GURPS Shadowrun

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

In TS the most common sensory interface is video glasses and not neural link.

Which is probably a lot more realistic. I know that given a choice between a wearable and an implant I'll get a wearable. For one thing you don't want to go under the knife every-time there's a an upgrade or recall. As far as SR goes, though, it's not like it's a realistic setting. I don't see ubiquitous neural interface as less plausible than trolls and ghosts.

[CousinX]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Which is probably a lot more realistic. I know that given a choice between a wearable and an implant I'll get a wearable. For one thing you don't want to go under the knife every-time there's a an upgrade or recall. As far as SR goes, though, it's not like it's a realistic setting. I don't see ubiquitous neural interface as less plausible than trolls and ghosts.

You wouldn't necessarily have to go under the knife every time there's an upgrade; most upgrade would probably be handled by firmware updates. But yeah, a lot of folks will be turned off by the idea of implants. However, considering the rising popularity of tattoos, piercings, etc, and the strong likelihood that minor surgery will be an increasingly trifling affair ("I need to swing by the Appel Store and get the latest add-on for my iMplant; I'll be done by 2, so I'll be able to make the meeting."), I think a lot of people's squeamishness towards body modification is going away.

[Ulzgoroth]

While hardware doesn't need to be replaced nearly as frequently as it often is, at least if it isn't designed with a short usable lifespan, the kind of person who'd want a neural interface is probably also the kind who would want otherwise cutting-edge gear.

One approach would be to only implant the interface. That way you can upgrade your personal computing system easily. And peripherals don't go obsolete nearly as fast as computers do...a more than 10 year old monitor, mouse, or keyboard could be perfectly serviceable today.