Why didn't Desmond just enter the numbers?

[metal]

Why didn't Desmond just enter the numbers to stop the countdown? That was really dumb.

-metal

[WndrBr3d]

Because that would have made sense.

DUH! :nanabobo:

[tewkewl74]

i know. just because the monitor is gone doesn't mean you can't enter the #s. that was the first thing i was thinking!

[Kostamojen]

It was ancient I-mac...

[metal]

Heh...exactly. That was frustating. I was thinking to myself "Desmond, what are you doing?" So sad, I really liked the Desmond character and was waiting for him to return to the show only to have him get smoked.

:(

-metal

[Koray]

Heh. Youngins'. The monitor IS the computer.

[t0x]

Now that that was answered, why didn't Desmond just use the failsafe in the first episode of the season when the computer was perceived to be broken?

[RememberMe]

Now that that was answered, why didn't Desmond just use the failsafe in the first episode of the season when the computer was perceived to be broken?

My best explanation for this (other than TPTB hadn't thought of it yet) is that at that time Desmond thought he could use his boat to escape. This time he's lost all hope of ever leaving the island.

[metal]

Uhhh...No Oldster. The computer is an Apple II+ and the computer was still on the desk. Locke threw the monitor and that was it.

-metal

http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=571

[Koray]

Damn so it is. I assumed it was a //e. Stupid. You got me ;)

[metal]

No worries. :D I still miss Desmond. I hope he shows up in more flashbacks, he's damn interesting.

[Badger]

It is a prop. It is supposedly a dumb terminal connected to the mainframe. Both the II+ and IIe had separate monitors.

[Yoshi9]

Think about it if the monitor is broken then every time locke ,in an attempt to prevent him from entering the numbers, pushs him away and hit some random keys to sqrew things up desmond would have to erase everything and start from the begining since he doesn't know where the error is.

[Kylie]

Think about it if the monitor is broken then every time locke ,in an attempt to prevent him from entering the numbers, pushs him away and hit some random keys to sqrew things up desmond would have to erase everything and start from the begining since he doesn't know where the error is.

Agreed. I can't tell you how many times I've typed in a password or something without looking at the monitor. I probably screw it up at least 25% of the time and I'm definitely under no pressure.

With respect to why he didn't use the key earlier, I also agree that the boat played as a factor, BUT the more pressing issue is that television story arcs require characters to change. Some travel their personal journey faster than others. At the beginning of the season, Desmond isn't someone we know, so we can afford to let him be selfish and run off when the computer is destroyed. They also had more time to try and fix the computer then, as opposed to the mere minutes Desmond had in "Live Together". By the time the finale arrives, however, and we learn (with rather artful speed, I thought) a lot about what's he's been through and where he's coming from, his sacrifice and faith in using the key to save others is more powerful.

There's no pay off in risking everything for humanity in the first five minutes we meet a character.

[CatWoman]

Why didn't Desmond just enter the numbers to stop the countdown? That was really dumb.

-metal

If I am not mistaken, Locke threw the computer, with keyboard attached and destroyed it.

[rknorton91]

Now that that was answered, why didn't Desmond just use the failsafe in the first episode of the season when the computer was perceived to be broken?

I think Desmond believed that using the fail safe key would kill him and at the time he was not prepared to die. He thought he had a decent chance of being able to get on his boat and make a run for it. It was only after he could not navigate away from the island that he lost all hope and decided to use the fail safe key

[medre]

I think Desmond believed that using the fail safe key would kill him and at the time he was not prepared to die. He thought he had a decent chance of being able to get on his boat and make a run for it. It was only after he could not navigate away from the island that he lost all hope and decided to use the fail safe key

I think you're right.

[Zeek]

TPTB hadn't thought of it yet
I think you're right.

[Lawboy]

Who says Desmond is DEAD? I think that is a bad assumption to make.........

[dp2]

No, we don't know he's dead, but he assumed he would die.

At any rate, the reason he turned the key was to free Locke. That was his stated purpose in doing it. Don't ask me for an explanation.

[jaystao]

Looking at the finale and the particular scene where Locke's button is finally pushed one to many times - Locke grabs the monitor but ALSO throws the hard drive of the table in one all encompassing move. Desmond tries to save the hard drive but it looks like he isn't fast enough. The hard drive falls 'out of shot' so presumably it landed and all we see is the monitor getting its due. The hard drive probably split open but its wiring and circuitry 'who knows' since the beebing sound still continues. I imagine it would be fairly wonky at the best of times after the legth it has endured in the hatch. That saying, even so, Desmond didn't seem to be that of a natch with computers (it was Sayid who fixed it) and the scene itself did present rather a difficult conundrum for Des in its intesity. Locke in his given state would have done just what was suggested and typed some random numbers pushing Desmond out of the way (but that would have looked 'really' silly). Anyway that seems to be what happened.

[bongnatas]

:Cheers:

[Andrew23]

Let's just say that Desmond's not a computer nerd and didn't know you could still enter the numbers after the moniter is kaput.

[UKLostie]

I too just watch the finale again, Locke picked up the monitor and pushed the hard-drive and keyboard to the floor before throwing the monitor down. So it is safe to say they couldn't just input the numbers.

[avon]

Looking at the finale and the particular scene where Locke's button is finally pushed one to many times - Locke grabs the monitor but ALSO throws the hard drive of the table in one all encompassing move. Desmond tries to save the hard drive but it looks like he isn't fast enough. The hard drive falls 'out of shot' so presumably it landed and all we see is the monitor getting its due. The hard drive probably split open but its wiring and circuitry 'who knows' since the beebing sound still continues.

It took me some time to realize that you're calling the actual computer "a hard drive". BTW, the Apple II did not have a hard drive. The box with the keyboard (the one that Desmond pushes back) contains the motherboard with the processor, the memory and various additional chips. The two largish boxes sitting next to the computer are 5.25" floppy drives. The two thinner boxes sitting on top of the floppy drives COULD be external hard drives but I doubt it.

The fact that the beeping continues after the computer is presumably toasted could point to the theory that the timer is actually controlled by another computer/mainframe and the Apple II is just a terminal connected to the mainframe and used for entering the numbers.

Cheers,
-avon-

[jaystao]

Thanks, I think. I'm a bit confused but I agree that if the beebing is still going it is a bit starange. Wouldn't it be spooky if they couldn't find the 'speakers' and it seemed for all purposes like the sound was just appearing in their heads. Nice to hear from you again BTW.

[melostmo]

I think using the key was Desmond's attempt to make himself feel heroic.
Think of how he must have felt for years.. with Penelope's dad calling him a coward.
So, with little thought, but yet much conviction, he figured he could fix things, with the key... even if it meant his own life !