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Alright, so, here in 2016, we've got relatively good computers. In Star Trek, computers were relatively good.

My question is, are the computers (if there are any) in the 41st millennium like 2016's computers, or are they like Star Trek computers? Or what?

Cogitators

 KhorneontheCobb wrote:
Cogitators

What's a Cogitator?

This is a Cogitator.

The core concept of computers would obviously exist in 40K, but their interfaces of the computers would be vastly different from the ones we use today. Just look at the differences between computers now and those back in the 80's (And that's only 30ish years. Imagine 38,000 haha). Plus they'd be immensely more powerful, especially given they use servitors as bio-mechanical interfacers (e.g. a servitor wired into a Thunderhawk and flying it).

Joking response - They're made out of clockwork, fiber optics, quantum ductwork, and vacuum tubes, and run on Windows 98.
True response - They're likely simple command-line interfaces, but extremely powerful computing wise (source: Gaunt's Ghosts)

The computers in Fallout series would be a good starting point for imagining them.

But they can vary in size, gothic-ness, power and so on.

Some can be thin like tablets of today, some are the size of the average PC of today, some are installed in tanks, vehicles or servitors, others are giant building sized monsters that are a hybrid of a current-day super computer... and a Cathedral.

Dataslates are basically kindles and ipads.

Edit: I mean in the lore, not the things Black Library puts out at inflated prices.

They're extremely advanced computers with outdated UIs. At least that's what the intro to Space Marine implies.




The reason is likely that very few planets if any have computers available to people who's entire profession doesn't revolve around them. Even on the most advanced worlds. Though I could see terminals being used by workers with cog-boys attending to the actual computer itself.

Exactly so. Computers in 40k vary with the tech level of the world or organisation, but the 'best' are far, far smarter than we have today.

The processing power behind a high-end auspex (scanner) on an Inquisitorial or Mechanicus ship will be orders of magnitude beyond the processing power attached to a Radio Telescope today.

Interfaces - and indeed computers as a whole - are invariably quite dumb and clunky, though. This is for two reasons:

1) Factions of the Imperium don't want technology to be user-friendly. Especially technology which provides information and control over things. Knowledge and understanding is power; if only you (or adepts you've trained) can use a system effectively, you control it.

Given that information on some subjects is considered by the Imperium to be far more dangerous than mere weapons, making the computer bulky, secure, and hard to use so accessing it can't be done unintentionally, rashly, quickly or remotely is just good sense.

2) Cogitators can be fast, efficient, powerful, and lots of other good words, but they're prohibited from being smart. The Mechanicus has a (very sensible) ingrained hatred of anything that looks like AI due to its history (the Iron Men, the Kaban Machine) to the point that one of the Sixteen Universal Laws (think 'Ten Commandments' of the cult) is a warning that 'the Soulless Sentience is the Enemy of All'.

This is one of the reasons (other than just 'grimdark lolz')why servitors exist - a lobotomised, conditioned and wired-in human brain is a perfectly acceptable (to the Mechanicus) computer core to provide the 'brains' behind a system that needs to be 'smart' - Titans, for example, often have a servitor brain wired in to their sensors to process data and ease the load on their crews.

They run on Windows .998

Cptn_Cronssant wrote:
They run on Windows .998

And then there's some poor, frustrated person that's using Windows .998 Vista

 IllumiNini wrote:

Cptn_Cronssant wrote:
They run on Windows .998

And then there's some poor, frustrated person that's using Windows .998 Vista

Or Emperor forbid Windows ME (shudders even in the year 40k thinking about that).

OT: It's important to remember that much of the true early fluff from the 80s was blatantly stolen from the Dune series (navigators, men or iron, etc.). This is essentially a plot device to explain why in the year 40k super advanced computers are not a thing and allow a setting where for some reason man power is still the primary source of energy in a freaking interstellar empire.

AdMech-ships. Autoloaders FTW!

Consider that lots of tech in the Imperium is cludged together.
You might have a Crystalline matrix database wired to a living brain processor ( Servitor Inside (TM) ) that outputs to a green-screen CRT monitor.

There's no standard configuration of anything- If they have a single type of USB equivalent dataport on every cogitator in a given facility, its probably something the techpriest wired on himself to suit his tendrils.

They may have STC cogitator configurations, but as parts fail that they don't know how to replace or manufacture they'll substitute lesser components or components reverse engineered from a landcrawler or starship manufactured on the other side of the galaxy.

In Dark Heresy and 40K RPGs in general, it is possible to own a "portable cogitator". So there you have it, even in the grim darkness of the far future, there are still laptops.

 =Angel= wrote:
Consider that lots of tech in the Imperium is cludged together.
You might have a Crystalline matrix database wired to a living brain processor ( Servitor Inside (TM) ) that outputs to a green-screen CRT monitor.

There's no standard configuration of anything- If they have a single type of USB equivalent dataport on every cogitator in a given facility, its probably something the techpriest wired on himself to suit his tendrils.

They may have STC cogitator configurations, but as parts fail that they don't know how to replace or manufacture they'll substitute lesser components or components reverse engineered from a landcrawler or starship manufactured on the other side of the galaxy.

I like to imagine computers are incredible in M41, but user input is done with punch cards and output is displayed on something equivalent to an old Gameboy printer. To me 40k is built on these juxtaposes.

nareik wrote:

 =Angel= wrote:
Consider that lots of tech in the Imperium is cludged together.
You might have a Crystalline matrix database wired to a living brain processor ( Servitor Inside (TM) ) that outputs to a green-screen CRT monitor.

There's no standard configuration of anything- If they have a single type of USB equivalent dataport on every cogitator in a given facility, its probably something the techpriest wired on himself to suit his tendrils.

They may have STC cogitator configurations, but as parts fail that they don't know how to replace or manufacture they'll substitute lesser components or components reverse engineered from a landcrawler or starship manufactured on the other side of the galaxy.

I like to imagine computers are incredible in M41, but user input is done with punch cards and output is displayed on something equivalent to an old Gameboy printer. To me 40k is built on these juxtaposes.

Same.
I'm a civil servant and I'm well aware of antiquated computer systems still in place on modern systems because no-one wants/knows how to replace them.
There is a financial payment system whereby we create a purchase order (PO) through an awful browser interface that only works in IE, and as part of the process you must 'print' the PO. This is a hold over- all the records used to be printed physically in the same office. As I'm doing it remotely- it 'prints' via a system dummy printer, which doesn't print at all.
You have to fake print the PO before you can 'receipt' the PO (tell the system that you have an invoice) and at this point, you mail the physical invoice ( or forward electronic invoices!) to the Finance Accounts team, who will pay the damn thing.
If at any point you change the amount on the PO or add a new line of costs, this must be re-approved by a superior and the whole circus begins again.

Keep in mind this is going on on decent Win7 systems with lync(skype) work phones and an excellent network drive in place- that we will soon be transitioning to an e-docs, browser, based slow as hell file management system.

I built an Access database to track training and I'll soon have to export it to excel as my new manager doesn't know how to operate it.


This is what 40k is lampooning and reflecting with the admech and administratum.

Fellow government worker here as well. Laughed at the familiarity of your post =Angel=. We have a system where you have to upload a document template in system, then immediately delete it and upload the identical document as a Word file. No one knows why we have to do this, but it was in the SOP when we implemented the system and no one has gotten around to changing it. Fluff about the Adeptus Terra always rings a little to true for me.

I am pretty sure they are the cut off heads floating around with a spine. Plus emperor runs a dictatorship no one is allowed to know anything but whats allowed.

At one point in time, guided ship-to-ship missiles were heresy, which is why torpedoes are a thing.

Eldar computers are effectively somewhere between psychic neural interfaces and uploading, from what we've seen of them.

The Tau probably have the most traditional 'hi-tech sci fi computers'.

I still don't see why Marines don't have supercomputers in their suits.

 Ashiraya wrote:
I still don't see why Marines don't have supercomputers in their suits.

Wow---Never thought of that!

 Ashiraya wrote:
I still don't see why Marines don't have supercomputers in their suits.

They do - biological ones. Their brains are basically supercomputers anyway and are a lot more corruption-proof than software.

There are computers in an astartes' armour - the books often make reference to damage icons and targeting icons popping up in their visors - something is controlling them.

It's just not J.A.R.V.I.S. because - as noted - "smart" AI isn't allowed. Nevertheless it's mentally linked via the black carapace - there's an example in one book where a marine finds an influential civilian irritating and his helmet's display keeps sliding a target lock icon over their face....

Fluff about the Adeptus Terra always rings a little to true for me.

I ran a Dark Heresy campaign set on a sector administratum world - and I have to say I blatantly ripped off the plots of one and a half seasons of Yes, Minister. I found it rather amusing that it fit perfectly into the 40k 'feel'.

And yes, the Sir Humphrey Appleby equivalent was secretly a worshipper of Tzeench.

Given the advanced nature of Cogitators, what is the relationship to the Machine Spirit with them out of curiosity?

Holo videos and holo tapes are often mentioned in the fluff and from the Ciaphas Cain novel we know that 3d porn and entertainment movies are produced on a scale of the demands of the common man. Seeing how people carry around little 3d sets I suppose their proccesing power must be immense.

The short story filled book "let the galaxy burn" has two points of intrest here:

Number one is that Kharn the betrayer has a system in his power armour that gives a body count of what he kills. He doesn't put it in manually so for this to work it's got to detect life signs and note when they are ended by him through some connection, probably straight into his brain and reading his perceptions.

Number two is the short story (which I've forgotten the name of) where a tech marine is tending to a chapters VR training equipment. It's described as a machine for constructing huge worlds where the space marines can train, and it's in the heart of the chapters monastary.

Lastly (my memory is very hazy on this one) I think I've read somewhere that the power armour has a energy grid and can zap things that land on it. For instance if a tyranid fired living ammo it would hit and the bug would then have very little time to inflict damadge before the armour detects their presence and shots an electric current trhough them to stop them. Not sure where I read it so take this one with a grain of salt.

The computers of the 40k all run on Windows 41ME, Heresy Edition.

They are all also riddled with every virus and broken AI you could possibly imagine.