Vargr: "their eyesight is worse in darkness?!?"

[Condottiere]

All you would need to know is the size of the programme.

 

[GabrielGABFonseca]

It's always tricky dealing with information density in sci-fi settings (though it could be argued that if we never specify the size of the information in the jump ta— oh god, this'll take a while to get used to... jump cassette's stored information, we can sidestep that), but I suppose we could use pre-existing info as a jump-off point to base it on.

The Travellers' Digest 5 includes the following interesting tidbit as part of its featured adventure:


Assuming the 'words' it speaks of are the standard 2 bytes (16 bit) each, that means that the TL13 holocrystal can hold... 400 Megabytes.
Like I said, always problematic defining data density in sci-fi. BUT, the form-factor of a 5 by 5 cm disk or a 3 cm long holocrystal is still something that could be used as a basis for what size a jump cassette would be like.

 

[Condottiere]

 

[Geir]

The closest I can recall to an actual mention in the current version is the 'Jump template solution' (Cr500) mentioned in Behind the Claw (the blue box on Jump Bridges on page 161). Doesn't talk about form factor at all.

 

[Condottiere]

The IBM 3592 is a series of enterprise-class tape drives and corresponding magnetic tape data storage media formats developed by IBM. The first drive, having the IBM product number 3592, was introduced under the nickname Jaguar. The next drive was the TS1120, also having the nickname Jaguar. As of October 2023, the latest and current drive is the TS1170. The 3592 line of tape drives and media is not compatible with the IBM 3590 series of drives, which it superseded. This series can store up to 50 TB of data (uncompressed) on a cartridge and has a native data transfer rate of up to 400 MB/s. In August 2023 IBM announced the TS1170 tape drive with 50TB cartridges, more than 2.5 times larger than LTO-9 cartridges.[1]

 

[WHULorigan]

Just imagine the jump in storage capacity that will be achieved when IBM makes the breakthru from using standard magnetic tape to organically grown shigawire spools . . .

 

[WHULorigan]

Assuming the 'words' it speaks of are the standard 2 bytes (16 bit) each, that means that the TL13 holocrystal can hold... 400 Megabytes.
Like I said, always problematic defining data density in sci-fi. BUT, the form-factor of a 5 by 5 cm disk or a 3 cm long holocrystal is still something that could be used as a basis for what size a jump cassette would be like.

Clearly a mistranslation from the original Vilani document. The translator missed the tonal inflection. "Words" should be "volumes" (relative to the standard AAB textual subunit).

 

[Condottiere]

Always bear in mind, that it's a default technological level seven mainframe that can calculate a monoparsec jump, and an upgraded bis that can calculate a biparsec transition.

 

[WHULorigan]

Always bear in mind, that it's a default technological level seven mainframe that can calculate a monoparsec jump, and an upgraded bis that can calculate a biparsec transition.

It was worse in CT.
A TL5 ENIAC and a TL6 UNIVAC could do those things, respectively.

 

[Arkathan]

I was worse in CT. A TL5 ENIAC and a TL6 UNIVAC could do those things, respectively.

So, your average TL 7.5 cell phone.

 

[Condottiere]

I'm pretty sure that meme's mine.

 

[MasterGwydion]

Guys, correct Me if I am wrong, but doesn't it state somewhere in Mongoose-published materials that beyond a certain TL, storage capacity is effectively unlimited?

Edit- Found it! CRB page 110,

"Note that the storage capacity of computers is not used
in Traveller as, beyond TL8, the capacity of even a
modest computer is effectively unlimited."

and this on the same page,

"Note that Processing does not limit how much software
a computer can store and have ready to use, just how
many software packages can be active and useable at
any one time."

 

[Condottiere]

Most people only watch one movie at a time.

 

[MasterGwydion]

Most people only watch one movie at a time.

You must not have children. lol. Sometimes We have 5 movies all playing in the same room. In Traveller-speak, this would be one computer with 4 dumb terminals.

 

[Arkathan]

Given the choice eight different passengers might prefer to watch eight different movies at the same time.
Edit typing the same thing at the same time...

 

[MasterGwydion]

Or when more than one person is playing multiplayer games on a console and one tv with splitscreen.

 

[Condottiere]

 

[WHULorigan]

"Note that Processing does not limit how much software
a computer can store and have ready to use, just how
many software packages can be active and useable at
any one time."

But the size of a given program or programs (i.e. it's sophistication) running in a CPU is limited by Computer Model.

 

[MasterGwydion]

But the size of a given program or programs (i.e. it's sophistication) running in a CPU is limited by Computer Model.

Running, yes, stored on the Computer's storage medium, no.

 

[WHULorigan]

Running, yes, stored on the Computer's storage medium, no.

But that was never really the issue. The issues were external data modules (cassettes) and their capacity, and Condotierre raised the relative processing capability of basic Computer Models as a reminder for the discussion.