Function of Pipboys in-universe

Mr Enclave

Mr Enclave

First time out of the vault
What was the function of Pipboys in the actual universe? Presumably they don't, outside of the games, display the contents of your pockets or the status of your limbs. Geiger counter (somehow) and a radio but what else are they for? Playing holotapes and displaying messages that first have to be installed on it through a cable (ala Vault 8).

What were Pipboys actually used for?
 
Bio-metric scanners, I guess? It was supposed to allow vault dwellers to check their heath when venturing into the wasteland. Also maps, journals, alarm clocks. I simply treat them as Fallout smartphones. ;p
 
Contents of pockets could be an inventory management thing, your character just records everything they have. It's not like the original pipboy managed your inventory, it stored notes, maps, tapes.
 
TheChosen1 said:
Contents of pockets could be an inventory management thing, your character just records everything they have. It's not like the original pipboy managed your inventory, it stored notes, maps, tapes.
Click to expand...

I'm just failing to see why these things were useful. Did the old Fallout's establish these things are someone everyone in a Vault have or is that only since Fallout 3.
 
Mr Enclave said:
TheChosen1 said:
Contents of pockets could be an inventory management thing, your character just records everything they have. It's not like the original pipboy managed your inventory, it stored notes, maps, tapes.
Click to expand...

I'm just failing to see why these things were useful. Did the old Fallout's establish these things are someone everyone in a Vault have or is that only since Fallout 3.
Click to expand...

Dunno if everyone in a vault had them, but it was a standard issue to all vaults in general. I would say it would make more sense if only traveling vault dwellers would get one when they go outside.
 
I've always assumed that the broken button on the Pip-Boy 2000 was a radio function. So, it was used for note-taking, communication and health monitoring.
 
The current pipboy can also be used to make phone calls, text message, and lookup midget porn, as long as you got the sold separately insert for it.
 
Alright, I'll take a stab at the functions of the Pip-Boy

-Map/GPS
-Radio
-Holotape functionality
-Geiger Counter
-"To Do List" personal note system (Quest logs etc.)
-Inventory listing (Inputted by user)

Personally, I don't see health/radiation monitoring to actually be part of the Pip-Boy. It doesn't seem like Fallout's technology would allow for a remote bioscanner like that, not on a nifty gadget like that anyway. Even if the user didn't bother with the item management or quest logs, having a radio, GPS and geiger counter all merged into one would be incredibly useful. It'd seem a bit unnecessary to equip every vault dweller with one, unless they were working some job where it was important to keep track of tasks or keeping inventory of storage.
 
Mr Enclave said:
What was the function of Pipboys in the actual universe? Presumably they don't, outside of the games, display the contents of your pockets or the status of your limbs. Geiger counter (somehow) and a radio but what else are they for? Playing holotapes and displaying messages that first have to be installed on it through a cable (ala Vault 8).

What were Pipboys actually used for?
Click to expand...

Glorified PDA.
In Fallout it was a map with a day planner/alarm clock, and document storage. It was not a Geiger counter (they had those as items). It would read holo-tapes and copy them locally. It had a screensaver. It was not involved with inventory management.

@AlphaPromethean : Very nice avatar; exceptional.
 
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It's basically a hand held computing device of limited power. It provides e-book, pda and a flashlight functions as well as being capable of acting as a basic method of direct interface in order to link directly into other devices like consoles, robots and so on for maintenance (and hacking) purposes.
It's also capable of interfacing with certain external gear like geiger counters, motion sensors, fm/am radio and comm. radios and slaving their controls to it for easy access.
 
  • GPS
  • Geiger counter
  • Radio receiver
  • Log book
  • Holotape reader
  • Alarm clock
  • Flashlight
  • Direct computer interface
  • Possible hacking utility? (I.E. making it easier to hack into systems)
  • V.A.T.S.
 
Note that Bethesda is willing to throw away a lore opportunity for a pop culture reference in Fallout 4...the RAM and memory specs when you boot up the Pip-Boy 3000 Mark IV (which they refuse to call anything but just Pip-Boy in the game, as if ignoring the other models blatantly) are just a "tribute" or "reference" to the Commodore 64. Don't know if this is just me, but it really bothers me.

Don't get me wrong, I like the C64.
 
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