In 2012 the state of the art has moved forward even more than in 2006 and Windows XP. Now we have Cloud Computing - I can edit a document in Microsoft Notes and it transfers immediately to my iPhone. No Uploading, no logging in. If I add a contact to my iPhone? It's there, in Outlook when I get home. All my pictures are there, all my music, plus the documents created in about 12 different apps. All shared with all my computers and all my devices.
I think our Cloud Computing may be the way in which a computer like the CoS Core here, may "borrow" our own intelligence to pass the Turing Test.
But this was 1993: Not even original iMacs had been thought of, I think the fastest IBM-PC was about 133 MHz and the fastest Apple was about 100 MHz.
So, we must assume the CoS is a system similar to something like a Cray - A machine which speed is calculated not by Cycles per Second, but by MegaFlops and GigaFlops and TeraFlops.
The personal computer market of the time, was populated by i386 and i486 CPU's - As the Pentium and 5x86's had not been developed- The 5x86 was offered by Cyrix, that's it. The idea of MULTITASKING was a new concept- It was the big thing that allowed IBM-PC's to have a Sparc-Workstation type Interface like Apple did from the start - Which became known as "Windows" which we are now all cursed with. But it was still based on that core of the 4-bit external/8-bit internal 8086 processor which drove the original IBM-PC with it's incredible 640kb of Internal Ram. Because, as IBM said, "Who's gonna need any more than 640kb of Ram?" Much less an internal Hard Drive that is 1 TB or more, or 8GB of Upper Memory Area Ram, or Blu-Ray Burners, DVD Devices and BlueTooth Memory and Printer tech? Or... a 40" LCD-TV Monitor? I think back in 1993, if you were lucky you could get a Rainbow Runner and get 32-but graphics. IF you had the extra cash to waste! Ironically, there are dwellings being built that have a computer core like the one depicted here. So that makes this a very innovative Episode.
And I love the way it is "Executed" - It was as if William Gibson wrote it. I think Carter and his writers have always been influenced by him.
Rob Labelle (From "Watchmen" and also "Eddie" from "First Wave") is Brad Wilczek, who started the company "Eurisko" where the CoS is installed. He is arguing with the Eurisko CEO, who had wrested control from Wilczek. Much like MP3.com had been wrested from Michael Robertson and changed into something different than the original vision.
Which is why this episode is not only accurate from the Computing Angle, but also the Corporate angle. And the FBI Angle. As all three seem interrelated here.
Mulder is called into this case by his former partner Agent Jerry Lamana (Wayne Duvall). Mulder immediately sees something, but Lamana steals his report, which he gives as his own at the meeting with FBI Brass. Be Careful what you Wish for, Agent Lamana! It seems that the CoS has found out that the CEO of Eurisko wanted to shut off he CoS - So it shuts off the CEO. Initially, the FBI wants to suspect Brad Wilczek of killing his CEO because of this Corporate Wrestling - But then the CoS gets interested in Skully and hacks into her computer at night to get her field notes! And so, the CoS kills Agent Lamana by dropping him 30 floors in an elevator.
Mulder has Wilczek make a Virus that will kill the CoS, which is out of control at this point... But it seems like the Guy in charge of the Eurisko Building - Played by one of my favourite actors Blu Mankuma - Has his own agenda, not being what he said he was - And tries to stop the Killing of the OS, which must happen.
I wholly disagree that the subject matériel is some kind of Rehash of "Invisible Boy" or "Colossus" or something, or even Skynet from The Terminator Moovies - This is not the same scale as those films. This is just your local Mom-and-Pop-Shop AI that goes on a rampage and has to be spanked.
One of my very favourite X-Files.
I think our Cloud Computing may be the way in which a computer like the CoS Core here, may "borrow" our own intelligence to pass the Turing Test.
But this was 1993: Not even original iMacs had been thought of, I think the fastest IBM-PC was about 133 MHz and the fastest Apple was about 100 MHz.
So, we must assume the CoS is a system similar to something like a Cray - A machine which speed is calculated not by Cycles per Second, but by MegaFlops and GigaFlops and TeraFlops.
The personal computer market of the time, was populated by i386 and i486 CPU's - As the Pentium and 5x86's had not been developed- The 5x86 was offered by Cyrix, that's it. The idea of MULTITASKING was a new concept- It was the big thing that allowed IBM-PC's to have a Sparc-Workstation type Interface like Apple did from the start - Which became known as "Windows" which we are now all cursed with. But it was still based on that core of the 4-bit external/8-bit internal 8086 processor which drove the original IBM-PC with it's incredible 640kb of Internal Ram. Because, as IBM said, "Who's gonna need any more than 640kb of Ram?" Much less an internal Hard Drive that is 1 TB or more, or 8GB of Upper Memory Area Ram, or Blu-Ray Burners, DVD Devices and BlueTooth Memory and Printer tech? Or... a 40" LCD-TV Monitor? I think back in 1993, if you were lucky you could get a Rainbow Runner and get 32-but graphics. IF you had the extra cash to waste! Ironically, there are dwellings being built that have a computer core like the one depicted here. So that makes this a very innovative Episode.
And I love the way it is "Executed" - It was as if William Gibson wrote it. I think Carter and his writers have always been influenced by him.
Rob Labelle (From "Watchmen" and also "Eddie" from "First Wave") is Brad Wilczek, who started the company "Eurisko" where the CoS is installed. He is arguing with the Eurisko CEO, who had wrested control from Wilczek. Much like MP3.com had been wrested from Michael Robertson and changed into something different than the original vision.
Which is why this episode is not only accurate from the Computing Angle, but also the Corporate angle. And the FBI Angle. As all three seem interrelated here.
Mulder is called into this case by his former partner Agent Jerry Lamana (Wayne Duvall). Mulder immediately sees something, but Lamana steals his report, which he gives as his own at the meeting with FBI Brass. Be Careful what you Wish for, Agent Lamana! It seems that the CoS has found out that the CEO of Eurisko wanted to shut off he CoS - So it shuts off the CEO. Initially, the FBI wants to suspect Brad Wilczek of killing his CEO because of this Corporate Wrestling - But then the CoS gets interested in Skully and hacks into her computer at night to get her field notes! And so, the CoS kills Agent Lamana by dropping him 30 floors in an elevator.
Mulder has Wilczek make a Virus that will kill the CoS, which is out of control at this point... But it seems like the Guy in charge of the Eurisko Building - Played by one of my favourite actors Blu Mankuma - Has his own agenda, not being what he said he was - And tries to stop the Killing of the OS, which must happen.
I wholly disagree that the subject matériel is some kind of Rehash of "Invisible Boy" or "Colossus" or something, or even Skynet from The Terminator Moovies - This is not the same scale as those films. This is just your local Mom-and-Pop-Shop AI that goes on a rampage and has to be spanked.
One of my very favourite X-Files.