How accurate is "Pirates of Silicon Valley"?

tacojohn

I just watched "Pirates of Silicon Valley" tonight and was wondering how accurate it was.



I'm semi-new to the mac community (I've only been an addict or cult member for a little more than a year now) so I don't really know the true history.



Is Bill Gates really that much of a sneaky snake?



Does Steve really treat his workers like dirt?



Is apple's headquarters really that cool?



thanks!

mount_my_floppy

Well, thats not how Steve Jobs became employee number 0. There are a few other things here and there. The thing with zerox, Apple pulled the usual they don`t steal tech like other companies, they steal the people that make the tech.

wil

Not very accurate,too many artistic license based on urban legends IMHO.

smithjoel

From the pictures I've seen, the Apple HQ is much cool than the movie.

grad student

I've been inside - and yes indeed... apple HQ is the coolest company on the planet. Let me say that again: Apple is the coolest place to work on the planet.

steve

Damn, I've never seen this movie, and I have such a yearning to... Someone tell me the next time it comes on, okay? :-\\

kenneth

I watched it on VHS tape, does it available in DVD format?

eman

[quote]Originally posted by Steve:

<strong>Damn, I've never seen this movie, and I have such a yearning to... Someone tell me the next time it comes on, okay? :-\\</strong><hr></blockquote>



Me too. I really wanna see it.

tacojohn

Well- I rented it from blockbuster



I don't think there is a DVD out for it- I watched it on crappy VHS

eman

[quote]Originally posted by tacojohn:

<strong>Well- I rented it from blockbuster



I don't think there is a DVD out for it- I watched it on crappy VHS</strong><hr></blockquote>



They have it in Blockbuster? I don't recall ever seeing it there.

overtoasty

[quote]Originally posted by tacojohn:

<strong>I just watched "Pirates of Silicon Valley" tonight and was wondering how accurate it was.



</strong><hr></blockquote>



It's an imaginary past, made on a "who's going to sick the most lawyers on me?" leash, and a dash of the "any-man rags to riches feel good" aesthetic ...



Bill Gates as "poor university student"?



Bwah ha ha ha

ibrowse

It is NOT available on DVD, I tried to get it and have FYE order it for me, but they told me that it was never put to DVD.



There's some parts that are very close, but most parts are bent or altered 'slightly', from what I understand.



Does anybody know if Apple has the Pirate Flag out front today? I doubt they still do, but it would be awesome if they do.

amorya

Anyone know if it ever came out in UK?



Amorya

ghost_user_name

[quote]Originally posted by Amorya:

<strong>Anyone know if it ever came out in UK?</strong><hr></blockquote>It was actually a made-for-TV movie by the network TNT. It was so popular among the geeks (no offense, guys) that they later also released it on VHS tape.



Somehow I doubt they made a PAL version for the UK and other countries. <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" />



[ 10-21-2002: Message edited by: Brad ]</p>

amorya

[quote]Originally posted by Brad:

<strong>It was actually a made-for-TV movie by the network TNT. It was so popular among the geeks (no offense, guys) that they later also released it on VHS tape.



Somehow I doubt they made a PAL version for the UK and other countries. <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" />



[ 10-21-2002: Message edited by: Brad ]</strong><hr></blockquote>



Shame. I've got the equipment to play NTSC tapes, but I don't know anywhere round here that carries them. Certainly none of the rental shops do.



Amorya

smithjoel

My favorite part of the movie is how the portry Baulmer as some sort of man-child that was Gates tag-along. I don't like the guy and all, but he was smart enough to get into Harvard, which is more than I can say.



However, there was a good film on PSB a long while back. I think it was called somthing like, "revenge of the computer nerds". Good documentry, pretty factual, as I remember.

tacojohn

Well-



I thought that the film was cool (I can understand changing stuff to make it a better movie).



I liked the way gates was portrayed- sneaky little bastard.



I don't exactly know how to react to job's though- seemed like a very cold person- but crazy too- what is he like now? Has he changed at all? Anyone met him?



I was thinking about the mac community as being a sort of cult before the movie and now I think that its very true and jobs is the leader.



I want to take a tour of their headquarters now that I've seen the movie- how would this be possible?

mac's girl

yes, SJ really does act like that in real life from what i heard!!!

i just loved it when the poor guys were up all night (for like 4 days in a row) and finally made a new computer and showed it to steve, and he just said 'what is this garbage' and trashed it. LOL!!!! im sick, i know...but i found it funny. what a d*ck, but ya gotta love him.



<img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" /> <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" />

btw, you can order the vhs from amazon.com.

blackmac.de

[quote]Originally posted by iBrowse:

<strong>Does anybody know if Apple has the Pirate Flag out front today? I doubt they still do, but it would be awesome if they do.</strong><hr></blockquote>



No they don't. It was the symbol of the original Macintosh team, when the macintosh was not out yet. But now that all Apple Computers are Macs it has kind of worn out.

overhope

Amazon have it for sale (complete with cheesy font on the front cover) right about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0780627717/qid=1035322006/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/002-4120784-0486418?v=glance&n=507846"; target="_blank">here</a>.

grad student

true story:



two guys are sitting in the cafeteria inside Apple (btw the cafeteria is ILL), steve walks up and without a word, takes both of their badges, walks off. Aparently they were talking about something they were working on - fired on the spot in view of everyone.