Why can laptops be connected to every piece of alien tech?

[Cronus]

I know that for convenience they have to have some way of interfacing with alien tech, but it gets a little tedius when they plug them into everyting. I mean, its not as if the Ancients and other races put USB ports on every console is it?

What I'm getting it is does anyone know the explanation they have given for some of these circumstances or are we just supposed to accept it as a fact of nature?

For example S8 Reckoning

Spoiler:

in Reckoning they hook a laptop up to the Ancient device/weapon and get those nice looking skyscraper readings without any real explanation.

[Janus]

One word: Linux

[Brandie]

One word: Linux

The power of the Penguin.

Or maybe the Red Hat....

[emily_reich]

lol... what i want to know is why they always have so many!!

think descent: not ONLY did they connect 2 to the computer core, but they also like two other ones on the pel'tak!!! where'd they get' em all....

[deepspace]

Why can laptops be connected to every piece of alien tech?

They're light, portable, you can take them through the gate with you...

ok, that's not what you were asking. I haven't got a clue how they manage to get a laptop to work with every bit of technology they find. But, if I could plug my laptop into a piece of alien technology, I think it would be amazing!

The only thing I can think is that they needed some way to make it possible for them to do whatever they need to the alien technology, and instead of having to learn the new technology each time, they plug it into an Earth computer, which is technology they already know!
It's a bit like having the races of other planets speak mostly English, that way Daniel doesn't have to translate language in EVERY episode. It would be very tedious and slow if he had to translate a new language every mission, just as it would be if Sam had to learn a new alien technology every mission.

[Keffler]

Also Dr Mckay couldnt manage it on Atlantus (the outpost) but as soon as you get to Atlantis wayhey it all works. Very suspisous

p.s. cant spell

[IMForeman]

They probably created the interface and custom OS by studying the Antarctic outpost technology. It's the same stuff they took to Atlantis.

-IMF

[greytop]

Didn't you know. They used magic.

[Cronus]

But, if I could plug my laptop into a piece of alien technology, I think it would be amazing!

If I used my laptop it would be so slow that It'd be quicker and easier just to learn how the alien tech works.

[TheGreatLordGeorge]

all you would have to do is match the electrical imoulses to recieve a command

[TheGreatLordGeorge]

impulses*

[Gregorius]

The power of the Penguin.

Or maybe the Red Hat....

Red Hat is Linux (Red Hat Linux)

Janus: You're right Just compile a new kernel or compile the needed kernel modules and you can access every piece of tech

[WormholeAlien]

all you would have to do is match the electrical imoulses to recieve a command

That could be a little difficult. Try taking an 8086 with a serial port and connecting it to a modern comp with a 10 gigabit ethernet, without any documentation for the modern computer or its connection.

Now multiply that problem by a thousand.


I put that aside with things like everyone speaks english. Y'know, things I'd just rather accept without questioning.


What's more annoying is all that computing related bullsh!t in that new series of 24, with all that matrix style scrolling symbols when that guy is downloading "Microsoft and Adobe stuff". That just annoys me to a level where I just can't be bothered anymore... ...but I digress.

[WormholeAlien]

Red Hat is Linux (Red Hat Linux)

Janus: You're right Just compile a new kernel or compile the needed kernel modules and you can access every piece of tech

I wonder if they use NFS or SAMBA/CIFS.

[Gregorius]

I wonder if they use NFS or SAMBA/CIFS.

They're using FTP and a SSH Deamon