History Main / TinmanTypist

* In the original ''StarWars'' trilogy, R2-D2 'talks' to various computers and electronic devices via his little hook-ups, but C-3P0 occasionally uses buttons and controls like a human, even flying the ship in Episode 3. Interfacing ability apparently depends on the type of robot.

* Something similar in the ''Anime/GhostInTheShell'' film: There are at least two scenes in which we see cybernetically-enhanced individuals extend their fingers into some highly dexterous tentacle-things which they then use to type on keyboards. While it is established that people in the [=GitS=] 'verse can connect their minds directly, doing it that way opens up the user to mind-hacking.

*** Not to mention that the above example may still apply even then; the same relative effect of a firewall can be had by requiring manual entry of some commands, especially if the neck port is set up to be a futuristic version of a mute terminal--think a computer with no keyboard or mouse hooked up.
** The manga explicitly states in a footnote that some people don't have cyberbrains because they're vulnerable to hacking, but replace their hands with cybernetics so they can compete with those who have them.

[[quoteright:350:[[Anime/GhostInTheShell https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ghost_in_the_shell_type.jpg]]]]

* Chachamaru from ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' has a few types of cords embedded in her finger for just this purpose. Never seen typing once.

* The first appearance of the Sentinels in ''Comicbook/XMen'' has them operating mechanical gunnery platforms with sized-up versions of human controls. Particularly egregious, as clearly these mechanisms have been specifically designed for use by giant robots.

* Alpha 5 of ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers''

* Claptrap in the {{VideoGame/Borderlands}} games, when he needs to interact with a control panel, smacks it with his claws.

* More generally, the [[Franchise/TransformersGeneration1 original]] {{Transformers}} use manual controls for ''everything,'' up to and including transforming a city into a fortress in [[WesternAnimation/TransformersTheMovie the movie]]. And almost none of them seemed to have built-in radios.
** This continues long past G1, and likely occurs in some form in ''every'' ''{{Transformers}}'' series, from ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' to ''[[WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime Prime]]''

** [[spoiler: Then again, the ship and such is run by an insane AI that was built incompetently, so...]]

** In another variation of the trope, the combat droids relay orders and communicate with each other verbally. A possible explanation is that they're built to be inaccessible over networks to prevent hacking. Can be a VoodooShark, as they are in fact all under the command of a central control unit...Sheer incompetence is, however, surprisingly reasonable.

* The computer, Deep Thought in ''Film/TheHitchikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' watches a cartoon on a television at one point instead of watching or knowing it internally.

* ''WesternAnimation/AvengersAssemble'': In the episode 'Dehulked' features a villain using miniature fingers to type justified in that he was wearing a [[MiniMecha large-ish]] PowerArmor at the time.

** In another variation of the trope, the combat droids relay orders and communicate with each other verbally. A possible explanation is that they're built to be inaccessible over networks to prevent hacking.

* Used but averted in the Devil's Due ''GIJoe vs. WesternAnimation/TheTransformers''. Optimus Prime is able to hack Cobra's communications system just from being plugged in, but when Wheeljack sees the signal on the Joe's computer, he extends a bunch of mini-fingers to use their computer to trace it back. Possibly justified in Wheeljack's case as he didn't have too much time to find a compatible port and just jacking into a system watched over by armed soldiers ''is'' kinda rude.

* Yuki Nagato from ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'' prefers to simply type on her keyboard, despite the fact that [[spoiler:she's a data-based alien lifeform]] and could literally just ''talk'' to the computer and get it to do what she wanted. In this case, it's justified, as Kyon asked her not to cheat by [[spoiler:using her data manipulation abilities]]. And as we know, [[{{Kuudere}} Yuki always listens to Kyon.]]

* ''Manga/{{Chobits}}'' had Persocoms typing.
** Of course, Persocom behavior is more likely to be based on "looking cute" or at least "staying on the right side of the UncannyValley" than pure efficiency. One character has his laptop Persocom (a tiny robot) write some information with a pencil; when Hideki asks if she has to, he responds that no, he could hook her to the printer, but it's ''cute'' to see her use a pencil taller than she is.

* Alpha 5 of ''MightyMorphinPowerRangers''

* ''[[Series/StarTrekVoyager Voyager]]'', the Doctor is constantly talking to the computer or pressing buttons. {{Justified|Trope}} in that an emergency replacement doctor might well be designed not to directly interface with the main computer so that he remains fully functional in situations where the main computer is offline. Also, he ''does'' want to be a RealBoy.

** For sound instead of letters: the first dial-up modems (which lets a computer talk to another through the telephone network) didn't connect to a phone line and send audio signals directly. Instead, they used [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acoustic_coupler acoustic couplers]] - a device to turn the audio signals into sound and send it through a telephone handset. This [[ThePennyfarthingEffect Penny-farthing Effect]] was [[EnforcedTrope Enforced]] by laws that gave the telephone company total control over what can be connected to a phone line.

** For sound instead of letters: the first dial-up modems (which lets a computer talk to another through the telephone network) didn't connect to a phone line and send audio signals directly. Instead, they used [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acoustic_coupler acoustic couplers]] - a device to turn the audio signals into sound and send it through a telephone handset. This [[ThePennyfarthingEffect Penny-farthing Effect]] was [[EnforcedTrope Enforced]] by laws that give the telephone company total control over what can be connected to a phone line.