Just what does "isolinear" mean, as in the TNG computer technology? Is there any hint as to the physical principle by which they work?
Posted by SoundEffect (Member # 926) on :
Well "linear" refers to 'inline' or 'in a line'.
According to the TNG Tech Manual:
Isolinear chips..."make use of single-axis optical crystal layering to achieve subwavelength switching distances."
We know from terms like ODN (Optical Data Network) that TNG computers store information as light waves and pulses. Isolinear just refers to the construction/storage medium of computer memory.
Posted by Timo (Member # 245) on :
Semantically, "isolinear" or "the same in line" would probably best translate as "parallel"...
So the Tech Man notwithstanding, we could interpret the heroes as speaking of some sort of parallel processing.