A computer model developed by Hosaka. It operates with vocal commands and feedback, can read data from a database and its own array of libraries, journals, and news services and compile a precis. Armitage provided Case with one, being "next year's most expensive".
Waiting for his cure to complete, Case connected it to a Sony monitor and watched a kid's show about the history of cyberspace.
Case had the Hosaka make a precis on Panther Moderns but it only provided a useless interview of Dr. Virginia Rambaldi.
Later he had the Hosaka read the contents of Armitage's database in the London grid which the Hosaka sift for owner's personal history. Case saw a lozenge of white light when the Hosaka's voice identified the content as primarily video recordings of postwar military trials about Colonel Willis Corto; rattling through police reports, corporate espionage records, and news files it compiled a precis about him.
Later Case's gear was brought on Zion and then on Marcus Garvey. His deck, the Hosaka and a very high-resolution Cray monitor were mounted behind the pilot's module.
Asked about a cassette he received, the computer transmitted a message from Bockris Systems GmbH, under coded transmission, that the object is a Kuang Grade Mark Eleven icebreaker, effective against military systems and artificial intelligences. Hearing that it is Chinese, Case closed the computer, fastened the cassette to the side of the computer with silver tape. Then changed his mind and turned it on again, asking about Bockris; the computer delayed for interorbital transmission, and Case ordered to code it is standard commerical code; after some delay the computer answered that Bockris is owned by Reinhold Scientific A.G., in turn eventually owned by Tessier-Ashpool.
While in the Intercontinental, Freeside, Case called Maelcum and instructed him to put his ship'smodem on the Hosaka and turn on his deck, attaching the phone link. When it beeped, Case ordered from the phone the computer to ICE it, but the computer advised primly that he is speaking from a heavily monitored location. He then ordered to access Dixie's construct, which spoke through the Hosaka's voice chip, not able to emulate his carefully engineered accent. Later Dixie told the Hosaka to tell Maelcum to disconnect the modem.