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[Stargate SG-1] Why doesn't the SGC upgrade the dialling computers? (lemmy.world)

submitted 11 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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When we're introduced to the Stargate, it's in the early-mid 90s, so them needing a big, bulky computer system would make sense, but as the show progresses, we see Tau'ri computer technology develop, either conventionally in the form of laptops like what the Atlantis team use, or computer crystals like what they fitted onto their starships.

Through it all, however, the SGC continues to use the same computer with comparatively dated hardware. Why keep it, instead of upgrading it to something more modern? Especially since one of the main issues that the SGC kept facing was that their dialling computer was not sophisticated enough to respond to some of the status codes put out by the stargate, causing all kinds of unpredictable behaviour.

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[–] [email protected] 22 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Never worked for a government agency? Tech upgrades tend to come around once every 30 years or so. The government very much has an if "it isn't broke, don't fix" it philosophy. They would rather spend that money on new F302s or Prometheii.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

It does change over time but why break a UI that does exactly what they need? I doubt the dialling computer is the one in the control room.

They added palm scanners and switched out to LED screens as the seasons progressed.

I would say the kit in the control room is closer to industrial control equipment rather then computer kit.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Yeah I have worked places that quite literally were still using DOS 5.0/Win 3.1 computers even now because they 'just work' and the hardware they are connected to doesn't work with anything else, and they don't get a budget to replace anything. It's more common than you think.

It also makes a difference whether systems are connected to a public network. If it's not, then there is very little reason to worry about most vulnerabilities since most depend on network connectivity.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago

When I was job hunting prior to graduating from college in 1990 with a computer science degree I interviewed with the Electric Boat division of General Dynamics. They build the US Navy’s submarines. I’ll never forget being told how their systems were programmed via punch cards. Those cards were then sent off to a company that converted them into a magnetic tape that was then installed on the subs. I was shocked that anybody used punch cards in the 90’s, especially our military…

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago

Last time I checked the IRS was still using ‘60s computers with tapes.