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FrankTrollman
So I'm pretty sure that all of the stock operating systems are references to real operating systems or fictional ones. As such, I think that it is entirely possible to give each OS the look and feel that it was meant to have by tracking down that source.

Vector Xim: Or as we call it, the Invader Zim, the operating system is clunky, uses a lot of purples and greens. This is the OS of the Irkan Invaders.

Redcap Nix: To the casual viewer from 2005, this is Linux. A fully customizable interface, made by Scottish Canibals.

Renraku Ichi: I think this is a reference to the OS on the main character's computer in Neuromancer. Unfortunately I haven't read that book in a long time. Any ideas?

Mangadyne Deva: This one sounds really familiar, but I can't place it at all.

Iris Orb: This is the OS of HAL from 2001. Big red orb, reassuring voice, what's not to love?

Novatech Navi: It's from Serial Experiments: Lain, there's a big blue circle in the middle of the screen, and whatever you have under the cursor is displayed upside down. It might even put you in contact with the ghosts of the people who die playing Miracle Shooter and teach you a valuable lesson about self sacrifice and nihilism.


Anyone got info on the middle two?

-Frank
snowRaven
Mangadyne...Magnadyne... I know that name...it's a corporation in some movie, I think.
hobgoblin
terminator?
Hasaku
Cyberdyne Systems was the name of the corporation in T2.

Let me get out my copy of Neuromancer real quick. Off the top of my head, I seem to remember Case using an Ono-Sendai deck, and later a complete homebrew system.
Squinky
I thought it was skynet in Terminator?
Hasaku
Skynet was the program, yeah, but Cyberdyne developed it.
hobgoblin
oops...
Hasaku
Both Case in Neuromancer and Bobby in Count Zero start out with an Ono-Sendai deck, graduating to nameless decks later.

On another note, "Nippon Ichi" is the name of the company that made Disgaea, La Pucelle, and similar tactical RPGs. Maybe they've got a fan aong the writers.
hyzmarca
It may also be named after the title character from the Zatoichi films, although I'm not quite sure what kind of interface would simulate being a blind mercenary swordsman. Perhaps all sounds with no visual icons?
blakkie
QUOTE (snowRaven @ Oct 23 2005, 01:40 PM)
Mangadyne...Magnadyne...  I know that name...it's a corporation in some movie, I think.

Maybe, but that company isn't new to SR. In SR3 (or was it earlier?) I believe it was a small company, founded by Cale Winter, that specialized in creating custom Matrix icons and other Matrix goodies like ICE.

EDIT: Here it is in the Wiki. I guess it was anime themed ICE they made. *shrug* I think they were mentioned in Target: Matrix somewhere.

EDIT2: Here Flakjacket gives a page reference on the ShadowRN mailing list. I can't confirm though since i don't have that book here.
Gothic Rose
As far as the Renraku Ichi goes....maybe, just maybe, it's named that because of the fact that "ichi" is japanese for "one."

Crazy, that. Renraku One.

hobgoblin
QUOTE (blakkie)
EDIT2: Here Flakjacket gives a page reference on the ShadowRN mailing list. I can't confirm though since i don't have that book here.

for some reason i cant find that info in my copy of said book.
warrior_allanon
mangadyne, thinking on that all i'm pulling up is "Johnny Mnemonic" references can anyone elaborate on that maybe

RunnerPaul
Googling "maganadyne" turns up hits for an aftermarket car stereo & car alarm company.
FiveVenoms
I too, thought that Mangadyne was really familiar from some damn movie, until I realized I was thinking of Magnadyne, which really didn't find anything except car stereos and such. Only 1 hit for "Mangadyne Corporation", and that was off of Ancient History's site. Evidently Cale Winter owns a Mangadyne Corporation, and his Caroline owns Manadyne, which got 80 million nuyen from the late lamented Dunkelzahn.



.........I should go to sleep.
FrankTrollman
Got it: Megadynes are the robot women assassins from Silent Mobius. Thus, the "Mangadyne Deva" is the operating system of them, and every other Armitage/Bladerunner Clone.

-Frank
Krypter
They should definitely have had something like this:

SPECTRE - based on the Bladerunner ESPER video-imaging system. It presents a perfect simulacrum of the real world, but interactive and cognitive in such a way that it can extract information from hidden places. It also has infinite zoom capability, but the printouts aren't so good. wink.gif
Krypter
This may be an unsatisfactory guess, but Sun Microsystems had their Open Net Environment (Sun ONE). Renraku is primarily a software company; so is Sun. Perhaps an employee snuck that in? Boring though, and not based on any anime/sci-fi/cyberpunk reference.
hobgoblin
sun isnt primarily a software company, its just like ibm and apple, whole hog solutions.
FrankTrollman
QUOTE (Krypter)
This may be an unsatisfactory guess, but Sun Microsystems had their Open Net Environment (Sun ONE). Renraku is primarily a software company; so is Sun. Perhaps an employee snuck that in? Boring though, and not based on any anime/sci-fi/cyberpunk reference.

Another possibility is that it is intended to be the OS from The Matrix, as it is "the one". In which case it would look like a bunch of green alphanumerics floating around and arranging themselves into shapes. The Japanese company in that case would serve only to indicate that it was the Japanese number.

But I really thought I remembered an operating system/computer from somewhere in Gibson that was itself a Japanese number, like Ni or San. Oh well, anyone else remeber something like that, or am I just crazy?

-Frank
kigmatzomat
Could it just be "Renraku A-Number One" ?
PlatonicPimp
Yeah, not everything has to be a reference. Renraku could just have no imagination.

And besides, wouldn't the output of the system have more to do with a person's reality filter than his OS? I imagine that any display option would be compatible with Any OS, so long as you added the patch to make it work that way.
2bit
The Mangadyne Deva is going to be anime-themed since it's made by Mangadyne. Deva is a sanskrit word meaning "god". I think in Japan it refers specifically to the Hindu gods that were converted to buddhism. Based on: http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/tenbu-top.shtml

Then again, maybe it refers to a specific anime/manga character; my knowledge in that isn't that deep.

Demosthenes
There's an SR company called "Manadyne" that turns up in Dunkie's will.
Tis here, somewhere in ye annotated will...
kigmatzomat
I suppose Mangadyne Deva could be some reference to the Evas in Neon Genesis Evangelion.
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