USS Enterprise (eventually) on Discovery?

[Prax]

The communicator became a combadge, and at that point, no, it definitely would not make sense to combine it with the tricorder.

A tricorder is a scanning device, and today, in 2018, there are dozens, maybe hundreds of different types of scanning devices, each with a unique function, that different professionals use. They don't use their iphones, and even if say, a do it yourselfer wants to use his iphone to scan the studs in his walls, he still needs a special stud finding adapter to plug his phone into.

A phaser is a weapon. That is it's purpose. It doesn't generate forcefields. A "stun" and "kill" setting don't make it the gerber of the future; they make it a weapon. When someone in Star Trek needs to cut through a bulkhead, and they have the resourses, they use a plasma cutter(or something similar). When Sisko builds his sailing ship, he asks O'brien to get him a sabre saw. O'Brien says "A sabre saw?! Why wouldn't you just use a laser cutter?" He doesn't say "Why don't you just use your phaser?"

If I can screw in a phillips head screw with my pocket knife, that doesn't mean it was designed to do that, and I would use a driver if I had access to one.

 

[Crazy Eddie]

A tricorder is a scanning device, and today, in 2018, there are dozens, maybe hundreds of different types of scanning devices, each with a unique function, that different professionals use. They don't use their iphones, and even if say, a do it yourselfer wants to use his iphone to scan the studs in his walls, he still needs a special stud finding adapter to plug his phone into.

Comcast technicians in these parts have a little sleeve attachment that is designed to work with a custom-designed iPhone app. This device is used for measuring signal strength, diagnosing problems with cable boxes and modems, routers and other hardware.

This works about as well as you would expect. But to say that iPhones aren't being used for this purpose is not really accurate. It's worth noting that more and more the iPhone and similar devices are being treated as basic infrastructure and various industrial devices are being designed to take advantage of their capabilities because it's more likely that users will already be familiar with them and will be able to make use of apps designed for them in the field.

A phaser is a weapon. That is it's purpose. It doesn't generate forcefields. A "stun" and "kill" setting don't make it the gerber of the future; they make it a weapon.

Well, they make it a multi-tool. It's basically a swiss army knife whose attachments include "Samurai sword" and "Stun baton." You can use it to kill things, stun things, blow things up or slice them to pieces; you can also use it to start a campfire, dig a well, power a small shuttlecraft, or heat up a bowl of soup.

If I can screw in a phillips head screw with my pocket knife, that doesn't mean it was designed to do that, and I would use a driver if I had access to one.

I generally prefer to use a real screwdriver if I have one available, but I have been in situations where being in possession of a good multitool has saved me ALOT of heart ache.

I've long believed that there are deadlier and more direct weapons than the Starfleet hand phaser and that other less altruistic organizations probably use those weapons exclusively (this may be the crucial difference between a phaser and a disruptor).

 

[Mudd]

The communicator became a combadge, and at that point, no, it definitely would not make sense to combine it with the tricorder.

If it had been used to perform the computational and recording functions of the tricorder, it wouldn't have become a combadge. Unless the prop designers and producers wanted that, of course.

 

[dahj]

The communicator became a combadge

But that's only because badges were a big thing in the '80s...

 

[Gonzo]

But that's only because badges were a big thing in the '80s...

Grew up watching Young Ones, Bottom and Blackadder.

If you can go to YouTube and search for the University Challenge clip, it's hilarious.

RIP Rik Mayall

 

[Belz...]

At a certain point, I think, we have to take a charitable view that the Trek future is sometimes beyond our understanding.

Or we can instead take the view that it was made in the 60s before they really could conceive of the tech we have now, and thus that if we go back to that time in canon things need to be updated so they look futuristic rather than quaint.

The communicator became a combadge, and at that point, no, it definitely would not make sense to combine it with the tricorder.

Yeah at that point it became even less useful.

 

[fireproof78]

Yeah at that point it became even less useful.

It was really useful for fooling Starfleet security and computers.

 

[Prax]

how is it less useful? It's their most important piece of equipment. It's always on them. They're always in communication(unless it's being blocked), and they always know where their people are, whether planetside, or on board.

I've broken many cell phones. They fall out of your pocket(like when LT Reed dropped his communicator at a bar on a prewarp planet), they fall on the pavement when you forget they're in your lap whilst exiting your vehicle. If you're really unlucky, they fall in the toilet.

 

[Belz...]

how is it less useful? It's their most important piece of equipment.

Irrelevant. The comm badge in TNG is useless _except_ for two-way communication and location. That's it. It can't project an image or do anything else. If anything it's worse than the TOS one, which could theoretically have a screen for viewing stuff, etc.

I've broken many cell phones. They fall out of your pocket(like when LT Reed dropped his communicator at a bar on a prewarp planet), they fall on the pavement when you forget they're in your lap whilst exiting your vehicle. If you're really unlucky, they fall in the toilet.

....and?

 

[Prax]

There's nothing more important to away missions that communication, location, and translation. There wouldn't be away missions without them. Why do they need to "look at a screen"?

Not everyone carries a tricorder, but everyone always has a communicator. You know it's serious business when someone takes that pin off and sets it down.

Gosh, someone should make a star trek parody where the away team all get new iphones, and sit around on planet hell playing angry birds and candy crush.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

When someone in Star Trek needs to cut through a bulkhead, and they have the resourses, they use a plasma cutter(or something similar).

Or they use a phaser, like Scotty did in "The Naked Time."

http://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x04hd/thenakedtimehd0841.jpg

 

[fireproof78]

If you're really unlucky, they fall in the toilet.

Not relevant to Star Trek. There are no toilets

The computer also keeps track of all personnel and monitors their brainwaves. So, not sure why a communicator is necessary. Just wire the whole ship for sound.

 

[Ithekro]

Maybe 22nd century and beyond humans have learned from the mistakes of their 21st century relatives. You know, the ones that live on their cellphones. Have to check an app every ten minutes. FaceTime people every hour. And generally can't live without it for more than five hours at a time.

Starfleet is wise to not have this as part of their communicator features. Nor likely integrated into their tricorders.

 

[Mudd]

Nope.

 

[Lord Garth]

Maybe 22nd century and beyond humans have learned from the mistakes of their 21st century relatives. You know, the ones that live on their cellphones. Have to check an app every ten minutes. FaceTime people every hour. And generally can't live without it for more than five hours at a time.

Starfleet is wise to not have this as part of their communicator features. Nor likely integrated into their tricorders.

Strangely, I find this a realistic reaction to the current situation.

 

[Belz...]

There's nothing more important to away missions that communication, location, and translation. There wouldn't be away missions without them. Why do they need to "look at a screen"?

It really feels like you are deliberately disagreeing or missing the point.

The point is that we have tech today that does a lot more than a TOS communicator, except in terms of comm range. It seems trivial that, in 250 years, they'd have a LOT better, but from seeing TOS, they don't. The reason is simple: back in 1966 they had no clue how technology would progress in just 40 years. And you can say that it's military tech but the point remains that in two and a half centuries I'd expect my soldiers and officers to have a lot better tools than we have now, all around.

But take another example: the PADD. Clearly it has civilian applications but for some reason we see characters with loads of them rather than a single one with all of the data and apps on it. We have that today. In TOS it's a lot worse; essentially an ugly and cumbersome digital notepad with a pen. Same explanation. Everything else is just an excuse to defend one of the sillier, dated aspect of Star Trek.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

for some reason we see characters with loads of them rather than a single one with all of the data and apps on it

That was much more than lacking foresight. It's not like terminal interfaces to multiprocess operating systems hadn't been a thing in the real world for decades by that point.

 

[Arpy]

Obviously. But that didn't last long, did it? They're choosing to go with the earlier Flash Gordon rockets Enterprise look instead of the one everyone remembers. And it's not for continuity's sake, or everything else wouldn't be the way it is. They're reimagining TOS and they're going for a rocket-y look.

 

[Tuskin38]

Obviously. But that didn't last long, did it? They're choosing to go with the earlier Flash Gordon rockets Enterprise look instead of the one everyone remembers. And it's not for continuity's sake, or everything else wouldn't be the way it is. They're reimagining TOS and they're going for a rocket-y look.

Except they’re glowing like every other engine in Star Trek

I’m not seeing the rocket comparison

 

[fireproof78]

The point is that we have tech today that does a lot more than a TOS communicator, except in terms of comm range. It seems trivial that, in 250 years, they'd have a LOT better, but from seeing TOS, they don't. The reason is simple: back in 1966 they had no clue how technology would progress in just 40 years. And you can say that it's military tech but the point remains that in two and a half centuries I'd expect my soldiers and officers to have a lot better tools than we have now, all around.

Pretty much this. It is a matter of expectations of how technology functions and makes lives better, which is really one aspect that Trek tried to do. Technology makes lives better either via post-scarcity, allowing greater exploration of the universe.