Pirates of Silicon Valley Reviews

• The Mac/PC wars--a fascinating look at computer history.

  
  By A17D77DFID0GZG on 2000-07-10
  In the first few minutes of the film, we see Steve Jobs pacing the floor on a Boston stage (year 1997--shortly after his return to Apple), and above him is the gigantic image of Bill Gates smiling down (smirking?) at him, while we hear the voice of Steve Wozniac (the Woz) in the background say, "How did we get from there to here?" And there, dear readers, lies the tale of the century.

  Kudos for the director, the casting director, and the fine performances from Hall and Wyle. In this film, we see the rise of the personal computer from two of most important players of the era, and along the way, we are shown how deeply power and wealth corrupts. Those of us that lived through this period are well acquainted with the first personal computers. Indeed, many of us have heard enough rumors concerning Steve Jobs' late night tantrums as he walked the halls of his empire, to know that this film depicted both him and Steve Wozniac fairly honestly. As far as the depiction of Bill Gates, there are those that agree and those that disagree. Obviously, artistic license was used on both sides. Steve Wozniac mentioned that he was surprised how accurately the movie portrayed the personalities, but indicated they got many of the dates screwed up (check his web site, he has many interesting comments concerning the movie).

  As the title aptly suggests, both Steve and Bill gained their initial fame not just from their own creative genius (although both are considered geniuses), but as much from "borrowing" -- Jobs from Xerox PARC, and Gates from Apple Computer. And while that is the central theme of the movie, it also points out the astonishing short-sightedness of top corporate executives--HP (unfairly in reality) and IBM for not realizing the potential of the personal computer and software for the masses, and Xerox for not understanding what they themselves had developed. One of the best lines comes from an HP exec talking to Steve Wozniac (the creator of the Apple computer)... "Why would the average person ever want a computer?" (I'm paraphrasing here--and I think in reality, it was IBM who had this attitude).

  In fairness, back in those days computers were used mainly by scientists, the military, and mathematicians. These things were gigantic and cost a fortune. Still, it makes me think that the trillions of dollars lost by some of these giant corporations sprang from an immense lack of imagination at key positions (I doubt any of those people ever opened a science-fiction novel). To Jobs' credit, he understood immediately what he was shown at the Xerox PARC center, and the rest, as they say, is history.

  "Pirates" works on many levels, and it really is a fascinating movie, however, I think it bit off a little more than it could chew. This movie is only 100 minutes long (or thereabouts), yet tries to encompass 25 years of creation, in-fighting, slight-of-hand, and lying, with a blend of madness and out-and-out theft thrown in. It also has a tendency to stray from its theme, trying (and failing) in its depiction of the main characters' personal lives. Yet, inspite of these weaknesses, I throroughly enjoyed this film, and have viewed it several times (each time gaining a little more respect for the director's efforts).

  So, whether your computer is the mac or a windows pc, I think most will find this film entertaining and enlightening. Between 1 and 10, I give "Pirates" a very high 7 (it had real potential of being a "don't miss" gem). What I find almost as fascinating is the widespread polarization people still have for one platform over the other--and the war continues with no end in sight....
  
  

• Insight into a revolution.

  
  By A3S71SLB01GWX2 on 1999-11-22
  I watched the movie as it aired on tv, and enjoyed it so much I rented it a number of times when it released. Taking only 90% to be near historical accuracy, it still has captivated me enough to make me pre-order the re-publication of the book "Fire in the Valley" by Paul Freiberger and Michael Swaine, on which the movie is based, just to find out what the movie left out. This movie gives such an insight into a true revolution, taking the computers out of the hands of corporate types, and giving them over to the masses. Noah Wyle is Steve Jobs in this movie. His acting brings to life one of the most influential people of the time. Anthony Michael Hall does a superb job of showing Bill Gates as the capitalistic businessman in its trueist form. The only reason I don't give it a 5 star rating is that I feel they spend a little too much time on Steve Jobs' personal drug trip. This was time that could have been better spent explaining what has happened since 1997, when Jobs came back to Apple. Or, they could have led up to the Gates vs. United States trial. All in all a great movie. Rent it, Buy it, show it to your kids. This is current history, and it is relevant to today.
  
  

• not completely accurate, but still informative/entertaining

  
  By AFU0ECZVVPSWD on 2004-03-20
  

  If you're looking for a documentary that accurately explains the beginnings of the personal computer industry, then "The Pirates of Silicon Valley" is not it. You'd be better served watching the excellent 1995 PBS documentary "Triumph of the Nerds" instead.

  If however, you're looking for an entertaining movie that gets most of the major details right, then you're in luck. The script is pretty bad (it's obvious that this was a TNT-original, made-for-TV movie), but Noah Wyle and Anthony Michael Hall do such a superb job, each *nailing* their roles of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, respectively, that it's worth watching.

  This movie is based on the excellent book "Fire in the Valley: The Making of the Personal Computer". However, that book was published in 1984, and this movie covers events slightly farther in the future. Many of the details are combined, left out, or sometimes fabricated (a.k.a. "creative license"), and I'm told that some of the additional information not in the book came from the director Martyn Burke himself watching "Triumph of the Nerds" (and having his actors watch it, too, to help them get in character).

  Still, I'm a high school computer science teacher, and I have my students watch this every year to give them the big picture before following it up with "Triumph of the Nerds" to accurately place the details.

  Overall, this is a decent movie, and the whole cast does a laudable job portraying their characters. The story is an interesting one, and despite the generally poor script and often seemingly needless inaccuracies, "The Pirates of Silicon Valley" is a glimpse behind the scenes at the events and personalities that built the computer industry as we know it today.
  
  

• The great american success story, timing is everything!

  
  By on 2003-02-27
  This takes you from beginning to present day.
  Shows Paul Allen (who now OWNS the Seahawks and Trailblazers pro teams) Bill Gates, Steve Jobs etc. etc. Dropping out of college to pursue a slow burning fire that would become the personal computer/windows software that we know today.

  What is interesting is that it shows who talks and who works. Gates lies a lot, pretty much living by the saying "telling people what they want to hear" while Paul Allen grinds away at making code.

  On the other end it's the same somewhat, rogue cannon Steve Jobs handling the business part while we get a sense that Steve Wozniak is a true tech who goes above and beyond Jobs' rantings to produce the final product.

  What is so funny is the irony of this movie:

  Loan Officer: "Sorry Mr. Jobs, but we don't think the ordinary person will have any use for a computer".

  HP: "You think people are interested in something called a mouse?".

  Xerox: "We build it and then they can come right in here and steal it from us? It's just not fair, this operating system is a result of our hard work!".

  Jobs to Gates: "You're STEALING FROM US!!!"

  Assistant to Gates: "Do you realize Apple has a pirate flag over their front door, and they just gave us 3 prototypes of their operating system?"

  Jobs: "I don't want people to look at it like a monitor and mouse, I think of this as art, a vision, people need to think outside the box".

  Jobs: "You stole it from ussss!" Gates: "No it's not stealing, you see, it's like we both have this neighbor, and he leaves his door open all the time. You go over there to get his TV, only I've gotten their first..and now you're calling me the thief?!".

  Just some of the excerpts that make this movie a classic and show you everything that went down when a bunch of college dropouts set out and changed the world in which we live today.
  
  

• The Only Made-For-TV movie I have ever enjoyed.

  
  By A1QBQ8N71X5V81 on 2004-08-20
  Going in I expected little of this movie, as I am very skeptical about the low budget made-for-TV style of film making. Most "based on a true story" movies are trite and nothing more than exploitation. Ripped from the headlines movies using someone's suffering or crime as a ratings getter. Pure crap!
  
  I must say however, that Pirates Of Silicon Valley is brilliant. Every aspect of the movie appeals to me. It's visual style, it's pacing, it's characters, it's humor, and most engrossing, it's history. I knew much of the parallels between Bill Gates and Steve Jobs already and was pleasantly surprised to see much of the facts faithfully reproduced. The parts that were inaccurate were obviously for entertainment value, but they did fit the theme of the story and are forgivable (it is a movie after all).
  The film makers were very original for two reasons. First, for focusing on the more interesting moments of computer history. Second for the brutally honest look at the two pivotal character's lives and personalities, they aren't depicted nicely. The movie flows from moment to moment, historical event to historical event, over the course of two decades, following the exploits of the two most influential men of the computer industry. We see thier origins, their beginning ventures in the industry, thier major deals, thier double-crosses and shady conquests, thier flaws, thier bad judgement, and ultimatley thier confrontation.
  My favorite moments come from the bonehead mistakes that are made by the corporate types. IBM allowing Microsoft to retain ownership of DOS, Xerox not developing its own inventions (the mouse and the GUI), HP not even wanting ownership of the apple, and the biggest mistake of them all, Steve Jobs trusting Bill Gates.
  I absolutely love this movie, and the only negative thing about it is that it doesn't exist in DVD format. I have the VHS but I would pay whatever price TNT asked for a DVD full of extras.
  
  
• Movie version of Robert Cringely's "Triumph of the Nerds"
  By A92XVSV8LADWZ on 2004-02-27
  Very entertaining movie for people who are interested in how PC revolution begins. Showing the big pirates like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs how to build their empires by stealing other's ideas, like the "Mouse" which in fact played a critical factor in this PC revolution. The plot is very similar to the classic well-known Cringely's Triumph of the Nerds. Yet, it adds a alot of movie elements to make it quite interesting and fun to watch, especially the character of cool 'Steve Jobs'. It's a good video for personal collection if you want to enjoy the PC revolution era.
  
  
• The true story of the battle of the computer nerds
  By A2NJO6YE954DBH on 2001-03-17
  If "Pirates of Silicon Valley" had been made 10, 15, 20 years ago, it certainly would have been telling a different story. Even now, most of this made-for-television movie is your traditional rags-to-riches story as we follow Steve Jobs (Noah Wyle) and Bill Gates (Anthony Michael Hall) as they create the computer revolution. You think it is David vs. Goliath, but then it becomes clear the opponents here are dinosaurs. However, in the end, the heroes have become the monsters, which makes for an unsatisfying conclusion: what lesson do we learn from the story of these two guys? Ultimately, the American success story here is sullied by the dark ending (reinforced by headlines about the government's concerted effort to break up Microsoft). However, since I know nothing about computers, I found myself more interested in how Apple and Microsoft were able to rise to power and less concerned with the flawed nature of the characters. Director Martyn Burke's script keeps the characters and events at a distance, so even our natural inclinations at empathy towards the main characters is worn down over the course of the film. Instead of rooting for Jobs and Gates we end up having the most sympathy for their respective sidekicks, Steve Wozniak (Joey Slotnick) and Steve Ballmer (John DiMaggio). After all, the pair get to do the voice-over narrations and halfway through you realize they are the better human beings than their fearless leaders. This also hurts the film, because you end up being more interested in "Dr. Watson" (i.e., the storyteller), than in the heroes. The choice of lead actors also becomes problematic because you have that nice Dr. Carter from "E.R." versus the geek from "The Breakfast Club," "Sixteen Candles" and many other movies. Of course, since Bill Gates is admittedly richer than God and Macintosh has gone back to meaning a type of red fruit, that probably helps balance things out a bit. At the end, I found "Pirates of Silicon Valley" to be informative, which is supposed to be my response to something on "60 Minutes," not a television movie.
  
  
• STEVE JOBS v BILL GATES sould have been promoted by Don King
  By on 2000-01-15
  This was a really great movie..

  Steve Jobs larger than life character was brilliant as was Bill Gates as an unemotional snotty little geek as he drools over the Macintosh..

  This movie really made me realise how far the computer industry has come in such a short space of time.

  Also just shows how dirty the people in the business are, when Jobs steals the mouse from Xreox, you realise that Bill Gates isn't the only crook in Silicon Valley..

  When Steve jobs comes out looking like a hippie with the Apple prototype in a wooden box, I was thinking this is the guy that thought up the iMac.

  The main problem with this movie is it ends just when things are getting good.. One minute everyone is toasting Steve Jobs at his birthday party the next some words apear on the screen telling you Jobs gets kicked out of Apple, Bill Gates is now the richest man in the world and that Microsoft owns a share in Apple..

  It ended up a little biased in favour of Bill Gates. It would have been good if they could have told how Steve Jobs was invited back to Apple and how it has risen from the ashes and that iMac is one of the worlds the best selling computers.

  They could have also mentioned the fact microsoft was under investigation by the US government for antitrust.

  In general it was a very enjoyable movie but maybe better suited to being tv serial, defaintly worth renting but right now only Bill Gates and steve Jobs can afford to buy it..
  
  

• Apple Cores. Revolving Doors. Silicon Sails The High Seas. Gates & Trees & Fences Free.
  By A3F1G6UH4Y39X2 on 2006-09-07
  Several aspects catapulted me into this movie with a mesmerizing intensity which caused me to watch it several times, and to know I'll continue to do so periodically.
  
  The strongest draw to this work of art for me was to the performance of the actor (Anthony Michael Hall) playing Bill Gates, which he did with such exquisite skill that he made me feel he had captured the essence, the quiet radiance, the charisma, maybe even the core, of that larger-than-human persona, more brilliantly than I've seen done for any other characterization of a "real-life-person" on film.
  
  In fact, each of the key actors in this film went beyond the level of outstanding, in seeming to capture his/her character in a primal essence. The voices and mannerisms of Gates, Jobs, and Wozniac, have stayed with me with such a synaptive strength that I can hear and see them any time my thoughts go there.
  
  The actors didn't stand alone, however. They were supported with awesome perfection by the book's balanced storyline, and the art and technique of the film-making, which was executed so naturally as to be baseline effective without the viewer noticing the designs and efforts toward effect.
  
  There was no overwhelm of design; only the feel of it.
  
  There was the being one with the language of film, which overtook whatever reality had been playing prior to the first millisecond of the movie's motion.
  
  (For a bare bones of additional detail about film-making technique, feel free to see my review of the DVD of the movie, Suspect Zero.)
  
  Each time I re-view my copy of PIRATES OF SILICON VALLEY, I'm left with an intense curiosity about how true to reality it seemed, and about Gates, Jobs, Wozniac, and the other characters "takes" of this rendition of who they were and what they did. A few reviews have helpfully mentioned visiting Wozniac or Gates web sites, and noted that the movie was described as being generally accurate.
  
  If anyone has any added information on Gates or Jobs specific comments on this movie, please consider beginning a Forum in the Customer Discussion section on this page?
  
  To be fair, maybe I should offer a few backup details for my over-the-top praise above.
  
  Here's what I see so clearly, even now, in Bill Gates as shown in PIRATES:
  
  I see him regularly pushing the bridge of his glasses up to a clearer viewing angle; I see the direct, open-eyed gaze of this ancient, wise soul working within a child's free-flowing, anticipatory mind.
  
  I see his continual eagle-eyed expression, his intense curiosity and constant calculation.
  
  It appeared to me that, for Gates, as portrayed by the actor in this film, computers are not machines; they're kindred spirits. And I don't mean that as an insult.
  
  Steve Jobs was also shown in his unique ways of gazing, studying whatever was in his presence; his ways of speaking, and of flickering continually from a sun-splitting smile to a deadly scowl. Moods. He was a full course STUDY in them, at least as dramatized by the actor who portrayed him.
  
  Then, of course, there was the most obvious of the many film techniques used so beautifully, that of posing the head and shoulders of Bill Gates on a large movie screen in the background, with Steve Jobs standing in a full-body pose, live, behind a podium, below the huge, two-dimensional, yet ominous presentation on the screen. Yeah, Big Brother was alive and well, ever ready, ever in the background of Jobs' motions, with no loss of strength or imposition. And yet ...
  
  And yet ... Bill Gates came across as a hero, to me, along with everyone involved in this landmark expression of part of the evolution of human brain cell enhancement.
  
  The way these two cultural giants were played against each other, in storyline and through the art of film, was an accomplishment of the type of simple genius which, in some ways, goes beyond even the great gifts of the Einstein's among us.
  
  There is so MUCH art, angst, and significance in this film, I doubt its makers have seen every angle and facet of it.
  
  This is something. This is something.
  
  I don't know, exactly, if the film intended it, but each time I come away from this movie, I see all the people in it as nothing less than heroic. Yet, the movie clearly brought out actions and behaviors which I could not condone in any other context, in fact, which I might condemn. However, I rarely mark something with a negative triple six; as soon as I think about picking up a single stone, the smudges on my vest begin growing. Very purposely, that chagrin situation was exposed here.
  
  This movie captures and holds not only high entertainment with heavy drama and deep comedy; it also expresses:
  
  Irony, Anomaly, Paradox, Dichotomy, Dilemma, and more.
  
  I seek words which mean: "The containment of opposites within a single framework, containment of a long enough duration for the duality to do the Hegel-ian thing, the ultimate growth sequence of Thesis, Antithesis, Synthesis."
  
  Yet, these two opposing elements will not synthesize, except separately, so the Thesis, Antithesis, Thesis, Antithesis seems to be in an eternal loop, which somehow enhances life and growth rather than diminishing or draining it.
  
  If I attempt to analyze this movie much further my eyes will cross and my brain will ... will what?
  
  It won't melt down ... it won't shut off with "does not compute." What it will do is slip irrevocably into a Gordian Knot at the base of a Universal Labyrinth. Bye, bye.
  
  Don't go there. I have more work to do.
  
  Thank you Bill, Steve, the makers of THE PIRATES OF SILICONE VALLEY (see the credits on this page), and the authors (Paul Freiberger and Michael Swaine) of the novel, FIRE IN THE VALLEY, upon which this movie (made for cable, TNT, in 1999) was based. I could almost say the film went as far as Gates and Jobs (and their associates, friends, and families) took us, as a race, as a species, as an intriguing culture in a sentient Universe.
  
  Maybe it's not achieving warp drive capacity which first brings a species to the attention of aliens at higher levels of consciousness and accomplishment (as Star Trek has so lusciously dramatized). Maybe it's achieving what all the above, and the ripples from them have done.
  
  I can't understand why the debut of this movie didn't bring on First Contact. Or, has it? Where are the X-Files? Are they SLEEPING??
  
  Chust Kidding!
  
  What would you expect from an author of a sci fi and a paranormal mystery series who periodically reviews Amish mysteries?
  
  I, myself, am an Anomaly, a Dichotomy, ... and some (though not a "sum") of all of the above.
  
  Linda Shelnutt
  
  
  
• Making Computer History Into a Movie...
  By on 2000-01-12
  It's a quite interesting movie. It plays out real history of the PC including historical events such as the creation of the Altair 8800 computer by MITS (first modern PC), how Mircrosoft and Apple started out, the creation of the GUI and Mouse by Xerox, the creations of Apple's Lisa, Apple II, and Mac Computers, and the history behind MS-DOS and Windows Operating Systems. The movie is really well written and the cast is great. It is a good movie to learn how computers came about. This movie is great for all people, but if you like computers the movie really fills in the gaps between the beginning of PC's and current times. It features major people in computer history such as Bill Gates, Steven Jobs, and Stephen Wozniak. The movie is centered on the race between Apple and Microsoft in the computer world. It shows how they each fought to be the dominate computer company. The movie stays close to actual history and shows how the computer industry matures through the years. This is a MUST BUY for any computer lover.
  
  
• A Blast From the Past
  By A2IKQY4Z3T7O4Y on 2000-01-23
  I remember all this when it happened. It's hard to believe that Apple Computer was a power house of the industry until Microsoft came in and stole the idea right under their nose. The computers they used back then are just so comical now. The actors in this really brought a fresh outlook on Bill Gates (Anthony Micheal Hall) and Steve Jobs (Noah Wyle). The whole movie gets you to look at how the computer industry got started. It also shows the rise of Apple and its ultimate fate when Jobs got fired. Great historical peace in history of the Silicon Valley.
  
  
• Begs for a sequel
  By A2I6IO195F38WC on 2000-02-17
  Excellent movie, although it takes a little dramatic license with the truth. (For example, the genesis of MS-DOS was quite different in real life. IBM approached Gates to buy BASIC, not an operating system. Gates referred IBM to Gary Kildall's CP/M for an OS; only when Kildall blew them off did Gates buy DOS and license it to IBM). Still, beautiful characterizations by Hall and Wyle, and outstanding performances by John Di Maggio and Joey Slotnick as Ballmer and Woz. A most entertaining vid, if not entirely accurate.

  I hope that TNT does a sequel about Andreesen, Barksdale, Clark, and Gates, featuring the rise of Netscape and the war with Microsoft.
  
  

• A fair overview of Microsoft and Apple beginnings
  By AYGHUCNGQ0HMF on 2001-08-06
  From the people I've talked to that had seen it, this sounded like a great movie. I finally got my chance to see it just a few days ago.

  I wasn't using computers back when this movie starts at Berkeley in the early 70's, but from the time the Apple I was invented until the IBM PC came around, I recall that history pretty well.

  This movie does an alright job explaining the starting of Microsoft and Apple. The downside is many interesting facts have been left out. The writers never mentioned why IBM made a personal computer. They did because almost every other computer related company was building computers, and they wanted to cash in on the market. The scene where Gates goes to IBM and offers them DOS was not entirely correct.

  What they didn't tell you is that IBM first offered the late Gary Kildahl (the owner of CP/M) to write DOS, and for whatever reason he wasn't interested. Next was Microsoft, and Bill Gates was interested, but he sold IBM something he didn't have. Instead, Gates bought 86-DOS for $50,000 from its author Tim Paterson who worked at Seattle Computer Products way back in 1980. Tim later went to work for Microsoft.

  Just think... had Gary been interested, his business would likely be the Microsoft of today.

  There are other small differences which the movie either didn't tell the full story, or it wasn't entirely accurate. They failed to mention that Microsoft supplied MS-DOS (they renamed 86-DOS for licensing and ownership) to IBM, but the IBM PC used virtually all Intel components. They failed to mention that a huge chunk of history came from Intel. It was also never mentioned that Apple Motorola for processors, or else their beloved Macintosh would not exist.

  They were right on track about Apple stealing the graphic interface from Xerox. It is true that Xerox invented it sometime during the early-mid 70's and the management wasn't interested in this invention. BIG mistake.

  Apple is often credited with inventing the GUI. Not true.

  I was a little surprised that the movie made no mention about how Microsoft teamed up with IBM back in the 80's and they worked on OS/2. Microsoft spent more time working on Windows and IBM finally finished OS/2 on their own. I truly feel if they had worked together on a single operating system, we would have one today that doesn't crash like Windows and actually worked like an operating system should.

  If you are even a little interested in the history of computers and how some of these huge companies started out, you might find this very interesting.

  I still remember using Windows 1.0 back in 1986. A lot has changed with it!

  So to close, this would make a good time killer and something you give you a little more knowledge about computer history. But please keep in mind, not all of the events are totally accurate, and a lot of critical information was left out. This is by no means the end all authority.
  
  

• A MUST HAVE FOR EVERY Nerd, historian, Business Student, leaders...EVERYONE!
  By AVSMRPI23DQI2 on 2005-10-25
  I have been so eagerly waiting for 6 months for this title to come on DVD! It was worth the wait. I recall when this television movie came out (I was in college at the time|) I totally missed it and my roommate didn't tape it! I vowed that I will watch it when it comes out on DVD. Surely enough after 6 years this is out. Anyone interested in knowing how Mac vs. Wintel came about. It's for anyone who wants to know more about the roots of both platform giants BG vs. SJ! U Will love simply because it captures history in an entire new light...Noah Rocks in this movie...he did a fantastic job acting as SJ!
  
  
• An uneven product (warning!: spoilers)
  By A12I8T5SH056FG on 2001-10-05
  A lot has been going on with the question whether this made-for-TV film carries bias in either Bill Gates' or Steve Jobs' favour or cost. I think the film's main weakness is that it tries to make a heroic struggle out of what was basically a rather trivial relationship, and is never quite clear in how it wants to do that. In that sense, it succumbs to Jobs' tendency to see everything that happens in the computer industry as a landmark event in the history of man.
  There is little question that these are interesting people, but these are really two films rolled into one, with only minimal moments of contact between the protagonists. That leaves a lot of room for side paths, and regrettably there is some difference in the portrayal of either's shortcomings. Bill Gates (and the rest of the Microsoft crowd for that matter) is put across as a sort of comic relief: bad driving habits, casual apologies when he wrecks Paul Allen's car, the nerdy appearance, 'Steve Ballmer's' buffoonish side remarks, etc. Jobs, on the other hand, is treated much more seriously and his character comes across as considerably more sinister than that of Gates, a lot of time being devoted to his apparent rejection of his daughter. Also, where Ballmer is going for the laughs in the Microsoft bits, 'Steve Wozniak's' comments on Jobs are usually much more serious and often more concerned. This makes the end of the film so puzzling, for in the showdown (which really isn't a showdown at all when you think about it) these roles are totally reversed: Jobs becomes the sympathetic figure, whereas Gates shows his Atillian side.
  In the end, we are really left hanging, partly because the film ends when things start to get really interesting, but also because it attempts to wrap up a few things in the end titles (such as Jobs' relationship with his daughter Lisa). Production values are quite OK, and the performance of Noah Wile in particular is extraordinary (the real Steve Jobs played a trick on the audience with him on the following MacWorld Expo by bringing Wile in before himself during the keynote). But it is difficult to sense a purpose in this product, and the lasting impression is of a couple of quite unrelated episodes.
  
  
• Apple vs Microsoft...but not a war
  By AOZQ1SRA6YRTX on 2002-01-18
  The best thing about this movie, I think, is that it manages to deal with the Apple vs Microsoft discussion without picking a side. It shows Steve Jobs yelling at his employees when his private life is messy. But it also shows him inspire and develop products that changed the world, and how he eventually sorted out his private problems.

  It shows Bill Gates stealing from every large company he comes across, but he is not portrayed as the 'bad guy.' The viewer can pick sides himself.

  Computer related movies most often end up really lousy, but not this one. When Steve Jobs is having fun, you get happy. When he finds out that Bill Gates has betrayed his trust and stolen his life's work, you get sad. When Bill Gates tries to be 'cool', you laugh. (Hilarious scene)

  The other great thing about this movie is that since it's so neutral, it makes even the toughest Microsoft fan admit that it was all pirated from Apple. (Though they always add "at least from the beginning" to preserve their pride) =)

  Bottom line: This movie rocks! See it! Newbie or hacker, you've got to see this movie!
  
  

• Good but too bad...
  By A1NIT5EAYFMFCB on 2003-06-18
  Such a good movie, but too bad they don't offer it on DVD. It's kinda ironic...
  
  
• Becoming a classic.
  By A1N8902X5ZT14E on 2003-10-28
  This movie is becoming a classic to me. It's funny, querky, dramatic at times. I really like all of the key players who have these sil-ICONS down to a T. Jobs is an ass and Gates is a dork but Wylie and Hall make them an endearing ass and dork. This movie is about a recent historical event that to me is uplifting and inspiring and a good notch in human history, an unfamiliar subject to the usual Hollywood crapfest. Put it to a good mix of tunes from the 60's through 80's and you've got a pretty cool movie. I could watch it hundreds of times and never tire of it.
  
  
• outrageous
  By A3H08UKJU74C4U on 2006-02-08
  An outrageously funny look at the inception of two of the giants of home computing, Apple and Microsoft, in particular the idiosyncratic personalities behind the two megafirms. Hilariously done with plenty of excellent parody and Anthony Michael Hall and Noah Wyle at the top of their game.
  
  
• Best computer movie ever!
  By A15IO2K28WY330 on 1999-10-17
  This is an awesome video! it will tell you about the story of the biggest fortune in the business world. You will see how Apple was created and how hard Steve worked for his company! You'll see what the strategy that Bill used to make one of the greatest companies in the world. I have seen this video over 6 times by now, and every time that I see it, it makes me want to see it again! You must see it and buy it as soon as it is available!!! I taped it from the TV show, and I watch it as many times as I can! If you have any kind of interest on computers, whether you are a geek like me or a student that is interested on business or comuters, Watch the movie! IT IS THE BEST COMPUTER MOVIE OUT THERE!
  
  
• Two Hours I Will Never Get Back
  By A13L7YACD7JK8K on 2000-07-04
  Noah Wiley and Anthony Michael Hall are fun to watch. They are clearly enjoying their performances, and do a terrific job.

  It is a shame that their efforts had to be wasted on such a sloppy film. All of the interesting tidbits about computer history were clearly lifted from a viewing of Robert X. Cringely's 'Triumph of the Nerds,' an amazing documentary that I can't recommend highly enough.

  The film has a gripping opening sequence, which recreates the famous Apple conference where Bill Gates appeared live on the video wall and promised support for the Mac Platform. Steve Wozniak's character notes the ironies and promises to tell us how we got here from there. Instead, we get a bunch of poorly written melodrama.

  The subject of this film is what a bad, bad, person Steve Jobs is. Despicable personally, despicable professionally. There are certainly valid criticims to be made of Steve Jobs, but the tone of this film is so relentlessly one-sided that it becomes uninteresting. It makes you wonder why so much money and talent was invested into what feels like a smear campaign.

  Bill Gates is also here, depicted in a more well-rounded fashion, but mainly as a foil to Steve Jobs. The point appears to be that even Bill is a downright OK guy compared to that loathsome Steve fellow.
  
  

• Apple vs. Microsoft = FUN!
  By A1SRA5ABM92KA1 on 2005-06-23
  This was a fantastic TV movie. The best TV movie I have ever seen, actually. It represented the history of Apple and Microsoft extremely well (even though they can't cram all that history into just a movie-size timeframe) Still a perfect movie as far as I am concerned. I can't wait until I can buy it on DVD. Not only was this movie informative, but it was also entertaining, a rare find in movies (for TV or not) these days. I recommend this for anybody who is even a little bit curious about the history of Microsoft and Apple.
  
  
• Well acted popular history
  By A20EEWWSFMZ1PN on 2005-12-19
  Just as with the urban legend there are legends as how Microsoft and Apple came to being. This story based on a book by Paul Freiberger and Michael Swaine, is about the story of two parallel personalities; one wants to make a dent I the universe, the other wants to keep his enemies close.
  
  Many realities and key players were glossed over not to mention the CPM operating system. However if we delve into two may diverse parts of this story we would loose our focus and cohesion.
  
  It is fun to watch the parallel growth of Apple's Steve Jobs (Noah Wyle) and Microsoft's Bill Gates (Anthony Michael Hall). Especially the ability to get into their heads and the many exacerbations or the other guy.
  
  As a previous owner of an Altair, Commodore, TRS-80, and Apple among others this movie had a special interest for me.
  
  Revolution OS
  
  
• Microsoft v Apple / Bill Gates v Steve Jobs
  By A3H0S7N11C78UI on 2000-01-16
  Brilliant movie.

  If you are intersted in the history of the computer industry this has to be a must see.

  Mainly about Steve Jobs of Apple and Bill Gates of Microsoft and their struggle to be the top in the computer world.

  The best scene has to be where Bill Gates is trying to sell IBM the operating system MS DOS, which he hasn't even writen yet.. He then tells IBM that he wants to keep the rights to the software and the guys at IBM tell him fine because there is no money to be made in software and all the money is in the hardware..

  I wonder where Gates and Microsoft would be today if IBM hadn't agreed to that deal

  I think that the movie was a little byasd in Bill Gates favor..

  They tell you at the end that Bill Gates is the richest man in the world and that Steve Jobs was booted out of Apple.

  It would have been fairer if they had also mentioned where Jobs had gone between then and now, how he started Pixar, the company that made Toy Story and how in 1997-98 he was asked to come back to Apple.

  The acting was brilliant, Noah Wyle as Steve Jobs who acts like a real jerk. Anthony Michal Hall as a geeky cold faced Bill Gates who is also in need some serious roller disco lessons.

  In general though it was a great movie the only problem with it is the price,unless you are using Bill Gates credit card then I reckomend you rent it but it is a must see.
  
  

• My favorite movie of all time!
  By A2J84OVA8I68WE on 2000-05-11
  This movie was incredible. It really shed light on two people that I consider to have shaped the world we live in today. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates are by far two of the most interesting people alive today and by far the most creative. As far as the movie being historically accurate it seems fairly dead on. I have read many books/articles on or by both people and the movie seemed to be on target. You probably could not have picked better actors to cast in these roles either! I give it an A+.
  
  
• Very good, does a good job of telling the basic facts
  By A20MIU9BF5J9K5 on 2000-11-16
  Of course since it is a TV movie and is ment as entartainment there are some factual (some big) errors but it is still very accurate, and I have read much about this subject, and the book it comes form (Fire in the Valley) is one of the best ever. It is a very good movie, and one of my favorites. It does a good job of showing the turmoil behind the scenes of Apple, but it could do more to show how much of Microsoft was built on several gambles that paid off. I enjoyed it very much and find it very accurate for a TV movie. I have seen this movie many times.
  
  
• Longest Microsoft commercial I have ever seen!
  By AYFZ6RAXGZTMV on 2001-04-08
  This movie had to be secretly directed by Bill Gates. Gates is portrayed as inteligent, kind, resourceful, hardworking, a business genius, and even wild and crazy. Jobs on the otherhand is given no redeeming qualities what-so-ever (Darth Vader school of personel management). I'm not saying Gates isn't intelligent--he's certainly been successful, but this film is so completely one sided that it ruins what might have been an above average TV movie.
  
  
• This movie confirms it...
  By A2XVRCU5DQBULH on 2002-09-24
  ...This is a brilliant TV movie that shows Jobs' rise to the top of the computer world and Gates stealing his glory. It is often funny, sometimes dark, and oddly educational. Anthony Michael Hall makes for an excellent Gates, looking and sounding exactly like the man. The young man playing Jobs also does a tremendous performance. I suggest anyone interested in the world of computers take a look at this movie. It's fascinating, comical, and riveting.
  
  
• Cheezefest, but also insightful
  By on 2003-04-20
  The video is brutally honest about how Jobs neglects his daughter and abuses Apple employees. He seems to have had a hard time dealing with his own illegitimacy (he was adopted) It is no coincidence that he shaped the Mac project to be the "bastard" project that tears Apple apart from within. Too bad the movie didn't spend a little more time on this theme. I also loved the climactic scene where Gates and Jobs confront eachother. Although certainly fictional, it sums up the Mac/PC war brillaintly. Jobs shouts about how the Macintosh is a superior product, and Gates, almost whispering, answers "That doesn't matter. It just doesn't matter"
  
  
• IF YOU LOVE COMPUTERS, YOU'LL LOVE THIS HISTORY OF SILICON VALLEY!
  By A3MFU0GVZUVH3K on 2005-09-02
  BACK TO OUR ROOTS! For anyone who owns a computer and appreciates how far we've come with the Internet and all, this movie is a MUST!
  It's fascinating material about the history of Apple and Microsoft too.
  And if you love Silicon Valley, you might want to try a young adult book that's geared towards adults, too: THE TOONIES INVADE SILICON VALLEY. It's part satire, and stars Steve Wozniak romping around the VALLEY with the TOONIES who escape from the computer (WHERE ELSE!), helping the good TOONIES capture the bad ones who have taken over ORANGE Computer Co. A fun romp with a lot of action and a lot of humor.
  
  

• Triumph of the Nerds
• Hackers - Wizards of the Electronic Age
• Modern Marvels - Computers (History Channel)
• Modern Marvels - The Creation of the Computer (History Channel)
• Revolution OS