Where's the Main Computer in STID?

[throwback]

Every one of the series, not just TOS, had the crew being shown doing research with the computer. I mentioned earlier that Spock and Kirk had done research with the computer, and their results were mentioned in a few lines of dialog.

 

[shapeshifter]

"Where's the Main Computer in STID?"

It is home, washing its tights!

The characters seemed to know all they needed to know without it, and if they did access it to get said info then I am glad they didn't bog down the pacing by showing us those events. As has been said computers aren't new, the novelty has worn off and I appreciated the producers get that.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

As has been said computers aren't new, the novelty has worn off and I appreciated the producers get that.

Yep. It's like the use of communicators as if they're cellular phones in this movie - given the current immersion of the movie-going audience in this kind of consumer technology, treated those flip-boxes as if they're exotic tech or having them function in some way very dissimilar from phones would simply be a distraction.

 

[Ovation]

Also, it allowed for a Nimoy cameo instead (regardless of how one feels about that, consulting the computer would have obviated the need for the cameo).

Not necessarily. I think someone else says in the thread that Spock Prime gives them information different from that which a computer would have given.

That was me.

(And for the record, just about anything would have been better than the cameo, which has the silliest, most obvious exchange ever. Hey, Spock - what do you know about this guy? *sigh* Spock, I told you I couldn't tell you anything. But watch out! He's a badass! *Cue "He's a badass" music*)

I found it pretty "meh" but if I had to choose between that and a talking computer console, I'd go with Nimoy.

Generally, in TOS, a consultation with the ship's computer for information takes up all of 10-15 seconds of screen time to proivde a bit of exposition which adds significantly to the world building, establish a certain tone - and give the characters a springboard to further action (as any good exposition does). And I'm not even saying they had to stop and ask the computer on screen, Spock could have a bit of dialogue where he says "Historical records indicate...." but it felt a little strange to have this superman drop that he was a war criminal and no one seems the slightest bit interested in finding out for what crimes he was exiled in which war.

I bring all this up because the friend I went with, a total non-Trekkie, was very confused by the fact that the movie never fills in those facts. He was asking - what war are they talking about? What did that guy do? Why was he in space if it was 300 years before 2259, which would make it 1959 when he did whatever he did?

I can see some confusion, I suppose, but as to the 300 hundred years--if someone is 300 years old, isn't it unlikely they did anything of note in the year of their birth?

 

[publiusr]

Yhe plaza was where computer cores normally go. We will probably see a real server farm (on one saucer deck) in future movies

 

[Squiggy]

One thing I wish they would do is let the computer drop them out of warp. Sulu does it manually!

A millionth of a second off would make them crash in to Titan or wherever they're flying to.

 

[DEWLine]

Heh, maybe Marcus had all identifying information concerning Khan purged from Starfleet's databanks.

Not likely. That would've been as much a "red flag" to anyone interested in computer hacking as seeing Khan undisguised on the street would be to history buffs specializing in (particular aspects of) the late 20th Century.

It would have drawn Undue Attention.

 

[Commishsleer]

One thing I wish they would do is let the computer drop them out of warp. Sulu does it manually!

A millionth of a second off would make them crash in to Titan or wherever they're flying to.

TOS is full of that. In the episode where they went back in time and had to beam the 20th century people back into their bodies and they were moving back in time rapidly Kirk manually gave the order to beam them back. Then Scotty or whoever did it delayed a couple of seconds (for dramatic effect). That could have been a couple of hours difference the way they were accelerating through time. It really needed exact timing there. There's no way the computer wouldn't have to plot that out. Still its not as cool getting the computer to do it.

 

[starburst]

As has been said computers aren't new, the novelty has worn off and I appreciated the producers get that.

Yep. It's like the use of communicators as if they're cellular phones in this movie - given the current immersion of the movie-going audience in this kind of consumer technology, treated those flip-boxes as if they're exotic tech or having them function in some way very dissimilar from phones would simply be a distraction.

I really liked that, especially showing Pike receiving a 'text message' about the meeting, it made sense and showed the designers original intent that there would be a screen inside the flip part.

 

[Gov Kodos]

The best use of a Talking Computer.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKjo9dldp2g[/yt]

 

[CorporalCaptain]

^ It's really impressive how GQ just nailed it, repeatedly. In many ways, it's a better Star Trek than Star Trek ever was.



OK, okay, I meant some ways, in some ways....

 

[Gov Kodos]

^ It's really impressive how GQ just nailed it, repeatedly. In many ways, it's a better Star Trek than Star Trek ever was.



OK, okay, I meant some ways, in some ways....

I wonder if Quinto ever played Richard III?

 

[Ovation]

Shatner played Henry V and got good reviews. Does that count?

 

[Crazy Eddie]

Khan announces himself as a 300 year old war criminal and no one (not even Spock!) ever asks the computer what war, what crimes, what genetic engineering, who this Khan was 300 years before.

It's a tad odd. It would have been odd in TOS (after all, in Space Seed, as soon as they have Khan's name they call up the history on the main computer), but it really stands out as weird in the age of Google.

And they would have had an opportunity to do this... when?

Honestly. The ship is getting shot to pieces by a deranged Starfleet admiral with the biggest scariest starship you've ever seen, and your first instinct is to jump on a computer and google the first name of that guy you've got locked up in the brig downstairs.

Try running a google search for the word "Khan" and ignore all the Star Trek references. Now try doing that while in the middle of a gun fight with your ship falling apart around you.

 

[throwback]

I am forgetting the movie already, so before I answered to the question, when would it be a good time to do a search, I have a question - when did Khan reveal his name?

 

[Crazy Eddie]

I am forgetting the movie already, so before I answered to the question, when would it be a good time to do a search, I have a question - when did Khan reveal his name?

About 45 seconds before Sulu picked up USS Vengeance warping towards them on their sensors. By which time, Kirk is a lot less interested in who Khan is than he is in what the hell is going on between Khan and Marcus.

Actually, even without looking up Khan's background, both Kirk and Spock come to relatively clear conclusions about who he really is. During the gun battle to take the Vengeance, for example, Kirk orders Scotty to "drop him" as soon as they take the bridge. Scotty says "I thought he was helping us?" to which Kirk replies "No, Scotty, I'm pretty sure we're helping him."

Oldspock didn't tell NuSpock anything he didn't already know, except that Khan's singular weakness is his single-mindedness: once he's dedicated himself to a particular objective, he'll usually follow it even if that objective rolls off a cliff.

 

[newtontomato539]

Which response should I give?

1. We should have seen Spock doing 2 hours of research. Then Spock should have asked the Computer! One hour of the Computer talking! "

or

2. We didn't see Spock do research or talk to the Computer! Plot Hole!"

or

3.

 

[throwback]

Spock does the research off-screen. He reports to Kirk the results of this research. The general audience member will go, "Oh, that is who Khan is. Okay, now I get why he is such a big threat."

 

[Crazy Eddie]

Spock does the research off-screen. He reports to Kirk the results of this research. The general audience member will go, "Oh, that is who Khan is. Okay, now I get why he is such a big threat."

Because Khan pulling a John Rambo on Starfleet headquarters and a platoon of heavily armed Klingon troopers wasn't good enough.

Anyone who wants to know who Khan ACTUALLY is can do what my sister/friends/wife/cousins/boss/daughter did and watch Space Seed on Netflix. Anyone who wants to know how the Enterprise ACTUALLY beat Khan last time around can watch Wrath of Khan. Anyone who wants to know why they need to be worried about Khan simply needs to not miss the first half of the movie.

 

[throwback]

Edited out. Comment didn't add to discussion.