I love this card - for 1 influence and 1, you can have some extremely versatile recurring credits available to you. Not only can you use them to pay for icebreakers, but you can get some non-icebreaking utility out of your money as well:
- Pay for using Self-modifying Code
- Pay to place power counters on an Atman when you install it
- Pay to tutor out a Virus program with Djinn (and host the Multithreader on Djinn)
- Pay to increase the strength Study Guide
Obviously, "only" 1 is a pretty big drawback when compared with its little brother Cyberfeeder, but there are some means of mitigating this drawback:
Shapers seem most naturally suited to using these as they have cheap Memory programs and have all the tools to reward them for finding/installing programs anyway: Leprechaun,Akamatsu Mem Chip, CyberSolutions Mem Chip. Additionally, programs like ZU.13 Key Master can help to reduce your memory constraint if you're running with an excess of .
Sunny Lebeau: Security Specialist introduces breakers that have an effective 0 cost if used with 2 , leaving her with a ton of room for extraneous programs. With her console, you could have all 3 of these programs out plus your breakers and STILL get the drip from Data Folding.
Final note - I love referential art, and Multithreader depicts a virtual avatar of Adam: Compulsive Hacker utilizing four programs - Knight, Overmind, Self-modifying Code and Passport.