I have a question. What are those two orange flat rectangular shaped objects displayed lengthwise on Captain Picard's desk in his ready room? I assumed they were isolinear chips, but on close inspection, they seem much larger. Here are images to show what I am talking about. In this image they are in the lower left hand corner: Here they are displayed beside Picard's desktop terminal: Does anyone have any idea what these objects are, or what significance they hold? If anyone knows anything, please let me know!
I think there's a couple scenes where see him holding one and tapping on it/using it as if it's an electronic device. What it is, specifically, isn't known but it's likely some sort of use-specific PADD that doesn't need a visual feedback interface/GUI.
How strange. I wonder if there are any replicas of these little things? I have the desktop terminal piggy bank replica from the early 90's on my desk in my room, but it seems incomplete without the two orange rectangle things.
Maybe they're alternate harddrives/motherboards for his computer that can be swapped out each with it's own function? Bulky now, but it would've seemed high tech in the 90's.
24th century equivalent to old-style data processing punch cards? Do not fold, spindle, or mutilate. Riker's quarterly performance evaluation? Something Picard found in a wastebasket and keeps on his desk to make people think he's doing something important.
^^ I'd say the same. Usually the TNG isolinear chips are much smaller but what's on Picard's desk could be older ones (maybe a physical souvenir from the Stargazer?) Bob
Unless we get someone from Props or Graphics in here, we'll probably never know for sure. But Rick Sternbach and Mike Okuda could probably invent an explanation in 5 seconds.
I believe these are the short message devices that Beverly and Jean-Luc are using to send each other some juicy SMS all the time. "Ooooh, Jean-Luc, I miss you soooo much... how about another "medical lesson" huh? when can you come by to sickbay today to grab and take me???!!"