Pip - Boy The RobCo Pip - Boy ( Personal Information Processor ) is an electronic device manufactured by RobCo Industries . It uses ultra - modern super - deluxe resolution graphics , which coupled with its capability to store large amounts of information and transfer data to and from holodisk s and from data tubes make it the obvious choice for the wandering explorer , the out - on - his - own newbie or the all - around survivalist expert . Some common characteristics that Pip - boys had were Geiger counters , Health status of the user , a radio , a map , a journal , and an inventory list for weapons , armor , and any supplies . The Pip - Boys were standard equipment issued to all Vault - Tec Vault s . Some Vaults received newer models of the device , while others were given older models . The character who shows in images which illustrate all of the characteristics of the SPECIAL character system ( perk s , trait s , stats etc . ) is often incorrectly called " The Pipboy " ( even in " " ) . His correct name is the Vault Boy . Variants . 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 original Pip - Boy 2000 was a hand - held device , though some very cumbersome models were made to be worn on the arm . These models were unofficially called Pip - Boy 2000 Plus , and were , among others , owned by the Vault Dweller and Chosen One . A modified model was used by the Brotherhood of Steel . Pip - Boy 3000 . The Pip - Boy 3000 abandoned the hand - held design of its predecessor completely , making wrist - mounted designs standard . Several different models of the 3000 were made , each incorporating minor ergonomic and technical changes but maintaining the same general appearance . The Pip - Boy 3000A features a built - in radio , Geiger counter , flashlight , and a biometric lock that can only be opened by either the user or a skilled technician . The Pip - Boy 3000A was distributed to Vaults in the Washington , D . C . and Mojave Desert areas . 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 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 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 " , " " , " " and " Fallout 4 " are all equipped with different versions of Pip - Boys , the type found in " Fallout 4 " is known as the Pip - Boy 3000 Mark IV . In " Fallout Shelter " , ( some ? ) 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 ' s multiplayer FPS " " 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 .