Compare the hacker adept with Aptitude(Hacking), Specialization (Exploit), Hacking 7, Improved Ability(Hacking) 3 and a Exploit program with rating 6. He could throw 18 dice for Hacking/Exploit, 16 dice for Hacking and possibly much less dice for Computer, Electronic Warfare, Cyber Combat.

Now assume a character with Logic 10. He can default to any Logic related skill with 9 dice. That would give him 15 dice for any test with a skill/program. If he can't use a program to assist him in skills like Hardware/Software he can use only 9 dice.

Cost for starting Logic 9:

Exceptional Attribute(Logic): 20
increases to Logic 7: 10+10+10+10+10+25=75
Cerebral Booster 2: 20000 = 4
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99 BP
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Cost for hacker adept:

Adept: 5
Aptitude(Hacking): 10
Hacking 7: 32
Cyber Combat 4:16
Electronic Warfare 4: 16
Electronics Group 4 : 40
Specialization(Hacking): 2
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121 BP
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Discuss!

I don't think you should be able to use (Logic - 1) + Program instead of Skill + Program, since you normally don't roll Logic at all in a cybercombat attack. Instead, I would make the hacker roll Attack Program - 1, which mirrors the way defaulting any other skill would work.

Of course, the whole Skill + Program Rating test is so much different from every other skill test in SR4, that I don't have any clear idea of how it's supposed to work.

Hacker Adept:
An awakened character who has dedicated his skills to the art of hacking. Since you don't 'need' to use a datajack, an adept can actually play as a hacker via the commlink without draining magic. You use skill boost hacking and/or computer and whatever else, which are only .25 per point since they're not combat skills (except for cybercombat).

Basically, they're vaguely like technomancers in that they can break the border on one side of the numbers, and they probably cost less to do that too.

Yeah, it's sorta cheezy, but not improbable.

As per hating them, tough cookies, we don't live by your system. Fight the power!
two points of magic costs an adept 15 points (5 for being an adept, 10 for the 2nd point). If you were to boost cybercombat to 9/10, you're covering 12/16 points at you couldn't spend at chargen under normal circumstances with only 15 points. There's the aptitude cost if you're going to 10, of course.

Now, if you do computer/hacking, you could do both by 4 or 5 points, not spending 28/36 points compared to that 15 in magic. Since you could only use aptitude to one anyways, you would not spend 32 points, something pretty easily to trade versus 15 + aptitude (forget how much it is, but even if it's over by a few points, that's still 'worth' it.)

And of course, if you only do 28 to boost both to 9, it doesn't cost you that aptitude, which makes it a bargain for that 15 points you spent in the first place.

Of course, you also have to make sure you spend 20 points on computer and hacking in skills to put them both at 5, but you are probably willing to spend that amount in the first place, so it doesn't matter in the calculation other than for tallying comparison.

55 points to become the master of the technological stuff...yikes.

So can you kick a hacker adepts but cheaply? Heck no!
But they still have to rely on a commlink, so if you fry that, their skills are rather useless till they get a new one. At least the technomancer can manipulate things, even if he doesn't have a commlink to store stolen stuff from or whatever.

*tries to think of alternative means of trumping the hacker adept* I suppose one way of at least weakening such an adept is with that static spell thingy from SM that acts like background count. At magic 2, you don't need much to reduce them to expert level, and other mages are likely to still have some magic left despite.

Why do you assume that an Adept would be limited to 'trodes?

Cracking (Logic)
Cybercombat
Electronic Warfare
Hacking

Electronics (Logic)
Computer
Data Search
Hardware
Software

The defaulter can straight hack and combat at a level equal to an average hacker, and 3-8 dice below a hacker adept. The defaulter cannot perform Electronic Warfare, so is pretty much useless on opposed tests outside the Matrix. The defaulter can run programs on a computer about as well as a hacker adept (within 1-2 dice), but is completely useless when it comes to upgrading hardware or software, or physically attacking a machine.

The defaulter is far less rounded than the hacker. if you're looking at straight Matrix runs, the defaulter will be acceptably close to the hacker adept. Beyond that, the defaulter suffers. The hacker adept also has, imho, far more potential to expand beyond being just a hacker.

The defaulter has spent 75 of 200 points on logic. That leaves 125 points to boost other stats (120 really).

The Hacker adept has spent, say, 30-40 points on logic. That leaves 160-170 points for other stats, and then he must buy magic. But the 200 point cap is a fairly important one for runners.

The defaulter can also use First Aid, Armorer, and Demolitions reasonably well defaulting to 9 dice. So that's a small support bonus.

Very true on the bioware. Mr. Brilliant is equal enough to the average hacker even with a 5 logic and ware. It's the elite that gets iffy.

And Mr. Brilliant doesn't actually buy any skills - that's the point. He's simply pumping his logic and defaulting on all logic tests.