What is this device? It seems to be a light pen for drawing on the briefcase computers screen… but almost certainly was something different. But what? I’m wondering if it was an inspection light. But even in the 1960s there were “pen” flashlights that ran on batteries and didn’t need cords for power. So was this an especially *powerful* light? Or something completely different? It does appear to have a machined aluminum holder for it to clip into.
5 responses to ““2001” Laptop: Light Pen”
It’s an endorectal pressure sensor for the unfilmed porn parody “2o69”
BS aside, yeah it’s supposed to be a light pen, but is most likely whatever was lying around the prop department that they thought would serve. So, yes, an inspection light is plausible.
You might look into portable tape recorders and see if it’s a microphone.
That’s a good thought. Looks like something that could easily be part of a dictaphone or similar unit. A perusal of ebay doesn’t turn up a match, but it might well still be out there.
“Light pens” often contained a phototransistor rather than a light source and worked backwards to what you are describing, reading light from the display device. That would require a wired connection back then.
While you’re not wrong in how light pens worked, my point was that I was wondering if this prop was a flashlight of some kind, rather than an actual light pen. Still haven;t figured it out, though.