Gadgets in TNG

[davortech]

Every time I watch a TNG episode I come to think about the gadgets they use on the Enterprise. Tricoders,communicators and other gadgets presented on the show look rather bulky for the 23th century. I know TNG was filmed until 1994 and when you look at it now, it's a classic. It was not hard to predict back then as It's not now that all hardware should be as thin as possible with nicely done edges etc. I don't think they were paying attention on how gadgets on the show will look like.

 

[Renvar]

I think they put a lot of thought into the design of the gadgets. The resulting commercial technologies (cell phones, PDA's, etc.) are a tribute to their elegant designs. I think it's more a matter of functionality in proportion to size. For example, the comm badges contained very intricate circuitry and transmitters, and had to contain a pretty decent power source to get the kind of clarity of communication over great distances and planetary atmospheres that we saw on virtually every episode. The tricorder had a huge bank of sensory devices for its size, and was apparently capable of creating life-like holographic simulations ("The Chase").

 

[Trekker4747]

I still really loved the roll-away piano Neela Darren had and one of best friends loved what he called "jumper cables for the brain" that we saw in "Transfigurations."

TNG was almost Bondian cool in their use of the technology but keeping it plausable and in-check for the time. It wasn't too "far-fetched" or out of wack.

Voyager, on the other hand...

 

[Ktrek]

I think they really did put a lot of thought into the look and design of the gadgets used. You have to remember that these professionals are judging not only what will be "possible" in the future, BUT what will look good on a 19 to 25 inch TV screen in our present. Yes...most people back then did not have anything larger. It amazes me how people cannot watch something these days and enjoy it in the context of it's time!

Kevin

 

[Doug Otte]

I used to think like Davortech, but then I realized: how small can these devices be before they become hard to handle? After all, if they're too small, our fingers would be unable to use them and our eyes wouldn't be able to see the details.

Doug

 

[Timo]

That's already true of many mobile phones, which are next to useless except as decorative items or paperweights. Except that they are too light to be really useful in the latter role, either.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Trekker4747]

That's already true of many mobile phones, which are next to useless except as decorative items or paperweights. Except that they are too light to be really useful in the latter role, either.

Timo Saloniemi

Hell, we almost need "phone weights."

 

[Triskelion]

I'd love to see Captain Kirk try this!