Pirates of Silicon Valley



Pirates of Silicon Valley

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pirates of Silicon Valley is a 1999 film based on the book Fire in the Valley: The Making of The Personal Computer by Paul Freiberger and Michael Swaine. It is a made-for-television docudrama written and directed by Martyn Burke which documents the rise of the home computer (personal computer) through the rivalry between Apple Computer and Microsoft. The film stars Anthony Michael Hall as Bill Gates and Noah Wyle as Steve Jobs.

In 1984, Steve Jobs (Noah Wyle) speaking to director Ridley Scott (J. G. Hertzler), who is in the process of creating the 1984 commercial for Apple Computer which introduced the Macintosh personal computer to an American audience for the first time. Jobs sees the commercial as a poetic statement of consciousness-raising, but Scott is more concerned at the moment with its technical aspects.

Flashing forward 1997, Jobs has returned to Apple, and announces a new deal with Microsoft at the '97 Macworld Expo. His partner, Steve Wozniak (Joey Slotnick), is introduced as one of the two central narrators of the story. Wozniak notes to the audience the resemblance between "Big Brother" and the image of Bill Gates (Anthony Hall) on the screen behind Jobs during this announcement. Asking how they "got from there to here," the film turns to flashbacks of his youth with Jobs, prior to the forming of Apple.

The first flashback takes place on the U.C. Berkeley campus during the period of the early seventies student movements. Jobs and Wozniak are shown caught on the campus during a riot between students and police. Jobs and Wozniak flee the riot, and after finding safety, Jobs states to Wozniak that it is they, not the protesters, who are the true revolutionaries. Despite the spiritual dimension in which Jobs views their work, Wozniak simply sees their computer work in terms of kilobytes and circuit boards.

Meanwhile, a young Bill Gates at Harvard University, his classmate Steve Ballmer (John Di Maggio), and Gates’ high school friend Paul Allen (Josh Hopkins) are conducting their early work with MITS, which is juxtaposed against the involvement of Jobs and Wozniak with the Homebrew Computer Club, eventually leading to the development of the Apple I in 1976. The story follows the protagonists as they develop their technology and their businesses. At a San Francisco computer fair where the Apple II computer is introduced, Gates (the then-unknown Microsoft CEO), attempts to introduce himself to Jobs, who snubs him.

The film then follows the subsequent development of the IBM-PC with the help of Gates and Microsoft in 1981. Meanwhile, Apple has developed The Lisa and later, the Macintosh, computers which were inspired by the Xerox Alto (a computer which the Apple team viewed during a tour of Xerox PARC during the late 1970s). Gates would later refer to this event when he tells Jobs during an argument, "You and I are both like guys who had this rich neighbor—Xerox—who left the door open all the time. And you go sneakin' in to steal a TV set, only when you get there, you realize I got there first. And you're yelling? That's not fair? I wanted to try and steal it first!"

In 1985, Steve Jobs is given a birthday toast shortly before he is fired by CEO John Sculley from Apple Computer. A brief epilogue notes what happened afterward in Jobs' and Wozniak's lives.

In 1996, Jobs returns to Apple after its acquisition of NeXT, and Bill Gates appears live via satellite at a MacWorld Expo, during Jobs' first Stevenote keynote address, to announce an alliance between Apple and Microsoft. It notes at the end that Gates, at that time, was the richest man in the world.

Development

One of the central thematic aspects of the screenplay is the representation of a young Steve Jobs, who while participating in aspects of the Counterculture of the 1960s, interprets his role in it differently. Actor Noah Wyle who portrays Jobs stated in an interview with CNN, "These kids grew up 30 miles south of the (University of California) Berkeley campus, which was ripe with revolution [...] and they couldn't have cared less about the politics going on. They were in the garage tinkering with their electronics and starting a revolution that was a thousand times greater than anything that was going on the college campuses, politically." Director Martyn Burke also noted in an interview that, "Steve Jobs and Bill Gates are the true revolutionaries of our time. Not the students who occupied the dean’s office in the late ’60s. Not the anti-war marchers who were determined to overthrow the establishment. Jobs and Gates are the ones who changed the way the world thinks, acts and communicates." In developing the characters themselves, Burke also stated that he chose not to speak with any of the central figures portrayed in the film:

|“ |I did not want to do an "authorized biography" on either Microsoft or Apple, so we made the decision going in that we would not talk or meet with them. With|” |

| |a team of Harvard researchers, I embarked on a seven-month research project that encompassed virtually everything we could find on the history of both | |

| |companies, including old technical magazines from the '70s. I intended every scene to be based on actual events, including such seemingly fantastic moments | |

| |as Bill Gates' bulldozer races in the middle of the night and Steve Jobs' bare feet going up on the board room table during an applicant's job interview. I | |

| |have two or more sources that verify each scene. | |

[pic]

Joey Slotnick (left) played Steve Wozniak (right) in the film.

Both Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs responded to the film, though in different ways. Wozniak was one of the few who gave interviews on questions concerning the storyline. He commented in one that, "when the movie opened with [a scene of] tear gas and riots [...] I thought, 'My God! That's just how it was.' He also dedicated part of his personal website to fanmail with questions concerning the film:

|“ |The personalities and incidents are accurate in the sense that they all occurred but they are often with the wrong parties (Bill Fernandez, Apple employee |” |

| |#4, was with me and the computer that burned up in 1970) and at the wrong dates (when John Sculley joined, he had to redirect attention from the Apple III, | |

| |not the Mac, to the Apple II) and places (Homebrew Computer Club was at Stanford Linear Accelerator Center) ... the personalities were very accurately | |

| |portrayed. | |

Steve Jobs indirectly commented on the film during a practical joke at the 1999 Macworld Expo. This involved actor Noah Wyle (who portrays Jobs in the film). Wyle impersonates Jobs during the keynote speech, something which only becomes apparent when Jobs himself appears on the stage (to the wild applause of the audience). He corrects Wyle's interpretation of him and tells the audience that he "invited [Wyle] here today so he could see how I really act and plus because he's a better me than me." Wyle responds, "Thank you, thank you, I'm just glad you're not mad about the movie." Jobs laughs and states, "What? Me upset? Hey it's just a movie. But you know if you do want to make things right you could get me a little part on E.R.”.

The director of the Xerox PARC research center, John Seely Brown, after seeing a clip of the scene in which Gates and Jobs argue about the origins of the GUI technology, stated in an interview that it was not entirely accurate, as Steve Jobs was invited by PARC to view their technology in exchange for Apple shares. Although it should be noted that, while Xerox showed their GUI technology to Apple employees in exchange for Apple shares, no intellectual property rights or patents relating to the invention of the GUI were sold by Xerox to Apple in this deal.

The soundtrack is made up of classic rock, disco and new wave from the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s.

Song list

• J.S. Bach — "Concerto in D Minor for Two Violins Vivace" (BWV 1043)

• Creedence Clearwater Revival — "I Put a Spell on You"

• The Guess Who — "No Time"

• Iron Butterfly – "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida"

• The James Gang — "Collage"

• KC and the Sunshine Band — "Get Down Tonight"

• Moody Blues — "Question", "Isn't Life Strange", and "Gemini Dream"

• The Police — "Synchronicity I"

• Frank Sinatra — "My Way"

• Talking Heads — "Burning Down the House"

• Tears for Fears — "Everybody Wants to Rule the World", also used in all promos for the film

Bill Gates/Steve Jobs Timeline

1971- Bill Gates and Paul Allen form Traf-O-Data to sell their computer traffic-analysis systems.

1972- After graduating from Homestead High School in Sunnyvale, CA, Jobs enrolls in Reed College in Portland, Ore. He drops out after one semester.

Wozniak perfects the Blue Box, and Jobs sells it. He builds his first computer, but it catches fire.

1974- Jobs lands a job at Atari Inc., designing computer games.

1975- Paul Allen and Bill Gates develop a BASIC Interpreter for the Altair.

Bill Gates drops out of Harvard to pursue a career in software.

Paul Allen and Bill Gates decide to call their company Microsoft.

Wozniak, fearing that his bosses at HP will appropriate the invention, shows them the prototype for the Apple I. They hate it.

1976- Jobs, 21, and Wozniak, 26, found Apple Computer Co in the Woz's family garage.

1977- Apple II is introduced for $1,195.00. It has 16K of RAM and customers use their own TV set as a monitor.

Apple tries to license BASIC .

The Computer Faire - the Apple booth is a huge success.

1978- Microsoft's year-end sales top $1 million

1979- Microsoft adapts BASIC for the 8086 16-bit microprocessor. This marks the beginning of widespread use of these processors.

1980- Microsoft hires Steve Ballmer to establish policies and procedures in the financial, organizational, and resource allocation areas.

Microsoft is approached by IBM to develop BASIC for its personal computer project. The IBM PC is released in August, 1981. The contract contains a crucial provision - that Microsoft can license its software to other manufacturers.

Apple has captured 50% of the personal computer market. Apple goes public in November at $22 a share

1981- IBM introduces its Personal Computer, which uses Microsoft's 16-bit operating system, MS-DOS 1.0, plus Microsoft BASIC, COBOL, PASCAL, and other Microsoft products.

1982- Seeing Apple's new interface, Gates sets his team to create Windows, a graphical interface for the PC.

Apple sues Microsoft for copyright infringement.

1983- Paul Allen resigns as Microsoft's Executive Vice President, but remains on the Board of Directors.

Microsoft introduces the Microsoft Mouse, a low-cost, hand-held pointing device for use with the IBM PC, as well as any MS-DOS-based personal computer.

Microsoft Introduces Word

Microsoft Announces Windows

Jobs recruits John Sculley, formerly of PepsiCo., as Apple president & CEO, while Jobs retains the title of chairman

1984- Apple introduces the Macintosh. It has a simple, graphical interface, uses the 8-MHz, 32-bit Motorola 68000 CPU, and has a built-in 9-inch B/W screen.

Ridley Scott directs the "1984" Mac commercial, which implies that IBM is Big Brother and Apple a Winston Smith who really does defeat the regime.

Microsoft Makes software available for the Macintosh

1985- Microsoft celebrates its 10th anniversary with sales figures for the fiscal year of $140 million

Sculley ousts Jobs from Apple. Wozniak resigns in February. More than 1,200 employees are laid off in a restructuring in June. Jobs resigns from Apple to run NeXT

1986- Microsoft stock goes public at $21.00 per share, rising to $28.00 per share by the end of the first trading day

Microsoft employees number 1,442

Jobs buys a majority stake in Pixar, a San Rafael studio spun off from LucasFilm.

1987- Microsoft announces Microsoft Operating System/2 (MS OS/2) a new personal computer operating system. It has been designed and developed based upon the Intel 80286 and 80386 microprocessors.

Microsoft announces Microsoft Windows 2.0

1989- Microsoft's sales reach $1 billion

Next's first computer, which is powerful but incompatible with millions of others, goes on sale for $10,000.

Pixar wins an academy award for the computer animated film "Tin Toy."

Jobs is named Entrepreneur of the Decade by Inc. magazine.

1990- The Woz begins teaching

1992- President George Bush awards Bill Gates the National Medal of Technology for Technological Achievement, at a White House Rose Garden ceremony.

1993- Microsoft Introduces MS-DOS 6.0

The number of licensed users of Microsoft Windows now totals more than 25 million

Microsoft is named the "1993 Most Innovative Company Operating in the U.S." by Fortune Magazine

Microsoft formally launches Microsoft Windows NT at Windows World in Atlanta

Next shuts down its hardware division. However, its operating system flourishes.

Sculley resigns as Apple's CEO

1995- The U.S. Court of Appeals reinstates a 1994 antitrust settlement between Microsoft and the Justice Department

Pixar stock opens at $49 per share, making Jobs a billionaire.

Gil Amelio brings Jobs back to Apple as interim chairman and CEO of Apple Computers

1996- Bill Gates outlines Microsoft's strategy to deliver a comprehensive set of products and services that seamlessly integrate desktops, LANs, client-server applications, legacy systems, and the public Internet

MSNBC Debuts

1997- Microsoft Acquires WebTV

Internet Explorer 4.0 Launches

Apple buys NeXT Inc.

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