Question 52:
What is the state of computing in this setting?
Answer to Question 52:
Portable mechanical computers are common but are fairly primitive. Mechanical calculators can carry out integer addition, subtraction, and multiplication. State of the art calculators are capable of dealing with decimals and division. Sliderules are common among engineers and inventors because of their versatility.
Encryption is almost always carried out mechanically. Enigma machine like devices have been achieved using clockworks. Spies prefer more portable methods.
Currently computing technology utilizes steam-driven mechanical computers that are TL 5+1. Fast Mainframe computers are the smallest possible mechanical computers available. However, for practical purposes,
Fast Macroframe and
Fast Megacomputers are necessary.
Fast Macroframe computers are most common. These car sized machines cost $20,000,000, can run Complexity 2 programs, and have 100 KB of memory. Programs are highly specialized to reduce their requisite Complexity by 1. This enables macroframes to run basic programs for Average, Hard, and Very Hard skills. Primitive databases have been developed but are rare. Typical customers include the government, major corporations, and universities.
Fast Megacomputers are possible but exorbitantly expensive. These occupy entire buildings and cost
$200,000,000 to build! However, they can achieve Complexity 3 and 1 MB of memory. Base time for breaking typical encryptions is about 34 days with this much processing power. So far, computer companies have been unwilling to submit megacomputer proposals due to their expense.
Input, output, and data storage is handled using punch cards. Computer centers are hot due to convection. Early facilities also had problems with humidity due to escaped steam. Paper punch cards would dissolve in such an environment. Metal foils became the standard for punch cards in this setting. Foil punch cards remain the standard even though computer piping is sealed well enough that humidity isn't a problem. 1000 KB of storage costs $30 and weighs 2 lbs.
Lydia Watford's results
I had to do several conversions to figure out how much money Lydia has in GURPS dollars. Using the
Historical Currency Converter online calculator, I determined that 1 British Pound (1911) is worth 114.43 USD(2016). Converting this figure to
2004 dollars, I get that 1 British Pound (1911) is worth about 89.42 USD(2004). To keep things simple, I'll use an exchange rate of 1 British Pound (1911) per 90 GURPS dollars. I'm going to assume that Lydia has 4 million British Pounds to spend on this project.
Lydia decides to contact British Mechanical Computing Products (BMCP) about commissioning a computer. Fortunately, Lydia was a burning edge adopter of the pneumophone. That will save her a drive out to the company's offices. Lydia looks up BMCP's phone number in her phone book and enters it on the pneumphones rotary dial.
After the phone whistles for about a minute, Lydia hears a click and a bored male voice addresses her:
"British Mechanical Computing Products. What do you want?"
Lydia is taken aback by his rudeness, but decides to press forward. "...Hello. My name is Lydia Watford-"
"THE Lydia Watford?!"
"Yes-"
"I'm a big fan of your work! What can I do you for today?!"
"I've been wanting to introduce a programming course at my school. I've written programs before. But I don't know how to build a programmable computer myself. I was looking to commission a mechanical computer so that I could offer a programming course."
"Excellent! I was getting bored with repair jobs. Not as tedious as filling in for Margaret, mind you. Can't wait until she gets over that cold. Anyhow, we could build you a programmable computer. Assuming you already have space for it, it would cost about 230,000 pounds."
"I do have a room set aside for it. Does the computer come programmed?"
"We do offer a wide variety of programs separately. Most of them are for mathematical analyses. Writing your own programs would save you a lot of money, though."
"Thank you, that's good to know. What would this computer be capable of?"
"Your computer will be capable of accurately and quickly carrying out tedious calculations. This is very helpful for engineering, mathematics, and physics. Computers are also useful tools for cryptography. In fact, our computers could brute force most ciphers in a year!"
"That's a long time. Can't you build a faster computer?"
"I've designed a much faster computer. It could brute force an encrypted message in a month! But nobody is interested. My boss complained that there is no market for building sized computers."
"Having a faster computer would be nice. How much would it cost?"
"2.3 million pounds. That includes constructing a new building for the computer."
"OK. I'd like to buy your 'mega' computer. I'd also like to buy two of your regular computers. When would be a good time to finalize the contract?"
"Let my check her calendar...Would next Monday at 15 o'clock work for you?"
"That would be great."
"Great! See you then!"
"Looking forward to it! Good bye."
"Bye!"
Lydia spends 2.3 million pounds on the megacomputer, and 230,000 pounds on each macroframe computer. In total, she will spend ~2.8 million pounds. This leaves her with 1.2 million pounds to absorb cost overruns and buy programs.
As far as the rest of the world is concerned, Lydia commissioned a "mega" computer to speed up her engineering work. In reality, that super computer will mainly be used to collect blackmail material and crack coded communications. She plans to use her personal macroframe computer to generate engineering analyses and keep up appearances. At her school, she will use the other macroframe to find programming talents among her students.
Ominously, the most powerful computer in the world will rest in the hands of a criminal...