Wrap-around viewscreen

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Maybe multiple PADDs is Starfleet's answer to the problem of becoming physically isolated while staying in touch on the web. You don't have to do it that way, but an organization that relies on people having solid interpersonal skills and working effectively in teams doesn't want to give its personnel an excuse to stay hold up in their quarters or lab all day working alone and chatting with people they never actually meet. It creates a feeling of community.

 

[Matthew Raymond]

@Laura Cynthia Chambers, wouldn't having lots of PADDs discourage people from going to public places on the ship, on account of the difficulty of transporting them all? Or is the idea that you'd only go to public places with no PADDs at all? In that case, couldn't Starfleet's whole plan for social interaction be undermined by a really big Trapper Keeper?

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Needing to take something to someone on a PADD instead of messaging them directly and having it appear on their personal device, I meant. And running into co-workers in the hall who are similarly transporting individual PADDs to various departments. If that wasn't the point, you could, if you didn't want to transmit info between devices (lessening the prospect of system infection by bugs), you could beam PADDs to mini-transporters on your superior's desktop.

 

[tharpdevenport]

Being we never got an on-screen explanation for that, I'm forced to have to come up with one.

I suspect one or more of the following:

1. Certain PADD's have certain security features/encoding and are only meant for certain personnel departments.

2. Information contained might be of a sensitive nature and transmitting it might not be the best idea. Think of it as, oh, I don't know, having your shield modulation frequency on a big-ass display panel for anybody to see.

3. The Starfleet system seems to encourage a personal person-to-person communication. Having it set up to where you have to go to somebody, would then make sense. Often, for example, a senior personnel member might hand Picard something and he'd start glancing at the data and want to asking to comment right then and there instead of through internal communications.

 

[Ithekro]

The PADDs would be from different departments thus individually passed on so as to not clutter the Captain's computer (just his desk), but also having less windows open at a time, since after the 21st century post-war collapse, Windows OS died out, as did several of its concepts.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

I know it's been mentioned that Enterprise-D bridge concepts had a wraparound screen. But so did the concept art for the Excelsior's bridge in TSFS.

 

[tharpdevenport]

I don't know. Wrap-around Bridge viewers kind of seem pointless. What is it that length-wise you need that much view screen to see? And how are you going to see it? You're going to move left to right or right to left, depending on the image/video, with your head, defeating the purpose of a wra-around viewer.

Plus, humor wise, it might be something like that clip from the trailer to "The Orville" where Captain Ed (Seth MacFarlane) tells the hostile Krill alien to move over a little bit because there was so much dead space.

Picard: "Ah, excuse me Romulan commander, but might you step way over to you left? My entire crew is having to pivot their necks toward one direction and away from their control panels nad read-outs. Thanks."

 

[Go-Captain]

Also, separate devices usually denotes a separation of concerns. What your dad does on his computer is something he probably can't do on his phone or tablet. For instance, you can't place or answer a traditional phone call on your tablet. (That may change in the future, but it's still the case now. In the future, I think mobile phones will just be mobile hot spots that you connect your devices too via Wifi or Bluetooth.)

He uses the pad for web searches and email, which are things easier on the computer, but he usually uses the computer for looking at documents. The pad is capable of taking calls and shows texts which arrive on his phone, he uses his phone for those things, or for looking at email too. What he does often is have a document up on the computer or iPad and searches on one or the other with no real preference just so he can keep what he is working on up without hiding it or diminishing it.

Bringing this back to a wrap-around screen, you don't need high information density in that scenario, so the captain could have something along the lines of a laser pointer that could allow him to designate targets or indicate course direction. The data could to straight to the helm and tactical consoles.

In real life, big screens of mission controls are used for displaying the most critical mission information and mission progress, it can also show the information for different sections without having to look over someone's shoulder if there are sub screens.

If a captain wants something shot, the targets would realistically have tags, he could call out the order and refer to the tag in the order, and the correct station operators would take action.

I know it's been mentioned that Enterprise-D bridge concepts had a wraparound screen. But so did the concept art for the Excelsior's bridge in TSFS.

That's a sensible setup, because it's a lot like various mission controls and combat information centers.

 

[publiusr]

I know it's been mentioned that Enterprise-D bridge concepts had a wraparound screen. But so did the concept art for the Excelsior's bridge in TSFS.

That's what I have been looking for.

No utility fog--but the water hose like utility liquid we saw in the recent Guardians Of The Galaxy film...
Rocket Racoon was using it for repairs.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

For instance, you can't place or answer a traditional phone call on your tablet.

You can on an iPad (if you have an iPhone and it's in WiFi range).

 

[Mytran]

Internet phone calls such as Skype I can believe.

Real phone calls, coming in through the household landline? I've not heard of that

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Internet phone calls such as Skype I can believe.

And FaceTime.

Real phone calls, coming in through the household landline? I've not heard of that

Landline?

 

[Mytran]

Landline?

How else would you define "traditional phone call"?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ Either iPhone or Android, take your pick.

 

[Ithekro]

"Party Line"

 

[Mytran]

^ Either iPhone or Android, take your pick.

Ah, so "traditional phone call" now means by mobile phone!

God, I feel old

 

[publiusr]

"Party Line"

I remember those.

One time my Mom had to make a call. Every time she picked up the receiver, the same neighbor lady was talking to her friend.

She had "seniority on the party line"

It took awhile to get our own line.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Party lines were before my time, although I do remember when people in my grandparents' hometown only needed to dial 5 numbers. This lasted well into my childhood.

 

[Mytran]

When I was growing up in West Sussex (England) phone numbers only had 4 digits!

 

[Matthew Raymond]

How else would you define "traditional phone call"?

Certainly not with one of those newfangled "carphones", that's for sure!