D      18    2.4     3.0        .16

       Handheld computers                    These models function as the
Model#    TL   Vol(L)  Mass(kg) Price(Cr)    equivilant to the Model # Flt.
  7H      11    .2       .5      1000        i.e. a TL11 Mod9D is the equiv
  8H      12    .2       .5       800        of a TL9 Mod9 Flt computer.
  9H      13    .2       .5      1200
 10H      14    .24      .6      2000        These can be made to function
 11H      15    .28      .7      4000        like the STD model computers -
 12H      16    .32      .8      6000        multiply the volume and mass by
 13H      17    .36      .9      8000        2 and the price by 10.
 14H      18    .32      .8     10,000
 15H      19    .28      .7     12,000
 16H      20    .24      .6     14,000

Some postulated breakthroughs:
TL8    2D virtual reality
TL9    Immersive VR (hardware)
TL13   3D VR
     (holography&gravitic manipulation to give tactile feedback)
TL15   Molecular memories
     (another x10+ increase in storage from holocrystal)

So... thoughts?

What'cha think Anthony?

 joe                          University of Missouri - Columbia
 [email removed]              [phone removed]