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Space / comp |
Space computer of the month ![]() This useful circular display allows you to examine planetary or solar surface features in a convenient wysiwyg layout. Coupled with the right software, you can get a realtime plot of volcanic activity, population density, sunspot activity or even popular restaurants. Ocean depth? Per-capita income? Its all laid out before you and divided into octants for ease of use. Youll want one of these in your ship for planning before you make planetfall and find yourself up to the ankles in cheese or worse. Review by Ley Ward Sets this part appears in ![]() Heres a tile for all the minifig hackers, editors, authors, and PhD candidates. A true QWERTY keyboard! Granted, the buttons are tiny and the ones that are labeled are barely legible. Touch-typing and very thin fingers are recommended to operate this I/O device. Cast from beautiful Classic Dk. Grey (2003) or bright White (2006) ABS plastic, this keyboard will allow your minifigs to type important messages like: Blacktron Invasion!, Pleh, and Rainbow Warrior Alert. Currently, this keyboard is sold only as part of a package system running Microsoft Windows. Whether or not non-Windows drivers exist for this keyboard cannot be determined at this time. If your spacecraft, Moonbase Module, or Rover requires a stable operating system and text input, youll have to rely on the 22-Letter Keyboard listed below. Review by Aaron Sneary Sets this part appears in ![]() The last thing one wants is to be low on fluids, whether they be rocket fuel, biogenic mutation gel, or caffeinated beverages. Its a bit rare, found in only two sets, 7113-1 - Tusken Raider™ Encounter (2002) and 4851-1 - The Origins (2003) , this tile comes in old brown and old dark grey, and does a really great job of monitoring and controlling the flow of any fluid (as long as the fluid is blue). This tile has a graduated container of blue liquid with 3 I/O ports connected by hoses to 3 control sliders. Just above the sliders, we have emergency shut-off buttons in standard Caution Blue. The flow, temperature, and caffeine level are all monitored by a single Blue EKG-style screen. If that wasnt enough, the top of this tile even has a distillation coil for further refining your mutation gel. Or maybe thats not liquid at all, but a digital read-out expressing pressure build-up. The best attribute though, is that is has no specific up-down orientation, so place it which ever way suits you. Perhaps not appropriate for the cockpit of a fighter, but this tile works great in a science lab, an engine room (or on the engine itself of smaller ships), a hospital, a giant mecha or even a torture room, as long as theyre blue. Review by Aaron Sneary Sets this part appears in ![]() This dandy computer is reminiscent of the biobeds featured in the original Star Trek television series. Its perfect for use in the sickbay of your interstellar craft, as a lifesigns detector on the bridge, or the display of a x-ray scanner at a security check-point (ala Total Recall). One cannot be too careful when exploring deep space. Review by Robert Gurskey Sets this part appears in Curators Note: This was submitted to Lenny back in December and he soon forgot about it. Come January and Tony ends up reviewing the exact same computer totally by chance. Well, heres Jeffs view of the other OG and the apologies of Lenny. ![]() Ever need to write or read lines of code in space? Or monitor ship status? Or just catch the latest episode of Space C.O.P.S.? *BlackTRON! BlackTRON! whatcha gonna DO whatcha gonna DO when dey come for YOU!* Then this is your classic space computer. With an ample sized screen & 3 multi-purpose buttons, this computer is often found with the classic computer reviewed in December 2002 - The O.G. The space TV, a.k.a. Slope Brick 45 2 x 2 with Computer Screen Pattern (3039p23) comes in blue, white, old (light) gray & red (!?-in one set: http://peeron.com/inv/parts/3039p23?year=1985&color=Red ). The inverted version comes in white & blue. Review by Jeff Szklennik Sets this part appears in ![]() Our good old 2x2 slope with Computer Screen Pattern has appeared in over 70 sets between 1978 and 2003. It was common in grey, blue, and white. It appeared just once in red- and thats OK, cause the EB cant afford a lot of them fancy computer screens. While its amazingly common and looks innocuous enough, you should be careful where you use this piece. It seems to be displaying some really foul words, because Lego has seen fit to blot them out. Ive always wondered what Id find if I scraped off the little lines over the text. Drop me a line if you ever do find out what it says under there- Im sure wed all love to know. Review by Tony Hafner Sets this part appears in ![]() When the ships main power control systems go down, this is the perfect panel to have on the bridge. Need to reroute main reactor power to beef up the #2 shields? Heres your panel. Life support power down? Theres no better way to get your crew breathing again! Equipped with a simple set of forking lines in red and green, with numbered boxes at the junction points, this thing is wide open. Power panel, sorting algorithm, alternate routes to Grandmas house, breakfast choices at Dennys... the possibilities are endless. In fact, Lego has inexplicably included this awesome space part only in train sets. Thats just plain weird. Anyway, it only comes in one color, but that color is the best one of all- classic grey (more evidence that it is really a space part). Its admittedly a bit rare in sets, but not hard to find on Bricklink. Review by Tony Hafner Sets this part appears in ![]() If youre looking for a sweet complimentary computer screen for that garish yellow-and-red (with blue highlights) spaceship youre working on, look no further than this decade-old Aquazone 2 x 2 slope. While using its vintage grid-style screen layout, you may be confused as to whats being displayed in the lower right corner...but fear not, Peeron informs us that its a shark. Huh, looks more like an alien spaceship to me. Other useful controls on this piece are the dial in the upper right hand corner, the four red buttons just below that, three sliding control-level type gauges in the bottom right corner, and four indeterminate half-ovals (possibly speakers) in between. A slightly less obscene color scheme with the same layout was also available to the Aquasharks. Unfortunately that still means it was only available in blue and yellow, in a grand total of five sets--yet surprisingly enough (and I hope youre sitting down, because this is quite a shock), it doesnt seem too hard to get your hands on one of them. Review by Derek Schinn See what sets this part is in Also, the same design in blue. ![]() HAVE YOU EVER HA A NEE FOR YOUR MINIFIGS O YPE SOME HING ON BOAR A S ARSHIP? ELL IF SO YOU PROBAB Y USE HIS PAR ICU AR PIECE RIGH ? SO YOU SHOU REA IZE HAT YOU CANNO EVEN SPE = EGO= ON HIS SHI Y KEYBOAR MUCH ESS MY NAME HUH? IS HIS HE MOS FRUS RA ING HING EVER OR HA ? AN EVEN HOUGH I IS A Q ER Y KEYBOAR I IS MISSING QUI E A FE IMPOR AN KEYS IKE AN ISN I ? BU HANK CHRIS E HAVE Q Z X = AN + RIGH ? O YOU KNO HO AMN HAR I IS EN ING EVERY SEN ENCE IN A QUES ION AN NO HAVING A CAPS OCK KEY? IN FAC HE ON Y GOO HING ABOU HIS KEYBOAR IS YOU CANNO SPE RAIN BU YOU CAN OF COURSE SPE SPACE+++++++ OH AN YOU KNO HA PIECE I AM A KING ABOU RIGH ? HE ONE BY O HI E SMOO H I E PIECE I H EN Y EIGH GRAY KEYS HA HAVE B ACK PRIN ING ON HEM? Review by Derek Schin See what sets this part is in ![]() Originally developed by Tandy & offered to the retail market by Radio Shack, this computer was first brought to the Lego world by our civil servants in SPII: Space Police Bugaloo. A space police force dedicated to hunting down rogue one-man fighters and confining reckless pilots to compact 6x6 squares needs top-of-the-line equipment to bring justice to the stars. Anything less than the best is a felony. Having skipped out on the SPII craze early on, I was introduced to this computer in the Summer of 96 with set 6545 Search N Rescue. Desperate to meet Space Policemans Ball ticket quotas that year, the SPII telemarketer threw in a refurbished Tandy with any order over $1500. The Lego Town police ordered enough tickets to outfit its search n rescue helicopter and the skies over Lego Town were safe once again. This computer works particularly well for one or two-man fighters, or a drone operator working from the safety of his home or bunker. Review by Nick Kappatos View sets this part is in ![]() The basic design of this slope is a blue planet with twinkling star in the background and a red crosshairs-ish icon marking the planet. The view is surrounded with a yellow border, with a yellow circle and a red bar across the bottom. It comes only in white. Now, one may look upon the beautiful space scene shown on this slope and think it relatively benign. Perhaps the red marker on the planet is simply a thats whats here icon, or a signalling beacon, or something equally wimpy. We know better though. One push of the yellow button on the bottom edge of the display will launch that planet busting missile, so that interstellar truckers can get through that pathetic little solar system more easily. This screen can be used very easily as a navigation or targeting computer in a fighter cockpit, or as a random display in a science lab. Its simplicity and wonderful white color scheme help it blend very easily into any computer display. Use it and have your space dudes blow up a planet today! This slope may be difficult to source new. They were used in 8 different sets, but only in 1996 (Exploriens) and 1999 (Space Port). Its pretty common used, but rather more rare when new. Review by ++Adr View sets this part is in ![]() The Earthling-Scum-in-My-Sights Martian Scanner Tile Ive found this to be a very cool and useful computer scanner screen tile. As far as I know, this part came exclusively in the Life on Mars theme and it is the only circular computer screen printed on a circular part. And being on dark gray makes it ideal for rugged, utilitarian interiors. The 1 x 2 Rock Raiders tile especially compliments this screen. Review by Dan The Man Jassim View sets this part is in ![]() This computer screen looks very much like Windows. And sometimes that can be a good thing. Now, it might seem odd that Spaceforce might use an operating system as flawed as Windows for their on board ship computer, but it seems to me to be a perfect civilian screen. What do little LEGO astronauts and cosmonauts do on their time off? Well, they check their AOL email, look at pictures on BrickShelf, and try to find the perfect leather jacket, just like we do! And they use this Windows-esque Screen to do it! Review by Lenny Hoffman View sets this part is in ![]() This handy dandy space computer made its first appearance in the Exploriens themed Lego sets in 1996. I think this part offers many possibilities and Ive enjoyed using it in several of my spaceships. The bold black and primary color printing on a white tile immediately gives this piece a Classic Space appeal. It can easily be incorporated into futuristic interiors or exteriors, or in stand alone units and subsystems. The non-descript details give it added flexibility. Ive used it as a control panel, a sensor display, an armchair com-panel, and a medical diagnostic scanner. It looks good vertically or horizontally. Furthermore, the small 1 x 2 tile can be ergonomically placed in many different ways--such as on walls, on any 1 x 1 or1 x 2 modified plate, on hinged bricks or plates, or even as a minifig hand-held device. Unfortunately, only 7 sets have included this part and in low quantity (the huge Explorien Starship only included 2!). Also, it has not appeared in any sets since 1999 so it may not be as abundantly available as some of the other parts reviewed. However, I think just one is enough to add some spacey goodness to any creation! Review by Dan Jassim View sets this part is in. ![]() This computer is the very image of futuristic goodness. I discovered this part whilst perusing through a random Bricklink sellers inventory and immeadiately fell in love. Til writing this very article, I had no idea what set this came in. But it doesnt matter. It has on it all the little technical readouts a minifig could want, all in a handy transparent display console. No more need for bulky 2x2 45° Computer taking up the whole desk, weighing a ton, and difficult to move around. Heck, even flat panel displays seem bulky next to this ultra-thin baby. And the best part? When you no longer need this ultra-thin display, you can always fold her down for a bit. Review by Lenny Hoffman View sets this part is in. ![]() Simple yet with a trendy futuristic style to it, this tile is a good choice for advanced prototypes or stolen alien vessels with dark, semi-organic interiors. Dont let the fact that it appeared almost exclusively in Insectoid sets fool you - this tile represents the pinnacle of alien technology, aimed at presenting the pilot with the most information about those annoying trans-neon-green Insectoid crystals in as intuitive a fashion as possible. This tile goes really well with the September 2003 computer tile (mainly because theyre both black tiles with silvery printing). Review by Paul Baulch View sets this part is in. ![]() While only slightly less rare than the Feb 2004 Space Computer of the month, This one is only available in two sets: 4719 - Quality Quidditch Supplies and 4720 - Knockturn Alley. While some would have you believe that this is a mere cash register, anyone who has seen the movie Brazil knows otherwise; this is a fully functional computer interface. Its true that this versatile control surface has a decidedly victorian feel, which makes it useful for both Space Hippies and Crimson Skies designs, but it holds many more possibilities. Lets have a look at the details. Fitting in the same space as the very basic 15 button computer, (see Feb 2003 below) this has, at first glance, 12 buttons in the middle. You might think this indicates reduced functionality, but wait, what about that row of six white buttons across the top? Pushbuttons or toggle switches, you decide. And, those 12 buttons in the middle are knobs allowing variable control over, you guessed it, 12 functions. That slot across the bottom is configurable as anything a slot could be: DVD-RAM; Tape drive; memory expansion slot; crumb removal tray; 8-track tape deck. The skys the limit on this one. Yes, Ive saved the best to last: the big sliding knob. Its ready to control any of a number of bipolar functions: on/off; forward/reverse; up/down; good/evil; either/or; space/castle. But, it also offers the variability of a slider, ie.: more/less; volume; speed; voltage; humour; pitch; shades of purple. I know you can think of more uses for your own purposes. The rugged faceplate can stand up to a lot of abuse and various environmental hazards. While this is only available in an evil tan/sand green colour scheme, the effort required to fit it into an MOC will be rewarded by the functionality achieved. Review by Ley Ward View sets this part is in. ![]() The coolness, the silverness. Green and silver work well for water, but what about space? Why, yes of course, I answer for you. Aquazone parts clearly are fodder for space. Trans-green is a classic space color, if you recall correctly. But more than that, its got a good print! Its not too specific either, which means it can traverse a wide variety of applications from console surface to component housing. The silver print color present a cool argent matting and thin circuit pathways for consoles, and/or conduit, handy for greebling up components. The circles on it dont always mean its a liquid-only part.. they are also clever dials and scopes, star system maps, and molecular diagrams. Unlike its opaque counterparts, its transparent nature lends itself to visually developing further whatever it covers or surrounds. Put more control greeblies under it and youve quite a panel. Further adding to its marvelousnessage is that fact that it is a hinge part: angle can determine the immediate visual distinction between operator station or detailed panel (perhaps its both too). And it has its standard uses for canopies and hatches (weve left the obvious for the end of this article, assuming youve read thus far). Review by Tom Mcdonald View sets this part is in. ![]() This slope has definitely been around the brick, and perhaps as a space computer has been a bit overlooked. Working fairly steadily since 1985, it has served time as a train component, but has never been included in an official space set. What redeemed it in my eyes was its use in Model Team sets which, of course, were awesome space fodder. With its rounded displays, black pips, and mini nautical wheel controls, its analog styling says minimalistic, low tech soviet, yacht and post retro. And so far, it comes in your choice of black or black. Review by Tom Mcdonald View sets this part is in. ![]() Can you believe a slope with controls this nifty came from a Train set? Review by Mark Sandlin View sets this part is in. ![]() This computer is one of my personal favorites. Aside from a few buttons and controls, it has three, count em, three screens! One shows a lovely view of some mountains, another shows a targeting screen, and the third shows some kind of orbit projection. I find this to be an extremely useful tile, suitable to many different applications. Being an Ice Planet tile, its shielded from the elements with better insulation than your average computer tile, so you can take it with you with no fear for its delicate electronics! Review by Mark Sandlin View sets this part is in. ![]() Hold on to your 2X3 Space Seats, cause youre in for a wild ride this month. Were going to take a close look at none other than the M-Tron Everything-But-The-Kitchen-Sink tile. This jam-packed 1X2 computer tile first appeared in the M-Tron sets of 1990. The following year it also found itself at the helms of several Blacktron II space vehicles. To the untrained eye, this tile would appear to have white stripes and borders printed on its surface. However, much like the Rock Raiders tile, the white is the color of the tile itselfthe black background is the printed color. (Of course, if you were lucky enough to get a Stellar Recon Voyager back in 1990, then you have this tile in rare black, so your white colors really ARE printed.) Where shall I even begin to name off the technological goodies on this tile? We have round buttons, we have square buttons, there are data ports, there are flashing lights, theres a central monitor. This computer tile has everything but the kitchen sink. Its almost easier to name what it DOESNT have! Sometimes when I look at this tile, my eyes well up with tears of joy just as they did when I was a wee lad looking at my stocking on Christmas morning. One of the most interesting items on this tile is its yellow monitor. The reason for this yellow color is that the M-Tron theme had to utilize a special type of plasma screen that was magnetically shielded and could thus be used in their vehicles. Other space subthemes quickly caught on and began using this plasma screen in their vehicles too, despite their lack of magnets. After this tile was in the M-Tron and Blacktron II themes, it appeared in many other subthemes including Train, Arctic and Studios. This wide use of the M-Tron Everything-But-The-Kitchen-Sink tile only adds to its mysterious nature. What is the mystery of this tile? No one even knows, and thats what makes it so mysterious! Unfortunately the last time weve seen this tile produced was in 2001, so it may have gone the way of the buffalo. If youve been collecting space computers for a while, then you probably have at least a few. (Owners of the Mega Core Magnetizer got a whopping 5 in just one set!) Just in case we dont see this computer tile in any new sets, grab em while you can. Your Space minifigs will be glad you did. Review by David Gregory View sets this part is in. ![]() Do you have the 1380 Werewolf Ambush set? Youll need it if you want to get your hands on this printed brick of staggering simplicity. This pieces printing has a black & yellow striped base, 2 large lights/buttons on the left, an ON-OFF switch on the right and a rivited black border. This 2-stud favorite of mine was so underplayed as a controller for Mr. Wolfies haunted tree. We all know that its true purpose for existing is to turn Space stuff ON and OFF. The diagonal caution striping at the bottom of the brick cries out, WARNING: I am exceedingly easy to operate! There wont be any Minifigs fumbling their fingers over rows of buttons when theyre working with this pieces controls (which is good, since they dont really have fingers). The citizens of your Space station can shut down the garbage masher on the detention level, turn off the gravity, or charge the EMP with a single switch. Even Jar-Jar shouldnt have any trouble figuring this one out. Due to its shape, size and nature, this piece is rarely seen in a cockpit. Its more at home in the research level at the back of the ship, or nestled in a Moonbase modules wall (turning more stuff ON and OFF, of course). Some critics of this piece may say, Why would a space age people use such a primitive switch, when we in modern times have devices such as The Clapper? To those critics I mockingly ask, Can a Minifig bring its hands together to clap? Does the sound of a clap travel in the vacuum of space? Can you clap on the infestation alarm when a Fleebnork has chewed one of your arms off? Can you? CAN YOU?! So far this printed brick only appears in blue in one set. However, I believe that its very likely that well see it appear in more colors in the future. Oh yes, and please use caution when using this piece for the first time; its shipped in the ON position. Review by David Gregory View sets this part is in. ![]() The Rock Raiders theme first gave us this 1X2 computer tile in 1999. While this short-lived theme was digging up 5-pointed crystals, they probably never suspected that this piece was their most valuable gem. This 1X2 tile has a yellow circle at one end, a box of controls in the middle and couple of buttons/lights at the other end. Few 1X2 tiles are as jam-packed with spacey goodness as this one. At a casual glance, it would appear that this computer has a dark gray control box printed in its center. This dark gray is actually the tiles own beautiful ABS surface showing through a white background printing. The center box has a gauged slider and 3 buttons; 2 short and 1 long. This Morse code button configuration can serve any function, from menial to advanced. The twin rectangles on the end solidly hold up their third of the tile while giving a sense of interstellar practicality to the computer. They can be anything from recessed warning lights to activation buttons to data ports. Last but not least on the other end, we have the big honkin yellow circle with 4 gray thingies around it. Is it an emergency flasher strobe light? Is it a large round knob? Or is it an Atariesque joystick as seen from above? Its all that and more baby! Since its introduction the 1X2 Rock Raiders computer tile has been through Life on Mars, Star Wars, a train set, and its still with us today. The tile comes in a single color: classic dark gray. This computer doesnt look as good in large quantities as its more simplistic cousins do. However, if you have a minifig who has a mission to save the galaxy, and his craft only has room for 1 monitor and 1 control panel... lets just say youre not going to truly have a peace of mind unless you know that hes flying with this premium bad boy at his fingertips. Review by David Gregory View sets this part is in. ![]() This super cool decorated slope brick was introduced in 1987 in a classic Blacktron I set called Renegade #6954 and has been used in a model as recently as 2000 in the Star Wars Tie Interceptor #7181. Unfortunately it has not been included in a new set since. It has only been produced in black with red and yellow graphics. An incredibly simple interface, this slopes graphic consists merely a yellow border with rounded corners that encapsulates a column of red buttons next to a column of yellow buttons. I always like to think of this as the space version of the classic town phone slopes. This bricks unique color combination is for many of us, a warm reminder of a golden era of Space LEGO. Review by Travis Kunce View sets this part is in. ![]() Introduced with the Space Port theme in 1999, this tile is easily one of the most awaited tiles of all time. It has only been produced in light gray so far, but Id expect to see it released in a wider range of colors in the years to come. Its uses are endless. The interface to this tile is a simple black circle filled in white with black tics around the inside of the circles radius. There is a triangular pie of the circle that is filled in red and oriented towards one corner. Plus there is a pointer coming from the center of the tile towards the outside. If they appear to be familiar and awesome, do not resist the temptation to stick them all over and inside of your mocs. Although a case could be made that this tile is technically not a computer, and actually just a standard dial, I feel that the purposes of the various areas are limitless in use. Possibly, the red portion is just highlighting the interface that this circular computer interface is currently using or maybe it represents the sweep on a radar screen. Dont be thrown off, just because it looks like your speedometer. Review by Travis Kunce View sets this part is in. ![]() This computer interface was released in 2002 and is only available in easy to photograph black. Exclusive to the Star Wars sets, this tile seems to be nearing the same level of proliferation as the Meat and Potatoes Star Wars tile, although it is far harder to make look cool. The graphics have a much more amorphous feel than tile computers in the past, yet this part has very clear, and complete interface value unlike other printed tiles of its generation which make it perfect for the virtual interface of the modern starcraft interior. Consisting of 3 areas separated horizontally, there is an outer row of 4 buttons and an inner subrow of 3 buttons on both the right and left-hand sides of the tile A virtual horizon display is located atop the middle section and there are 3 communication channels located directly below that can be turned on and off to reduce line noise with the switches on the left side of the center section. Review by Travis Kunce View sets this part is in. ![]() I never had this computer when I was a kid but recently got a bunch of them in gray. Now I see what Ive missed out on all these years. Theres not much to it, just 2 black buttons and 2 red buttons. Around these is a black border with rounded corners. The rounded corners give it a great look. This is a good example of how simple designs can be so useful. The new ones which just came out in 2003 are gray, which has to be the best color for this. Also, like the The meat n potatoes Star Wars tile, the 4 button classic is so plain (more plain even) that it can be used for about anything. Its at home on super tiny MOCs or lost among massive computer banks on a big SHIP. Just looking at it makes me want to build with it. Its like candy. Review by Jon Palmer View sets this part is in. ![]() Peeron says this computer actually consists of 12 buttons and 3 red lights. But I dont see it like that at all...those red dots are the *really* important buttons. Im a bit dumbfounded how this computer could control a craft all by itself (similar to the confusion Ive always felt regarding that thing Spock keeps looking in) but Im sure it can be done. Regardless of the computers function you have to admit its gorgeous and can fit in with just about any MOC. I suppose in a way its kind of like the older brother to last months computer. This came in gray, white, blue and black. The black(tron) version had a special yellow background. (Please note that the author does not have this computer in blue, and hates everyone who does.) Review by Jon Palmer View sets this part is in. ![]() Our second computer review takes us all the way to 1999. This dude can be found in the first wave Star Wars sets on up. This 1x2 tile has the weird property of being very plain and very detailed at the same time. At a glance its features dont really jump out. Look closer and you will see tiny red and white buttons on 3 raised strips. The raised strips actually have shadows and highlights on their sides. But whats really good about this computer is that it makes perfect filler. It can always stand on its own but it makes a great secondary computer in a cockpit. It looks good as circuitry kind of hidden away or even on the floor. This tile only comes in gray. Review by Jon Palmer View sets this part is in. ![]() For our first Space computer of the month I thought we would discuss the grand-daddy of them all: The Classic Space computer with little buttons and crosshair-thing. This specimen (seen here in gray) is a 2x2 45° beauty of the first order. While it looks best in its native habitat of blue and gray spaceships, this handsome control panel will find a home in even the newest SNOT style craft. Upon inspection you will see a variety of buttons, some green and some red. An emerald green scope can be found in the upper right hand corner of the computer. No doubt used by many a Spaceman to look at stuff. You will find this model in gray, blue and white. Review by Jon Palmer View sets this part is in. |
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