Replicators - Personal Presets

[Crewman47]

Why do you suppose we've never anyone operate a replicator using a personal preset or are we supposed to believe that replicators are not designed with this simple option installed on them? I mean for people like Picard and Janeway who are always ordering a tea or a coffee and specifying that they want Earl Grey, black coffee and hot, wouldn't it be easier to just press the relevant preset button on their own personal replicator or at least just say tea or coffee and the computer should know who they are, as each crewman would probably programe their own replicator, and what it is there specifying.

Any thoughts?

I've probably asked this before or it's been asked by someone else before, can't actually remeber which.

 

[Timo]

I'd say Picard's "hot" is already a preset, user-defined command, and his "hot" would be different from Riker's or Janeway's. The computer would differentiate between those using voice recognition or other means of IDing the user.

No doubt Picard sometimes wishes to have his Earl Grey lukewarm, for quick consumption. He'd have a preset temperature for that, too. And in company of Admiral Nuisanceoftheweek, he probably drinks whatever he or she is drinking, if "Journey's End" is any indication.

As for pressing buttons, surely verbal commands are more practical?

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Crewman47]

Well you do have to approach a replicator anyway so how much more trouble would it make to press a button. I only used the button pressing as one method, I guess a personal preset could be programmed on a verbal command, like instead of tea, Earl Grey, hot or coffee, black or you want a meal that's in a preset then you could say just coffee, or tea or for the meal, Dish 1 or Meal supplement No1 if you're Data for example.

 

[Starlock]

Asking specifically for a cup of tea or coffee in dialogue may be redundant, but this really just a way to explain what is going on in a scene - especially for those who may be visually impaired. Just treat it as a bit of exposition.

 

[Philo]

^ Exactly. If it were me I'd much rather just press a button on a microwave then bark at it to defrost my roast but then the 17th century audience viewing the show about my life might not know what the hell I'm doing.

 

[Vanyel]

Why do you suppose we've never anyone operate a replicator using a personal preset or are we supposed to believe that replicators are not designed with this simple option installed on them? I mean for people like Picard and Janeway who are always ordering a tea or a coffee and specifying that they want Earl Grey, black coffee and hot, wouldn't it be easier to just press the relevant preset button on their own personal replicator or at least just say tea or coffee and the computer should know who they are, as each crewman would probably programe their own replicator, and what it is there specifying.

Any thoughts?

I've probably asked this before or it's been asked by someone else before, can't actually remeber which.

I think that when ever a new crewman came on board he brought with him his replicator presets.

Like was said before, Picard's preset for "hot" could be a different preset for Crusher's "hot". I will say that after the first season, Picard could have shortened his preset to "Tea 1" or some other macro command.

I also think telling the Replicator what you want is a convenience. Something like a TV's remote control. I can still change the channel or lower/raise the volume by going up to it and push the buttons, or just use the remote. Something like the hollodeck. You can go inside the hollo deck and tell it "Starfleet Command Exercise 1", or just scroll through the menu at the door, choose it and run it before you go inside. Didn't K'Ehleyr do something like that to find Worf's calisthenics program?

I don't think it's ever been shown, but I would see no reason why it couldn't be done, but Picard could be at his desk looking over reports, stand up and say "Tea. Earl Grey. Hot." and the replicator would respond and have his cup of tea ready for him by the time he gets there.

 

[Verteron]

I don't think it's ever been shown, but I would see no reason why it couldn't be done, but Picard could be at his desk looking over reports, stand up and say "Tea. Earl Grey. Hot." and the replicator would respond and have his cup of tea ready for him by the time he gets there.

Occam's razor here -- perhaps it is simpler to actually say it each time. Who knows when you might be on a Starbase or some other ship that doesn't have your presets loaded up?

Maybe Picard just got so used to ordering "Tea, Earl Grey, Hot" from the various replicators during his stay at the Academy, whose facilities no doubt included many buildings, possibly on different planets such as Earth and "Luna" and Mars, and possibly many short tours of cadet duty on various training ships, systems that probably weren't linked up, with no time to forever re-enter your settings.

If his liking for tea developed then, maybe the way he says it has just become habit as he became so used to dealing with unpredictable replicators in years gone by.

I suppose realistically people could carry around an RFID chip that would store their own personal recipes and preferences for meals and drinks, but I've not seen much evidence of this sort of thing on Star Trek.

I say 'realistically' because although we've not quite mastered replicators yet, this may soon be quite common for carrying around your e-mail and browser bookmarks and other settings, files and programs and having them pop up on the nearest PC you happen to be using.

 

[Triskelion]

Tea. What a nancy.

 

[Vanyel]

I don't think it's ever been shown, but I would see no reason why it couldn't be done, but Picard could be at his desk looking over reports, stand up and say "Tea. Earl Grey. Hot." and the replicator would respond and have his cup of tea ready for him by the time he gets there.

Occam's razor here -- perhaps it is simpler to actually say it each time. Who knows when you might be on a Starbase or some other ship that doesn't have your presets loaded up?

Maybe Picard just got so used to ordering "Tea, Earl Grey, Hot" from the various replicators during his stay at the Academy, whose facilities no doubt included many buildings, possibly on different planets such as Earth and "Luna" and Mars, and possibly many short tours of cadet duty on various training ships, systems that probably weren't linked up, with no time to forever re-enter your settings.

If his liking for tea developed then, maybe the way he says it has just become habit as he became so used to dealing with unpredictable replicators in years gone by.

I suppose realistically people could carry around an RFID chip that would store their own personal recipes and preferences for meals and drinks, but I've not seen much evidence of this sort of thing on Star Trek.

I say 'realistically' because although we've not quite mastered replicators yet, this may soon be quite common for carrying around your e-mail and browser bookmarks and other settings, files and programs and having them pop up on the nearest PC you happen to be using.

My opinion is that each person in Starfleet has an Isolinier chip that has his preferred settings, room temperature, lighting, humidity, and replicator programs and others. Once he's set up in his quarters, he puts the chip into the replicator or any other panel in the room and the ships computer can access the data from there.

So Ensign X on the Enterprise has his replicator settings on his chip and just puts it in a slot the ships computer can access. If he has his own quarters (And it seems that since TNG on most ships each crewman has his own quarters.) the computer will set the room temperature and lighting automatically and he can go right to the replicator and get his mother's recipe for Chicken Soup. If he shares quarters, the computer will most likely ignore his room settings and only look for his replicator presets.

When Ensign X gets transferred to the Venture, he removes his chip and takes it with him.

If for whatever reason he has to leave quickly, emergency transfer, his chip will have to catch up with him as would his other personal items.

The reason I think that each person has to have his own presets is because the computer needs to know these things. For instance, Ensign X asks for tortilla chips and hot sauce. How hot? X would have to know it's Scoville scale. Same thing for hot coffee, what is the temperature in the metric system. There's a ship load of information he'd have to give the replicator to get a meal. So having his own Isolinier chip with all his presets would be a good idea. They are portable and look easy to store. A plug and play chip.

 

[Timo]

I don't know. That sort of data transfer sounds so... antiquated.

Would people in the 24th century (even in the somewhat "held-back" Trek version of it) really lug around physical memory chips when the same information could surely travel with them in a completely virtual format? At least when transferring from one Federation installation or location to another, one would expect to retain access to a Federation-wide data storage and communications medium, from which one could recall one's replicator settings and other information simply by using one's voiceprint (and/or passwords, DNA scans, retina scans etc).

Then again, portable, pocket-size memory seems to remain a constant feature between today, TOS and TNG/DS9/VOY - and not only in high-security transfer of delicate data, but also in things as trivial as selections made on food slots or replicators. Perhaps it does have its uses, even if just symbolic, psychologically comforting ones?

Timo Saloniemi

 

[trash80]

Tea. What a nancy.

Tea is a warrior's hot drink

 

[hellsgate]

Captain Jason K.S. Hauck,
Starbase 666 / Hell's-Gate Station

Personal Presets:

(Embedded in Commbadge's secondary memory storage used for Spec. Op's pre-programmed options like remote controlling a Danube-Class runabout in orbit.)

Breakfast: Pancakes, Sausage, White Toast, Hash Browns, Eggs (Scrambled). Mango Tea (Cold).
Lunch: Steak Burger, Fries, Coleslaw. Diet Cola On-The-Rocks.
Dinner: Porkchops In Mushroom Soup Sauce, Mashed Potatoes & Steamed Carrots with Garlic Butter. (Diet Cola On-The-Rocks.)
Dessert: Strawberry Ice-Cream, hardened chocolate shell, on apple pie.

Between-Meal Snack: Large Fries.