# Macs in movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 3, 2003, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macs-in-movies/192640 "2003-08-03T01:07:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![xvxdarkknightxvx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/34f0e0/32.png) [@xvxdarkknightxvx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xvxdarkknightxvx)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macs-in-movies/192640/1 "2003-08-03T01:07:06Z")
In many movies that contain computers, the computer shown is almost always a Macintosh computer, rather than a PC. Does Apple have a deal with Hollywood to make people think everyone has iMacs? For examples of movies with Macs, try watching any movie where someone uses email or a chat program. I think **American Pie** has it, although I haven’t seen it in a while. **Bringing Down the House** has a Mac in it, too. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macs-in-movies/192640/2 "2003-08-03T01:11:04Z")
I know Macs are used in Hollywood for CGI more than any other personal computer. Graphics people swear by them. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macs-in-movies/192640/3 "2003-08-03T01:11:09Z")
I know macs are widely used in movie production. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macs-in-movies/192640/4 "2003-08-03T01:12:25Z")
Smooch 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macs-in-movies/192640/5 "2003-08-03T03:58:34Z")
Well, people in the movies always have the best apartments, the best cars, and the best weather (wait for it), so it make sense that (almost there) they would have (here it is!) the best computers. 😃 I beleive there are some Macs in _24_, and I think we all remember the most infamous Mac ever, used by Jeff Goldblum in _Independence Day_. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macs-in-movies/192640/6 "2003-08-03T04:07:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Troy McClure SF \* > \*\*…and I think we all remember the most infamous Mac ever, used by Jeff Goldblum in _Independence Day_. \*\* Yeah, the one that could interface with _a **completely** alien system and upload a virus that could run on their processor and OS with no problem whatsoever._ Yeah, right. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macs-in-movies/192640/7 "2003-08-03T04:14:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*Yeah, the one that could interface with _a **completely** alien system and upload a virus that could run on their processor and OS with no problem whatsoever._ Yeah, right. \*\* Yeah, I know. I mean, NOW it’d be no problem, since OSX is Unix-based, so they could get in with their knowledge of intergalatic Open Source, but back then, it was kind of unlikely. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macs-in-movies/192640/8 "2003-08-03T04:15:33Z")
It was a G5 beta, **QED**. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macs-in-movies/192640/9 "2003-08-03T04:21:30Z")
Apple does indeed do a _lot_ of product placement deals in movies. In fact, they even [brag about it](http://www.apple.com/hotnews/features/starringapple.html). I don’t think PC hardware companies do a lot of product placement because unless there’s a good logo shot, it’s pretty difficult to differentiate a Dell from a Gateway. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macs-in-movies/192640/10 "2003-08-03T04:59:25Z")
'cause they’s purdy. Really, that’s all there is to it. ---
**Author:** ![xvxdarkknightxvx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/34f0e0/32.png) [@xvxdarkknightxvx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xvxdarkknightxvx)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macs-in-movies/192640/11 "2003-08-03T04:59:35Z")
Probably the best explanation I could have come up with on my own had I actually thought about it, **friedo**. Thanks for the tip. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macs-in-movies/192640/12 "2003-08-03T05:19:18Z")
For the longest time it always bugged me (and I wondered why Apple didn’t figure it out long ago), that when mac laptops were used on TV the apple logo was upside down. (I mean I understand physically why it’s the wrong way, I just wondered why apple didn’t manufacture it the other way, so the logo is rightside up to the person staring at the back of your laptop.) ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macs-in-movies/192640/13 "2003-08-03T05:42:32Z")
They’ve had them right-side up for a while now. (So they’re upside-down when you have the thing closed. You can’t win.) ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macs-in-movies/192640/14 "2003-08-03T06:28:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by friedo \* > \*\*They’ve had them right-side up for a while now. (So they’re upside-down when you have the thing closed. You can’t win.) \*\* I had always thought they should be that way, who cares what it looks like when it’s closed (and generally you’re the only person who sees it), they should be more concerned with how it looks when the notebook is open, when LOTS of people can see it (be it just a few people in an office, or millions of people watching primetime TV.) ---
**Author:** ![Doc\_Nickel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5fc32e/32.png) [@Doc\_Nickel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doc_Nickel)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macs-in-movies/192640/15 "2003-08-03T07:18:23Z")
This is another case of only noticing what you want to see and disregarding the rest. I’ve actually seen very few Macs that I can recall- though I recall clearly the black-cased Acer PC that whats’ername used in _Eraser_, since I had one just like it. I also recall all PCs in _Hacker_ and the first _Mission Impossible_, _The 'Net_ and _Goldeneye_. ---
**Author:** ![biqu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@biqu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biqu)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macs-in-movies/192640/16 "2003-08-03T07:33:49Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Doc Nickel_ > I also recall all PCs in Hacker and the first Mission Impossible, The 'Net and Goldeneye. Are you referring to [this **Hackers** movie](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0113243)? I recall Macs being used in the school that the teenage hackers attended. Crash Override/Zero Cool hacked the Mac-powered sprinkler system to shower the classrooms and hallways in the middle of the school day. ---
**Author:** ![Doc\_Nickel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5fc32e/32.png) [@Doc\_Nickel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doc_Nickel)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macs-in-movies/192640/17 "2003-08-03T07:45:59Z")
Quite possible. It’s been many a moon since I saw it, I only recall a clear-cased laptop that they referred to as something like a “486”. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macs-in-movies/192640/18 "2003-08-03T12:29:36Z")
Yeah, but was it an Intel 486-DX or a 486 SX? Well??? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macs-in-movies/192640/19 "2003-08-03T12:46:07Z")
Mission: Impossible mentioned something about the new Apple computer with the articfical intelligence chipset. The team geeks asks “Can I keep it?” ---
**Author:** ![revolutionarily](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ea924/32.png) [@revolutionarily](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/revolutionarily)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macs-in-movies/192640/20 "2003-08-03T18:13:31Z")
IIRC, “the Net” used Macs. That’s about the one thing I remember about that movie because it struck me as odd (being a pc person and all). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macs-in-movies/192640.md?page=2)