Why I'll Never Use Copper Bulbs

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Want to get more involved in the logical redstone community?

0:00 Intro
0:37 What's a Copper Bulb?
1:54 User Interfaces
6:09 Memory
9:56 Binary Counters
12:14 Screens
15:40 Subscribe!

Music (in order):
Mellowind - Haii

[mattbatwings]

What do you think? What do you agree/disagree with?

Btw, this is the first time I’ve ever made an opinion/rant style video, so please let me know what you think! :)

Have a great day!

[hopperelec]

I don't really know much about redstone, but it sounds like copper bulbs are a perfect replica of secondary storage. Most of your arguments against copper bulbs are about them being difficult to reset, but I think this actually gives a greater correlation to real life computing. Redstone lamps are volatile (like RAM) and need a signal (power) to stay on but copper bulbs are non-volatile (specifically secondary storage) and something like barrels is read-only memory as you mentioned. Resetting/flushing your redstone storage is the equivalent of turning it off and back on again! Taking this into account, they would all have great uses in computation, it's just that secondary storage happens to not be used as much in redstone projects since if a redstone engineer wanted to save the state they'd probably just save it as a schematic or make a backup of the world

[capsey_]

"I don't want my screen to have state"
That's a great point

[-M-]

Mattbatt in his video: tbh, it's just that I wont use them that much.
Mattbatt in the title: I will NEVER EVER touch one of these things...

[Takyodor]

I think you're heavily underselling just how useful T-flip-flops/inverting bit patterns are, especially when movable. They can also be used as extremely compact XOR, if the inputs don't arrive at the same time (if no signal arrives, they stay OFF, if one signal is ON they are ON, and if both signals are ON in sequence they turn OFF again). I use un-synchronized counters all the time since they are so compact (even more so with copper bulbs) without issues. It should also be possible to use that piston-square trick with moving bulbs to make a super compact buffer/queue/de-serializer, where inputs are saved at on point, read at a later point, and then reset with an observer. I like how they clearly show their state visually as well, I tend to have to put lamps all over my latches to visualize which bits are set, now that is built into the storage block!

[SmoothBeans]

I just think of copper bulbs as a completely different thing than redstone lamps. Both can be used for different purposes and both are still useful.

[MythoricGaming]

instead of using barrels, i use lecterns with 15 pages (it leaves room for other items in a saved hotbar, and can be switched on a whim)

[ChuckSploder]

I think the problem with all these examples is that you're only using them to try and replace lamps, which wasn't their intended purpose in the first place. Once people find niche uses for them (e.g. HDD storage, programming) it'll become that much more useful for those things

[kurtu]

9:43 is a Turing complete machine. Increase the size of the feedtape and allow it to reverse and you basically have a full computer. Its not just memory.

[luketurner]

"Use the right tool for the job." In this case the tool in question is basically a T-flip-flop, so don't try to use it where you need a different logic component. Personally, I will probably only use bulbs where I need a TFF

[konstick-pepeland]

I understand the point of the video, but I feel like you're somewhat missing the point. You take the bulb, try to replace the lamp in circuits that were designed for lamps and wondering why it's worse. The circuits were originally made for active displays and not toggles, so of course it will be worse. I feel that people just haven't yet discovered the ways that the bulb is better, since it's so new. I like the video, but I'd like if it could show that this is only an opinion considering the things thus far, but the future could show more uses for them when they're discovered

[haniyasu]

6:50 I can definitely see the Copper Bulb be used for Rom, specifically programmable ROM. Provides a really easy way to change the memory of the device while debugging without having to break or place blocks just by pressing a button.

[Pr_Gmr_]

suggestion: build "wireless" data transmission by sending a flying machine with copper bulbs storing data and then receiving them at the other end

[modman]

me and a friend developed an instant 0 ticking rom feed tape, so I think the copper built would be great for fast r/w memory

[HatsuneTku]

"Wow, we really like this thing you added! Thanks!"

"No."

"What?"

"It's gone."

[Typocat]

i do really like the rotating storage at 9:27, if it was on a piston, you could switch data sets, meaning you could even make a select screen, and if you use your extendable piston logic, you could have a virtually infinite amount of data sets.

[genericweeb]

2:36 if the user knows the slightest bit about the copper bulb then they know it can only exist in 2 states. Even if they didn't know that, they'd realize it after clicking it once makes it stay on

[CraftyMasterman]

you know the copper bulb is bad when they nerfed it AND it's not even that great as a t flip flop

[TheSome]

5:39 I immediately asked myself, why wouldn't you just use a copper bulb in this design to make it look better?

[inequalmeasure]

Having made one copper bulb computer and working on a second, I have to say that copper bulbs can be used for really interesting data storage and computation systems, it requires a very different non traditional kind of architecture. I used the bulbs to make a really interesting hybrid 16x16 screen with 8x8 inputs, but then in order reset it without command blocks I have to give it much longer input pulses and might need to limit how often the screen updates. I also made a better rippling up/down binary counter, I should probably make that it's own video soon.
Lots of really weird trade offs, some of the UI stuff is up to preference but it is disappointing how many things have a clear and final answer.