I watched "Pirates of Silicon Valley" last night.

[Dowe Keller]

Or rather, I watched about two thirds of the movie before throwing the dvd across the room. Okay, I didn't actually throw the dvd, Blockbuster doesn't like it when you do that, but I really felt like doing that. One would assume that film-makers creating a historical drama would spend a tiny portion of their budget doing some actual research.

I do realize that drama based on fact does take liberties to make a more compelling story, but the movie went way too far, making stuff up when the truth made a better, more compelling story. The worse liberty they took was showing Microsoft as a tiny startup going to IBM and selling DOS before they had it. WRONG!!!! Microsoft was a going concern that OWNED the language market on microcomputers. IBM, when they decided to build a micro, went to Microsoft for BASIC, and, because they were selling CP/M cards for the Apple ][, asked Microsoft if they could license them CP/M. Microsoft explained that they didn't own CP/M and sent them to DR. There is some dispute over the details of what happened next, but for some reason or another Mrs. Killdall balked at IBM's non-disclosure contract, and IBM went back to M$ who told them they would get an OS. It actually makes, I believe a better story-line than the BS in the movie.

But I could almost forgive the factual errors if the movie captured the personalities and character of the players. Worse were the portrayals of Woz and Jobs. I think the biggest problem is that movie makers are at some level incapable of capturing nuance. In particular, they took the faults of Steve Jobs, blew them all to hell out of proportion then forgot to portray any of his redeeming features. Woz also, I believe, came out as a caricature, rather than a full character.

Furthermore, the portrayal of the Mac team as a Jonestownian-koolaid-drinking bunch of zombies was hugely insulting to a real dream-team of talented programmers. After all, these were the people who coined the term reality distortion field.

My advice is don't watch this movie, instead try to get your hands on the old "Triumph of the Nerds" documentary. It's more accurate, and much more entertaining.

[Phreakout]

Dowe, what you have to understand is that none of the people who created Pirate of Silicon Valley had the rights to get the entire story, straight from the horse's mouth, so-to-speak. They had to rely on other sources whom either were able to or had some speculation as to what did happen. The creators didn't sit down with Woz and get his side of the story, not to mention Jobs, Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, etc. Steve Jobs, with how reclusive he is to the media, wouldn't give his side if life depended on it.

Granted, yes the movie was a little exagerated on some details, but they did a good job of setting the scenes at the time. For example, Woz and Jobs running for dear life across Berkeley's campus while a riot/protest was happening, with tear gas canisters flying through the air, and Woz holding his Blue Box.

73s de Phreakout. 8-)

[Paul Fellows]

I have recently watched both revenge of the nerds and Pirates of Silicon Valley, I have also read icon and Iwoz. I found the portrayal of both Steves consistent with the two books mentioned. I would also take issue with your description of BS of the MSDOS story. From all the sources I read and indeed the way it is described in Revenge of the Nerds Microsoft did not own the version of DOS that was sold to IBM, they brought it from Seattle Computer Products(it was called QDOS). So where is the BS?

[Dowe Keller]

"Triumph of the Nerds" is a documentary about the founding of the microcomputer industry and the people who made it happen.

[JaxsonA]

What could be the center topic of "Triumph of the Nerds"? Even thou I didn’t see the Pirates of Silicon Valley, I think with your movie reviews I find it interesting to. But did you know that recently the Shaker Heights in Ohio, faces bad reviews because of their yearbooks. It is said that the Shaker Heights yearbook suggest some obscenity and it’s disposal was postponed. But nevertheless, I will look on your suggested documentary films, since I have some film thesis to make about technology. Thanks!