Computer Descriptions

Computer Card

Data Slate

The first commonly available personal computer, the desktop remains popular despite its relative lack of portability. The reasons are simple; because of its size and stationary nature, a desktop computer can attach to a regular power source, instead of needing power cells, and can house more powerful “guts” than smaller, more easily transported computers.

Desktops are typically operated via manipulator gloves though touchscreens are also common. They are easily networked to other interface devices either by wire or wireless.

The most popular personal computing device of the age, the computer gauntlet is worn over the forearm and hand. All gauntlets feature touch-pads on the upper forearm panel and on the palm, a thin screen on the back of the hand, drive slots for inputting 3Ds and X3Ds, and various jacks for connecting the gauntlet to other devices.

A mainframe is a sophisticated computer designed to run powerful workstations in the home or office. Larger and heavier than a desktop, a mainframe is not considered to be portable. Mainframes typically come with a key-board, mouse or trackball, and flatscreen monitor, as well as ports and jack to interface with other computers and either 3D or X3D crystals.

A smartcard is essentially a grid-based video phone. It includes a Good processor and Marginal GID. Memory is limited.

Smartcards include a small keyboard and touchscreen. They have dataports that allow them to be connected to other computers and even NIJacks.

A supercomputer, about the size of a large bookcase, is an extremely powerful unit designed to control and monitor systems within starships or business, science, or manufacturing complexes. Supercomputers provide massive amounts of storage space and computing power.

Their active and stored memory is effectively unlimited, though they can only be accessed via workstations or networked computers, which may limit the amount of active memory available.

Supercomputers have ports and jacks to connect to other computers and work-stations, as well as dataports for multiple 3D and X3d crystals.

Workstations are not truly computers in their own right, but units designed to access a bigger system, such as a mainframe or supercomputer.

A workstation includes a keyboard and mouse, as well as ports to connect to its “parent” computer and NIJacks. Workstations have neither processors nor GIDs of their own, nor do they have stored memory. They do have very good active memory, which is used to access programs and files from the main system.