Pip-Boy

The RobCo Pip-Boy (Personal Information Processor) is an electronic device manufactured by RobCo Industries.

The character who shows in images which illustrate all of the characteristics of the SPECIAL character system (perks, traits, stats etc.) is often incorrectly called "The Pipboy" (even in Fallout Tactics). His correct name is the Vault Boy.

Specifications
Using ultra-modern, super-deluxe resolution graphics in conjunction with its capability to store and transfer large amounts of information makes it the obvious choice for the wandering explorer, whether it be the out-on-his-own newbie or the all-around survivalist expert.

Pip-Boys were standard equipment issued to all Vault-Tec Corporation vaults. To register for such a device, residents would take part in an orientation seminar given by the Vault's Overseer to explain the functions and daily life enhancements provided by the Pip-Boy, along with filling out personal information in the Personal Information Processor Responsibility Form regarding such things as hand dominance, personal preferences, arm circumference, and Vault jumpsuit measurements. Some Vaults received newer models of the device, while others got older versions. The company mascot who shows in images which illustrate all of the characteristics of the SPECIAL character system (perks, traits, statistics, et cetera) is often incorrectly called "Pipboy" (even in Fallout Tactics). His real name is Vault Boy.

Pip-Boy 1.0


The Pip-Boy 1.0 was the very first model of the Pip-Boy personal information processors created by RobCo before the Great War. The device marked the first known attempt by any company to create a wearable portable computer. The only observed unit of the Pip-Boy 1.0 featured a highly cumbersome design with a small screen and no protective outer casing. Due to its crude appearance and a lack of protection for the circuitry, the Pip-boy 1.0 was most likely a mere prototype never meant for distribution to vaults.

Pip-Boy 2000


The Pip-Boy 2000 displays information in bright green on its black 5" x 3" screen, can record sound and video footage for later playback, and uses a simple yet elegant form of sonar and satellite tracking where satellite coverage is available to map out areas where its user travels. Though input is slow, a user can also hand-enter and edit text messages on the Pip-Boy 2000.

The Pip-Boy 2000 was a cumbersome, wrist-worn device, and was, among others, owned by the Vault Dweller and Chosen One. A modified model was used by the Brotherhood of Steel.

Pip-Boy 2000 Mark VI


The Pip-Boy 2000 Mark VI has the utilities on the right side with a caged section of vacuum tubes in between the radio, geiger counter and buttons. There is a hinged section indicated by silver hinges similar to wall mounted terminals. The connected section also has a clock, calendar and a power button. It also uses the Pip-Boy 2000 Vault Boy mascot.

Pip-Boy 3000


The 3000 model, like the 2000 model, displays its information on a black, monochrome screen. Like the 2000 model, it is capable of keeping tabs on the users health condition, mapping out areas, and taking and storing notes. Unlike its predecessor though, it also comes with added features, such a built-in radio, Geiger counter and Pip-Boy light, used to illuminate dark areas. There are several models of Pip-Boy 3000 that are designated by letter, i.e. Pip-Boy 3000A. which keep a similar appearance but contain different hardware. The major difference from the 2000 model is its need to be worn as a gauntlet, which seals with a biometric lock the 3000A is locked with bolts and can be removed wholesale, replaced, or temporarily displaced to allow for clothing to pass under it.

In Fallout: New Vegas, the Courier is provided a Pip-Boy 3000 by Doc Mitchell, a former vault dweller.

Pimp-Boy 3 Billion


A hand-crafted modification of the standard Pip-Boy 3000A, the extravagant Pimp-Boy 3 Billion is solid gold and encrusted with diamonds. It can be obtained from Mick at Mick & Ralph's in Freeside as a reward for persuading the Omertas to return to Mick for their weapon needs. Mick will switch the user's Pip-Boy between the 3000A and the 3 Billion upon request. The "Wild Wasteland" trait causes disco music to play whenever it is equipped (the first time and every time when swapping back from the original model).

Pip-Boy 3000 Mark IV


The Pip-Boy 3000 Mark IV is the fourth iteration of the Pip-Boy 3000 line and includes a number of design enhancements. The control dials were moved from the left side of the device to the right to improve accessibility and the biometric lock and glove were replaced by a simple latch, allowing for quick and easy removal. The Mark IV also utilized a revamped display interface with animated images and was capable of playing the latest video games, such as Atomic Command and Red Menace. The Mark IV, unlike their predecessors, are able to manually unlock the main vault door entrances.

The Pip-Boy 3000 Mark IV was distributed to vaults near Boston, including Vault 75, Vault 81, Vault 95, Vault 111 and Vault 114. Vault-Tec staff did not grant Pip-Boys to the residents of Vault 111 due to their placement in cryogenic stasis; the Sole Survivor of the vault was able to claim a Pip-Boy from the corpse of a long-dead Vault-Tec scientist.

PIP-Pad


The PIP-Pad is an experimental tablet-sized version of the Pip-Boy series, mainly for reading text and high-resolution graphics. A cache of these devices was discovered after the Great War in an old RobCo warehouse by the staff of The Armageddon Rag. There are some known bugs with the text processor, and users may occasionally see some strange characters.

Lil' Pip 3000


The 'Lil' Pip 3000 provides all of the functionality of the Pip-Boy 2000 Plus, but boasts a greatly reduced size made possible by the use of integrated circuits. Despite its advantages, the Lil' Pip remained less popular than its more durable predecessor.

Super Pip-Boy
The Super Pip-Boy is a unique Pip-Boy model worn by Victor Presper. It has a built-in health monitor, motion sensor, and a program creation and editing tool.

Appearances
The main characters in Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout 3, Fallout Tactics, Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76 are all equipped with different versions of Pip-Boys, the type found in Fallout 4 is known as the Pip-Boy 3000 Mark IV, while the model used in Fallout 76 is known as the Pip-Boy 2000 Mark VI. In Fallout Shelter, dwellers exploring the wasteland are equipped with a Pip-Boy.

Van Buren characters such as the Prisoner, Symm, other Tibbets prisoners and Dr. Presper's party (Coleridge, Briggs, Davidson and Pierce) were also planned to be equipped with Pip-Boys.

A Pip-Boy appears in Valve Software's multiplayer FPS Team Fortress 2 as a promotional miscellaneous cosmetic item for the Engineer class. When equipped, it will change the Engineer's construction PDA display to a green-and-black display, and adds an image of the Engineer in the style of the Vault Boy art.