How would a ship's computer work, compared to real-life systems?

[indolover]

A real-life information system has essentially an input, processing, storage and output, by definition. Any computer, whether a personal computer, mainframe or supercomputer would have these features.

So the same is probably true of a Starfleet ship's computer too. But could voice interface inputs, in addition to touch-screen inputs, ever be feasible? I guess anything is possible in ICT tech, but what kind of processing power would be required for that? Also, take say the Enterprise-D or Voyager, a computer would have to process 1000 (for the E-D) or 150 (for Voyager) voice inputs simultaneously. How would the computer cope with all of these inputs at once?

 

[AstroSmurf]

This is more of a Trek Tech thread. I think you would get more helpful and positive responses there.

Moving... so hang on to your butts.

 

[T'Girl]

It's unlikely by the 23rd/24th century they will still be using binary language (ones and zeros) in their computers, unlikely we'll be using this system ourselves more than a another decade or so. A OUM system will allow using base ten and realistically bases in the hundred, then bases in the thousands. Digital multistate characteristic of phase change materials will permit the storage and processing of digits associated with any arithmetic base.

This gives you much more speed and processing power.

Data storage medium is unlikely to be a spinning drum device (modern hard drive). Given the scanners we know they have, they might employ high density plasma. The advantage of a plasma system, let's us say a anisothermal plasma, is the incredible density of the medium, the actual storage could be the individual vibrations of each particle type. Individual particulates could be segregated into packets. Externally scanned, the frequency of the vibrations in each of the plasma packet collections of high energy particles would then have an assigned value.

 

[sojourner]

Hell, voice input works pretty well in cellphones/cars today. With the future advent of quantum computing and light based hardware I think it's safe to say the information systems depicted in Star Trek aren't advanced enough.

 

[C.E. Evans]

I've been kind of thinking that the term "computer" might be just something of a holdover term borne out of tradition for any information and control system aboard a starship. A ship's computer may actually be an integrated network of many computer systems, each working both separately and together to service the needs of both the ship and crew.

Another possibility is that the computer systems aboard starships may actually not represent the latest in interface technology. For the civilian "consumer" market, holographic or non-physical interfaces may be the standard, but traditional keypad interfaces are still used aboard Federation starships and installations because they're more rugged and can handle a higher input/output ratio perhaps than the latest cutting edge civilian stuff, which might be more fancy but not as durable.

 

[sojourner]

^Whether it's distributed or consolidated it's still a "computer". Even today the most powerful supercomputers are actually vast numbers of clustered computers. I am not sure I understand why we would suddenly decide that "computer" is an outdated term for an information/control system? Guns have changed drastically in the last 500 years, yet a pistol is still a pistol.

 

[C.E. Evans]

^Whether it's distributed or consolidated it's still a "computer". Even today the most powerful supercomputers are actually vast numbers of clustered computers. I am not sure I understand why we would suddenly decide that "computer" is an outdated term for an information/control system?

It's all about terminology and it's irrelevant if a certain term has been used for centuries if a future generation decides it's no longer in vogue or simply decides to use another term for it they feel is more appropriate to them.

Today's cellphones are still basically telephones, and yet we don't generally call them that.

Guns have changed drastically in the last 500 years, yet a pistol is still a pistol.

Except when they're rifles or cannons, which are also called guns depending on where you are.

 

[sojourner]

A better analogy might be the uses of automobile and car.

But then again, this isn't really the topic.

Yes, I think in the future voice input and touch technology (which we already have today) will be used for interfacing with computers.

 

[T'Girl]

it's still a "computer"

Back in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, people who tabulated large columns of numbers and correlated facts and information were called "computers," that was their job title.

Later when mechanical devices took over a portion of that job, those machines were referred to as "computers."

Present day, we use terms like accountant and analyst, but these people at one time were called computers.

Today's cellphones are still basically telephones

These day increasingly, it isn't cellphone anymore, it just "phone."

(at least among people of my generation)

 

[indolover]

it's still a "computer"

Back in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, people who tabulated large columns of numbers and correlated facts and information were called "computers," that was their job title.

Later when mechanical devices took over a portion of that job, those machines were referred to as "computers."

Present day, we use terms like accountant and analyst, but these people at one time were called computers.

Today's cellphones are still basically telephones

These day increasingly, it isn't cellphone anymore, it just "phone."

(at least among people of my generation)

A computer is called as such that is what it does. It computes but processing inputs and converting it into outputs.

 

[sojourner]

We see alot of computers in the world. Where are all the computees'?

 

[BolianAuthor]

Another possibility is that the computer systems aboard starships may actually not represent the latest in interface technology. For the civilian "consumer" market, holographic or non-physical interfaces may be the standard, but traditional keypad interfaces are still used aboard Federation starships and installations because they're more rugged and can handle a higher input/output ratio perhaps than the latest cutting edge civilian stuff, which might be more fancy but not as durable.

I have always believed this as well, as if you look at the computers at a government office or or a US Navy ship... the OS interface always looks at least one or two versions behind what is currently available, and the simplified green DOS-looking interface used on Navy ships looks very primitive, compared to Windows XP or 7. I would speculate that the same would be true for consumer OS's in the Trekverse... they are flashier-looking to the civilian market.

 

[Rett Mikhal]

Hey, even in Aliens their tracking gun computers used that dos-tastic two color screen. How much would that scene have sucked if they used Apple products?