VOGONS

Search

Common searches

MS-Windows (1980s) in films and series

Topic actions

First post, by Jo22

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

Hi everyone.

On the weekend before this weekend, I spotted an interesting detail while watching a re-run of the TV series Mac Gyver: a Windows 2.x application.

The original '85 series, I mean. Not that akward remake.
The episode was "Hearts of Steel", I believe and aired in 1990.

The application was titled "CompuSketch" and according to my quick research, really existed.

It was a little drawing tool (by today's standards) used for creating phantom pictures and at some point was used internally by government institutions in North America.

Now, that makes me wonder - do you know of other 80's Windows applications that made it on screen? :)

And more importantly, what kind of computer was that? ;)

PS: I've attached some photos. They are in low resolution only, for obvious reasons. Hope that's okay.

Attachments

  • mcg_c.jpg
    Filename
    mcg_c.jpg
    File size
    56.5 KiB
    Views
    562 views
    File license
    Fair use/fair dealing exception
  • mcg_b.jpg
    Filename
    mcg_b.jpg
    File size
    44.66 KiB
    Views
    562 views
    File license
    Fair use/fair dealing exception
  • mcg_a.jpg
    Filename
    mcg_a.jpg
    File size
    31.4 KiB
    Views
    562 views
    File license
    Fair use/fair dealing exception

"Time, it seems, doesn't flow. For some it's fast, for some it's slow.
In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

//My video channel//

Reply 1 of 4, by JidaiGeki

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Is it just me, or is there a continuity issue there - one minute a PC desktop, but last pic is of Macgyver in front of a Mac SE? or are they different scenes ...

Reply 2 of 4, by creepingnet

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie
JidaiGeki wrote on 2022-03-01, 13:38:

Is it just me, or is there a continuity issue there - one minute a PC desktop, but last pic is of Macgyver in front of a Mac SE? or are they different scenes ...

Not just you. Common thing in 80's and 90's movies involving computers.

- In Office space you have PCs running a facsimilie hodge podge of Mac OS and Windows created for the movie

- In Electric Dreams IIRC that was an Osbourne 1 with a dummy terminal attached to the top and some kind of XT Class keyboard running what looked like a BASIC program.

- Jurassic Park - Macs running Unix, and that's about the most accurate I've seen.

- Every time somone had a video game, regardless of if it was an NES, Genesis, or PC-Engine, it always had a backdrop of Atari 2600 sounds, usually Pac-Man and Donkey Kong. The only show I recall ever being realistic was the Gerry Shandling Show ending with a round of Super Mario Bros. 2 on an NES.

- There's a site called Starring the Computer to check out too. There I did find a few better executions including a late 90's Mac running actual Mac OS and an NEC Ultralite Versa running a purpose-to-movie made DOS program running on the actual TFT. So not all of them did this, but the majority did.

~The Creeping Network~
My Youtube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/creepingnet
Creepingnet's World - https://creepingnet.neocities.org/
The Creeping Network Repo - https://www.geocities.ws/creepingnet2019/

Reply 3 of 4, by BitWrangler

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

Dunno what they were using in 1995's "The Net" maybe windows with screens done in Visual Basic (Or Paint 🤣 )
https://triviahappy.com/articles/welcome-to-t … 5-movie-the-net

Your typical font sizing doesn't come out well when it's filmed at maybe 1/8 or 1/4 the screen size, unless they fullscreen the display. Even 640x480 modes are a bit squinty as a "10 foot user interface" meaning stuff you'd be able to make out on the screen of a TV 10 feet away, which is an analog of what they were trying to do here if such things were important to the plot.

edit: derp, I meant what they were using other than the screens that were obviously Apple... it's a bit of a mishmash.

Unicorn herding operations are proceeding, but all the totes of hens teeth and barrels of rocking horse poop give them plenty of hiding spots.

Reply 4 of 4, by Jo22

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++
JidaiGeki wrote on 2022-03-01, 13:38:

Is it just me, or is there a continuity issue there - one minute a PC desktop, but last pic is of Macgyver in front of a Mac SE? or are they different scenes ...

A Macintosh SE maybe? Cool, thanks for the tip! 🙂
I think it's one scene, afaik, took the pictures after each other.

creepingnet wrote on 2022-03-01, 16:47:
Not just you. Common thing in 80's and 90's movies involving computers. […]
Show full quote
JidaiGeki wrote on 2022-03-01, 13:38:

Is it just me, or is there a continuity issue there - one minute a PC desktop, but last pic is of Macgyver in front of a Mac SE? or are they different scenes ...

Not just you. Common thing in 80's and 90's movies involving computers.

- In Office space you have PCs running a facsimilie hodge podge of Mac OS and Windows created for the movie

- In Electric Dreams IIRC that was an Osbourne 1 with a dummy terminal attached to the top and some kind of XT Class keyboard running what looked like a BASIC program.

- Jurassic Park - Macs running Unix, and that's about the most accurate I've seen.

- Every time somone had a video game, regardless of if it was an NES, Genesis, or PC-Engine, it always had a backdrop of Atari 2600 sounds, usually Pac-Man and Donkey Kong. The only show I recall ever being realistic was the Gerry Shandling Show ending with a round of Super Mario Bros. 2 on an NES.

- There's a site called Starring the Computer to check out too. There I did find a few better executions including a late 90's Mac running actual Mac OS and an NEC Ultralite Versa running a purpose-to-movie made DOS program running on the actual TFT. So not all of them did this, but the majority did.

Ah yes, I now remember! That was funny sometimes. I remember a scene of the 2010 film, in which an Apple II-compatible became a notebook or something. 😆

BitWrangler wrote on 2022-03-01, 18:47:
Dunno what they were using in 1995's "The Net" maybe windows with screens done in Visual Basic (Or Paint lol ) https://triviaha […]
Show full quote

Dunno what they were using in 1995's "The Net" maybe windows with screens done in Visual Basic (Or Paint 🤣 )
https://triviahappy.com/articles/welcome-to-t … 5-movie-the-net

Your typical font sizing doesn't come out well when it's filmed at maybe 1/8 or 1/4 the screen size, unless they fullscreen the display. Even 640x480 modes are a bit squinty as a "10 foot user interface" meaning stuff you'd be able to make out on the screen of a TV 10 feet away, which is an analog of what they were trying to do here if such things were important to the plot.

edit: derp, I meant what they were using other than the screens that were obviously Apple... it's a bit of a mishmash.

Thanks for the link! That movie is one of my favorites! 😃
Also reminds me a bit of "Hackers" from about the same time. ^^

"Time, it seems, doesn't flow. For some it's fast, for some it's slow.
In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

//My video channel//

Go to top of page Go to top of page
Back to Milliways
Close window
Close window