>Anthony writes:
>...Quite a reduction in size, and we haven't even advanced a Tech level!!
> (talking about CD players in specific, and computer and electronic
>technology in general)
>Well, to get picky, you CD player analogy is off a bit...if you
>look inside a tabletop CD player, most of it is either empty space, or
>power supply. The actual electronics and mechanism are generally much
>closer in size to your Discman. Of course, Sony has made a long corporate
>history of miniturizing things.
> However, some of the stuff can't go down. Recall, for instance
>your "Infamous" model hand computer, that at Tl11 is 0.5 kg, vs 50,000
>at Tl5. Much of the weight is in things that cannot be reduced, like
>keyboards, and readable screens, or at least touchpad areas large enough
>to be useable.
A discussion that recently appeared in one of the Computer magazines I
subscribe to (PC World or PC/Computing) theorized that computers could become
smaller by using small screen that could be worn like eyeglasses and
positioned in front of the user's eye when in use. In Traveller hologram
projecters would be another alternative to screens to permit miniturization.
An alternate method of input that is within reach today are computers that
accept voice commands and eliminate the need for keyboards.
Granted there will probably be limits to miniturizing computers but smaller
devices than currently present in official rules are within reason.