People typing away on a computer will turn it off without saving the data. However, the files are found fully intact upon returning. Complex calculations and loading of huge amounts of data will be accomplished in under three seconds. Modems transmit data at two gigabytes per second. No matter what kind of computer disk it is, it'll be readable by any system you put it into.
All application software is usable by all computer platforms.
The more high-tech the equipment, the more unlabeled buttons it has. A mathematician will be able to calculate where the shell will land. A physicist will be able to explain why it will land there. An engineer will try to catch it. All three ran off, extremely keen on how to do this.