4 ms·
But a communicator is primarily a voice communication device. If I were to say a cellphone is like a star trek device, I'd say it's more like an undersized PAD
by lsc 8y ago
But a communicator is primarily a voice communication device. If I were to say a cellphone is like a star trek device, I'd say it's more like an undersized PADD
(and yeah, I maybe agree that the Apple engineers may have a lot of TNG. The 'too lazy to make actual buttons' set designers, I think, actually inspired apple; it really is a lot easier to design a muti-use interface if the "buttons" are all behind a glass touchscreen.)
- pseudalopex 8y agoFeature phones still exist. The Motorola StarTAC was very much like a communicator. I think the iPhone was more inspired by existing products and their obvious drawbacks. The Newton was more like a PADD than the iPhone is. The story I've heard about the TNG set design is "Gene Roddenberry thought it looked more futuristic". Calling it laziness is insulting.
- amyjess 8y agoI believe the Motorola StarTAC was directly inspired by the communicators from TOS. Visually, it's pretty similar [0], and even the name recalls Star Trek. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Startac_130_Movistar.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Startac_130_Movistar.jpg