<h1>Familiar technologies:</h1>
<hr />
<h1>The Wired</h1>
<p>The Wired is similar to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet" rel="nofollow noreferrer">The Internet</a> and runs on IPv4.</p>
<h1>Tachibana Industries</h1>
<p>Based on their naming schemes and designs, they're most likely a reference to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Inc." rel="nofollow noreferrer">Apple Inc.</a></p>
<h1>Alice's Navi:</h1>
<p>Alice's Navi looks like the <em>bubble</em> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMac_G3" rel="nofollow noreferrer">iMac G3</a>:</p>
<img src="https://lain.wiki/images/thumb/a/a8/Dolphins.jpg/180px-Dolphins.jpg" width="200" height="200" >
<img src="https://www.wired.com/images_blogs/gadgetlab/imac-bondi.jpg" width="300" height="200" >
<h1>Lain's original Navi</h1>
<p>Lain's original Navi is based off the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twentieth_Anniversary_Macintosh" rel="nofollow noreferrer">20th Anniversary Macintosh</a>:</p>
<img src="https://i.sstatic.net/taVaP.jpg" width="300" height="200" >
<img src="https://i.sstatic.net/611ZT.jpg" width="300" height="200" >
<h1>C Language</h1>
<p>The Navi systems run <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C_(programming_language)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">C</a>:</p>
<img src="https://i.sstatic.net/UOtlb.jpg" width="300" height="200" >
<h1>Common Lisp Language:</h1>
<p>The Navi systems also run <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Lisp" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Common Lisp</a> (A dialect of Lisp):</p>
<img src="https://s2.narvii.com/image/i7znfaly2lrxodxnxsqnss5cee6x57d2_hq.jpg" width="300" height="200" >
<h1>MIPS-ASM</h1>
<p>During one of the scenes where Lain is on her Navi, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assembly_language" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Assembly code</a> identified to be <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIPS_instruction_set" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MIPS-ASM</a> flashes across the screen.</p>
<h1>Copland OS:</h1>
<p>The OS that the Navis run, <em>Copland OS</em> is based on a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copland_(operating_system)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">failed Apple project</a> from two years prior.</p>
<h1>PHANTOMa</h1>
<p>PHANTOMa is similar to dungeon games like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Might_and_Magic" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>Might and Magic</em></a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeon_Master_(video_game)" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>Dungeon Master</em>.</a></p>
<img src="https://myswordisunbelievablydull.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/coalgirls_serial_experiments_lain_04_1008x720_blu-ray_flac_260d7cf9-mkv_snapshot_12-05_2011-08-17_06-54-30.jpg?w=584" width="300" height="200" >
<img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c7/Dungeon_Master_Box_Art.jpg/250px-Dungeon_Master_Box_Art.jpg" width="300" height="200" >
<h1>HandiNAVI</h1>
<p>The HandiNAVI is similar to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Newton" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Apple Newton line</a>.</p>
<img src="https://i.sstatic.net/AjY3n.jpg" width="300" height="200" >
<img src="https://i.sstatic.net/xbJ6P.jpg" width="300" height="200" >
<h1>Protocol Seven</h1>
<p>Protocol Seven is <a href="https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/draft-iab-ipversion7-00" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Internet Protocol version 7</a> (drafted in 1993) an RFC that was never implemented in favour of <a href="https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2460" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Internet Protocol version 6</a>, whose RFC was drafted in December 1998, after the series had finished.</p>
<hr />
<h1>Unfamiliar:</h1>
<h1>Psyche chip</h1>
<p>In Layer 02, Lain gets a chip that lets her interact with the Wired without standard input devices. This is similar to the concept of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_reality" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Virtual Reality</a>, yet is beyond today's technology.</p>
<img src="https://lain.wiki/images/b/ba/Psyche_chip.jpeg" width="300" height="200" >
<hr />
<h1>Unavailable at time of production:</h1>
<h1>CU Mail</h1>
<p>In Layer 11, Alice is in a video call with Juri. This is similar to today's video calling services like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skype" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Skype</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Hangouts" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Google Hangouts</a>.</p>
<h1>Navi's speech recognition:</h1>
<p>Lain is seen controlling her Navi via speech recognition. This is similar to today's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortana_(software)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Cortana</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siri" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Siri</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-28T16:22:34.667Z
CU Mail sounds like it could have been inspired by [CU-SeeMe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CU-SeeMe), one of the most popular early video chat applications from the '90s.
Zach Lipton
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-06T02:41:04.197Z
Some other references (like Lain's father's UI resembling NeXTSTEP) are pointed out here: https://www.cjas.org/~leng/apple-lain.htm
liori
CC BY-SA 4.0
2016-03-28T15:05:05.723Z
2023-05-01T17:21:39.837Z
2023-05-01T17:21:39.837Z
Quill
<p>Maybe too late but I'd be willing to chime in and note that Mac OS had speech recognition with assignable actions (Speakable Items) back in Mac OS 9 if not even earlier, and, though a bit limited, it could not only wait for a keypress, but constantly listen for a keyword that designates a command will be said after it. </p>

<p>So, in fact, this was, not as idealistic, but a reality of that time. </p>

<p>And for video chat there was a program called iVisit also in the times of Mac OS 9 which was a bit limited yet could provide some entertainment :-)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-21T20:35:41.830Z
While they're close, Lain predates Mac OS9. Lain aired in mid-1998, while Mac OS 9 was released in late 1999. However, other commercially available speech recognition programs existed prior to 1998, for example [Dragon NaturallySpeaking](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_NaturallySpeaking).
Logan M
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-22T20:54:05.867Z
According to [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlainTalk) the first time Macs were able to recognize speech was 1993. So yeah, even if the Lain's creators were inspired solely by Apple products, this was still a thing back then.
akasaka
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-21T19:20:31.580Z
2017-02-21T19:20:31.580Z
akasaka
<p>There's quite a few different types of technology (and computers) referenced in the world of Serial Experiments Lain, while some of them are easily matched, some of them aren't. In addition, some of the technologies weren't available at time of production (for example: speech recognition).</p>

<serial-experiments-lain>
Are the technologies in Serial Experiments Lain based on real world technologies?
# Are the technologies in Serial Experiments Lain based on real world technologies?
Posted by: username_0 on 2016-03-28
There's quite a few different types of technology (and computers) referenced in the world of Serial Experiments Lain, while some of them are easily matched, some of them aren't. In addition, some of the technologies weren't available at time of production (for example: speech recognition).
**Tags:** serial-experiments-lain
---
## 2 answers
### Answer by username_0 on 2016-03-28. Score: 14
# Familiar technologies:

---

# The Wired

The Wired is similar to [The Internet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet) and runs on IPv4.

# Tachibana Industries

Based on their naming schemes and designs, they're most likely a reference to [Apple Inc.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Inc.)

# Alice's Navi:

Alice's Navi looks like the *bubble* [iMac G3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMac_G3):

![](https://lain.wiki/images/thumb/a/a8/Dolphins.jpg/180px-Dolphins.jpg)
![](https://www.wired.com/images_blogs/gadgetlab/imac-bondi.jpg)

# Lain's original Navi

Lain's original Navi is based off the [20th Anniversary Macintosh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twentieth_Anniversary_Macintosh):

![](https://i.sstatic.net/taVaP.jpg)
![](https://i.sstatic.net/611ZT.jpg)

# C Language

The Navi systems run [C](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C_(programming_language)):

![](https://i.sstatic.net/UOtlb.jpg)

# Common Lisp Language:

The Navi systems also run [Common Lisp](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Lisp) (A dialect of Lisp):

![](https://s2.narvii.com/image/i7znfaly2lrxodxnxsqnss5cee6x57d2_hq.jpg)

# MIPS-ASM

During one of the scenes where Lain is on her Navi, [Assembly code](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assembly_language) identified to be [MIPS-ASM](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIPS_instruction_set) flashes across the screen.

# Copland OS:

The OS that the Navis run, *Copland OS* is based on a [failed Apple project](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copland_(operating_system)) from two years prior.

# PHANTOMa

PHANTOMa is similar to dungeon games like [*Might and Magic*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Might_and_Magic) and [*Dungeon Master*.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeon_Master_(video_game))

![](https://myswordisunbelievablydull.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/coalgirls_serial_experiments_lain_04_1008x720_blu-ray_flac_260d7cf9-mkv_snapshot_12-05_2011-08-17_06-54-30.jpg?w=584)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c7/Dungeon_Master_Box_Art.jpg/250px-Dungeon_Master_Box_Art.jpg)

# HandiNAVI

The HandiNAVI is similar to the [Apple Newton line](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Newton).

![](https://i.sstatic.net/AjY3n.jpg)
![](https://i.sstatic.net/xbJ6P.jpg)

# Protocol Seven

Protocol Seven is [Internet Protocol version 7](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/draft-iab-ipversion7-00) (drafted in 1993) an RFC that was never implemented in favour of [Internet Protocol version 6](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2460), whose RFC was drafted in December 1998, after the series had finished.

---

# Unfamiliar:

# Psyche chip

In Layer 02, Lain gets a chip that lets her interact with the Wired without standard input devices. This is similar to the concept of [Virtual Reality](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_reality), yet is beyond today's technology.

![](https://lain.wiki/images/b/ba/Psyche_chip.jpeg)

---

# Unavailable at time of production:

# CU Mail

In Layer 11, Alice is in a video call with Juri. This is similar to today's video calling services like [Skype](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skype) and [Google Hangouts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Hangouts).

# Navi's speech recognition:

Lain is seen controlling her Navi via speech recognition. This is similar to today's [Cortana](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortana_(software)) and [Siri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siri).
> **Comments:**
> **username_1** (2016-03-28): CU Mail sounds like it could have been inspired by [CU-SeeMe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CU-SeeMe), one of the most popular early video chat applications from the '90s.  
> **username_2** (2017-11-06): Some other references (like Lain's father's UI resembling NeXTSTEP) are pointed out here: https://www.cjas.org/~leng/apple-lain.htm  
---
### Answer by username_3 on 2017-02-21. Score: 1
Maybe too late but I'd be willing to chime in and note that Mac OS had speech recognition with assignable actions (Speakable Items) back in Mac OS 9 if not even earlier, and, though a bit limited, it could not only wait for a keypress, but constantly listen for a keyword that designates a command will be said after it.

So, in fact, this was, not as idealistic, but a reality of that time.

And for video chat there was a program called iVisit also in the times of Mac OS 9 which was a bit limited yet could provide some entertainment :-)
> **Comments:**
> **username_4** (2017-02-21): While they're close, Lain predates Mac OS9. Lain aired in mid-1998, while Mac OS 9 was released in late 1999. However, other commercially available speech recognition programs existed prior to 1998, for example [Dragon NaturallySpeaking](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_NaturallySpeaking).  
> **username_3** (2017-02-22): According to [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlainTalk) the first time Macs were able to recognize speech was 1993. So yeah, even if the Lain's creators were inspired solely by Apple products, this was still a thing back then.  
---
