Example of the desktop (left) and laptop (right) variants of the holo-terminal on the SSV Normandy SR-2.

A Holo-terminal, also known as a haptic adaptive computer, is a modern general-purpose computer that comes in laptop and desktop variants and uses a holographic interface for the user to use in interacting with the terminal. Virtually identical in function to a traditional personal computer, the holo-terminal is advanced in that it ditches traditional input devices such as a mouse-and-keyboard for the convenience of a holographic "haptic" interface. Instead, modern input peripherals are usually holographically displayed in front of the user at a height and angle for ergonomic ease. Machines that use this interface detect a user through a microframe chip in the user's glove that "keys in" to the computer. Once a user is accepted, motion accelerometers in the user's gloves match his hands' location with that of a proportionate but smaller "mirror" set of controls inside the computer itself. As the user presses against the holographic field, force-feedback in the glove kicks in, giving a slight resistance. A person can feel his way through using a touch-screen that isn't actually there. A simple toggle switch on the back of the hands allows the glove to be turned off when not in use. Haptic interfaces became so common that some individuals underwent cybernetic enhancement surgery to have the accelerometers implanted in their fingertips. "Going bareskin" is the sign of a committed computer user who no longer has to fuss with putting on gloves or cleaning them with alcohol wipes to get rid of the clammy-hand smell. As such, analogue forms of computer technology have all but completely disappeared outside of museums, antique collectors and technology enthusiasts.

Holo-terminals have appeared in numerous forms throughout galactic history, existing in one way or another throughout every cycle: in the asari cycle, the first holo-terminal was built in 561 BCE by salarian inventor Taewort Amali. Holo-terminal designs depend on the manufacturers who build them and the design pattern they use in the process: desktop holo-terminals are usually built into a desk, with the terminal's machinery stored within the desk itself, whereas laptop holo-terminals are designed for portability in mind, allowing a user to pick it up and take it elsewhere easily. Even as technology continues to evolve, holo-terminals have remained ever present, the base concept itself never really changing, even as improvements were made and newer versions invented. Even following the technological revolution of the post-Reaper War, no real change occurred, even as holographic technology made leaps and bounds in their applications: holo-terminals continue to remain a part of every day life, both military and civilian.