Computer Use or Intellect?

On page 209 of the Player's Guide it says that to access information from a PADD relating to the timeline is an Intellect check. That made me wonder what the difference is between Computer Use (retrieve) and the Intellect check.

I see characters on Star Trek using the computer for basic functions and it doesn't seem like it's really a "skill", just common sense, which would lead me to believe that it's an Intellect check. If that's the case, when would one use the Computer Use (retrieve) skill?

Can someone give me an idea where the line is between these two, and maybe an example? Thanks.

I can only comment on my own approach, which is this:

Anything "easy" to get from the computer might require a simple INT check. Computers of the 24th century are designed to be easy to use, even by people whose primary skills are not related to engineering; i.e. the archaelogist, philosopher, or historian.

Anything "hard" to get would require computer use.

As a rule "easy" to get means the information is in the computer, or can be correlated from information in the computer. All the character needs to do is figure out how to ask for it properly. In this area, I take into consideration how the player phrases his request.

"Hard" refers to sitations where the computer is synthesizing new knowledge from raw data, such as sensor readings. In these cases, the character must do more than merely ask; he must operate tools successfully to produce a meaningful output.

HTH

Thanks, that's a good rule of thumb and more or less what I was thinking. I'm glad you verified that for me as the way that at least one other person interprets the rules. I appreciate your feedback.

Of course, there's also the Investigate (Research) skill.