The ship U.S.S. Voyager : Computers, page 2

Short-range RF (radio-frequency) data links are available throughout Voyager to provide information transmission to portable and handheld devices such as tricorders and PADDs. PADD is the acronym for "personal access display device" and, like the tricorder, is a small but very data-capacious, powerful and versatile handheld computer, but the tricorder primary capacity and function relates to data-gathering via sensors. (Star Trek technology has anticipated, or even inspired, the 20th/21st century handheld computers.)

As with all other Federation facilities, the Federation Starship USS Voyager is equipped with portable computers to supplement the main shipboard ones. As well as storing and cross-indexing a vast quantity of data from the ship's database and sensors, portable computers, like the main computers, can transmit audio-visual communications.

Behind-the-scenes: The computer's voice, as in previous Star Trek series, is that of Majel Barrett, widow of Gene Roddenberry. Computer sounds/voice.

Janeway's portable computer, located in the Captain's Ready Room. A number of PADDs can also be seen.
[#1 and #2 Caretaker]

Janeway at work with her personal computer in the Captain's Ready Room
[#109 and #110 Dark Frontier]

sensor logs display on Janeway's personal computer
[#109 and #110 Dark Frontier]

computer's "transpectral" (sic.) analysis displayed on Janeway's personal computer
[#109 and #110 Dark Frontier]

display of the Hirogen communications relay network
[#83 Hunters]

The use of a personal computer can be restricted to certain personnel, as occurs in [#36 Investigations]: Neelix: "Computer, activate monitor." Computer: "Unable to comply. Monitor is cleared for Lieutenant Thomas Paris only." Neelix, having overheard Hogan use the code to access a computer file in Engineering: "Override existing clearance. Engineering authorisation omega four seven." Computer: "Authorisation accepted. Files recovered."

Janeway at her desk in the captain's ready room. Her desk is covered with PADDs and two portable computers. (pop-up window) [#89 The Omega Directive]

Display of data on Janeway's computer about the child Annika Hansen. (pop-up window) [#70 The Gift]

Starfleet PADDS are now fabricated from micromilled duranium and operate on sarium-krellide power cells. They employ dynamic resolution switching created by a nanopixel molecular matrix. They are light and easily portable. There are various sizes - see illustrations below. All PADDs contain subspace transceiver assemblies (STA) for data transmissions to larger core computers. Isolinear memory storage capacity ranges from 15.3 kiloquads to 97.5 kiloquads although the exact capacity of Voyager's PADDs is unknown (not stated in sources or in aired episodes).

Below two pictures: One type of PADD, shown displaying text and a picture:

PADD (Personal Access Display Device)
The words "Database 83 528", "Hansen Diary", "The Borg cube was still pursuing, heading directly for us.", "The cube is closing in. We're" and the Systems Data number can just about be read.
[#109 and #110 Dark Frontier]

PADD
[#70 The Gift]

Below: The larger style of PADD, shown above, in use in [#3 Parallax] at a staff meeting:

PADD
[#124 Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy]

PADD
[#140 Good Shepherd]

Larger-style PADDs are seen in several episodes, particularly Seasons 1 and 2.

These three screenshots are from [#60 Darkling]

It is not one of the PADD designs shown above, and in addition the viewscreen is longer, or wider - "wider" because I surmise that it is a PADD from the show . Presumably this model of PADD was already standard issue to starships by the time that USS Voyager left Deep Space 9 in [#1 and #2 Caretaker].

Source ST:M

This is although the PADD design is not like that on page 41 of DS9 Tech, from which one might otherwise wonder.

PADDS from Source AOST

Source AOST This sample label on the back of PADDs reads: 855 OPTICAL DATA NET SERVICE ACCESS Refer servicing to qualified Starfleet technicians. No user-serviceable parts inside. Remember, no matter where you go there you are. The production staff sometimes put jokes on the deliberately hard-to-read stickers on the reverse of PADDs. ("No matter where you go there you are" is the quotation on USS Excelsior's dedication plaque.) Optical Data Net refers to the acronym ODN heard in Star Trek episodes - the ODN is the fibre-optic data transmission conduits used by Federation computer networks. The source is canon but, while labels on the back of USS Voyager PADDs are seen e.g. [#3 Parallax] [#36 Investigations] (large style), [#84 Prey] (smaller style), I have not noticed many. For a while I have been looking out for them and am compiling an article which will be announced in WHAT'S NEW once complete, and will at that time update this section appropriately.

Behind-the-scenes: The acronym PADD was suggested by 'Star Trek' research consultant Richard Arnold during the early days of

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