The Tricorder

[MajorD]

1. 2. Future materials.
3. That's true.
4. Yep.

[Atlantisbase]

For my first point, yes, you could argue future materials. 2. was really more about the fact that the lower portion doesn't seem to ever make physical contact with the upper body. The older style flip out tricorders meet firmly preventing the lower half from being opened beyond a certain point; this design appears to lack a solid meeting based on the provided views and so it looks like you could keep opening the device to nearly 360 degrees, probably breaking it in the process.

[Luke]

Some nice feedback, ill reply to a few of your posts.

Luke's design (or the design he posted; not sure which) is alright but I have some issues with the lower portionl it's structurally illogical.

To any posts wondering about how flexible and flimsy the bottom section is. Remember that this is inherent in matts design. If that section had been a touch screen, the likeliness of snapping would be just as high, if not higher. Im happy with the explanation of 23rd century materials are stronger, including any advancements in hinge technology enabling hinges to stop at certain degree limits... 
I will however make that bottom section a bit chunker and post it up soon.

• The large gaps between the main body and the lower section create a snag point; a place where, if one weren't paying attention, the device could get caught on clothes, wires, etc. This could potentally be dangerous.

good point. Ill straighten the bottom of the tricorder to try reduce that.

The issue I have with the reworked version of Matt's design is, all of the aspects which make it unique have now been removed, except for the sensor. It's just another--good--tricorder, not an amazing one.

Perhaps a poll is in order? 

[MajorD]

The flap on Matt's design is actually not all that thin, it's about 1/8th inch (3.5mm) thick. The Razor screen isn't all that much thicker. Matt's design also has a mechanical stop like the older tricorders, as I drew in my flap example on the last page.

[MajorD]

How Star Trek Artists Imagined the iPad 23 Years Ago

http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/08/how-star-trek-artists-imagined-the-ipad-23-years-ago.ars

On the second page you can even see Sisko using a PADD just like an iPad. The article says he manipulates the images by touching the screens.

Earlier, they have Okuda talking about his evolving vision for how he imagined the console interfaces, and early PADD. Basically, they realized all the iPad's functions, and a form of unified cloud computing. He specifically mentions the, control the ship from a PADD, idea. He also says the small PADDs were meant to be controlled as iPad style touch screens, and that console interfaces were imagined as maleable, as in those big square boarders not being fixed in place.

The original iPhone came out in 2007, and the iPad in 2010.