TL 9 microchips?

[Rupert]

Originally Posted by johndallman

This will only become clear in retrospect. It's a serious mistake for RPGs to try to predict technological progress. Classic Traveller attempted to do this, and there's a Murphy's Rules cartoon from 1981, pointing out that some then-current computers exceeded the capabilities of Traveller ones.

Traveller didn't give sizes in real world terms, though. I understand that the authors knew that the model they used was obsolescent even when written, but felt it made for interesting game choices (do we run the improved aim software, or the improved dodge software?) Later supplements and edition went for a more abstract approach.

OTOH, in 2300AD some of those same authors did make the mistake of listing the storage size of the hand computers and their data chips (200MB, as I recall).

One thing that I remember is a comment by a guy who worked on oil rig IT. He said that he laughed at Traveller's huge computers until he saw the size of the controlling electronics on rigs. Being made to take abuse and bad weather and to control heavy machinery they themselves were very heavy and there were many boxes over the whole rig.