From:	Robert Watkins <robert.watkins@******.COM>
Subject:	Re: China - PLA Macrotechnology
Date:	Fri, 15 May 1998 15:11:29 +1000

Daynel N Woods writes:
>support industries (textiles, oil and fuel, et cetera). To the fortune
>of many other corporations, PLA Macrotech still lags far behind in the
>fields of Matrixware, cyberware and bioware, being considered some
>seven-to-fifteen years behind the current State-Of-The-Art {as at 2050}.
>(e.g. hydraulic rams (see the Plastic Warriors supplements) instead of
>microtronic myomers for cyberlimb 'muscles', wired reflexes etcetera
>still experimental).
>(Suggest +20% Essence cost, x 2 monetary cost for PLA Macrotech-made
>cyberware, and treat as 'second-hand' for chances of failure/breakage.
>Artificially-grown organs are 'Type G' at best. PLA Macrotech-made
>Matrixware (cyberdecks etc) are still the size of a (1995) personal
>computer, and their programs are either unlicensed copies of
>'mainstream' Matrixware or rather clumsy (PLA decks and programs are
>effectively cyberterminals - 'tortoises'.)


Unless they have access to a protected market (such as is possible in a
Communist country), a corp would give up on areas they are that far behind
(you're saying about 15 years behind for decks). Either that, or they'd
acquire the expertise from somewhere.

Even in a protected market, they'd probably find it more cost-effective to
resell technology from other corporations.

--
.sig deleted to conserve electrons. robert.watkins@******.com