| From: | Gurth <gurth@******.NL> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: Matrix w/o "Decking"; reply #3 ASIST |
| Date: | Wed, 2 Jul 1997 11:18:27 +0100 |
> 1) If a person doesn't have a datajack, and they want to experience the full
> sensory input of the matrix they have to use the "tortoise"/VR system.
> This system does NOT have the ASIST (ASSIST sp?) interface
ASIST, with only two S-es.
Tortoises use VR headsets and -gloves, keyboards and vidscreens, or other
stone-age computer tech. As VR 2.0 says, these decks have no ASIST
interface at all, and that means NO sensory input will be provided. The
Matrix does send that data to the deck, but the deck doesn't interpret it
-- the same sort of deal as when I point my web browser at a page that
plays sounds: I don't have a sound card, so I don't get to hear them. All
I get are the visuals of the web page.
A decker with a tortoise deck experiences the same: the Matrix gets
displayed (Doom-style, probably) on a vidscreen or VR goggles, perhaps
with some really basic sensory input transmitted to the user's hands
through VR gloves, and that's it.
I can't remember right now if SR mentions electrodes anywhere, but if it
does, they'd be somewhere halfway between tortoise and cool ASIST, I
think. At any rate the deck would need an ASIST interface if 'trodes are
to be used, else it won't transmit the sensory data to the user at all.
> 2)If this person doesn't care about full experience they can use a
> screen/keyboard/mouse etc etc method of interaction, much like today.
That's the normal tortoise mode.
> 3)If a person has a datajack he can "jack into" various machines. For
> example; cars (w/ the apropriate stuff), computers, personal secretaries,
> simsense (this part makes perfect sense ... it's hooked directly to your
> brain).
> Now here's where things start to get a little fuzzy for me; If
> you have a datajack and you jack into your personal secretary there must
> be some kind of interface between you and it. The only kind of interface
> mentioned is the ASSIST. Now perhaps in a P.S. you have a weaker
> version, you could only hear and see in the virtual reality generated by
> the P.S. (and maybe it would only be a black "screen" full of tect and
> stuff projected inside ones head).
That's another weird thing about SR: we're told datajacks are very common,
but the only real uses for them involve really expensive (from the average
person's point of view) pieces of equipment, like cyberdecks, cars with
datajack links, and, erm, well that's all I can think of except for simple
up- and downloading data from and to headware memory.
Furthermore, since the average person today is capable of driving a car
(how well is open to debate :) datajack links would I think be seen as an
expensive luxury that isn't _really_ necessary for normal drivers.
However, if we're to believe SR then everyone jacks into everything. The
problem here is that there is absolutely no advantage that's been
explained to jacking into a computer or pocket secretary rather than using
its keyboard and screen.
> Now consider the example quoted by Gurth, the MPCP-1/1/0/0/1
> tortoise deck with 50 Mp active and 200 Mp storage memory, an I/O speed
> of 1, and a vidscreen. This clearly doesn't have the ASSIST interface.
> A user with a datajack would have nothing to jack into. However, if he
> replaced the tortoise system with a cool ASSIST he would have something
> to jack into.
Yes, and the cost goes up from 3,033Y to 3,164Y, or to 3,294Y for a hot
ASIST interface. Depending on your budget, that may be an unacceptable
increase, IMO.
> IMHO, the average person would not have a datajack. The next
> level up of wageslave/datapusher would. He would have an ASSIST
> interface on his home computer, but not neccessairily on his home
> telecom. He would definetly have an ASSIST interface at work.
For corps, spending some extra nuyen per deck would certainly be
acceptable, expecially since they'll be buying wholesale and so the
increase will certainly be less than 130.5Y per deck.
--
Gurth@******.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
Without lies, there'd be 100% divorce rate, a lot of discontented
children, and no advertising industry.
-> NERPS Project Leader & Unofficial Shadowrun Guru <-
-> The Plastic Warriors Page: http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/plastic.html <-
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