Let’s face it. Hollywood gets a lot of things wrong. The one thing they seem to never do right are computers. Annoyances.org has compiled a list of some of the more blatant errors. A few of my favorites.
- The most relevant information is displayed in a separate windows right in the middle of the screen, but there’s never an Ok button to other way to close it.
- High-tech computers, such as those used by NASA, the CIA, or some such governmental institution, will have easy to understand graphical interfaces. Those that don’t, have incredibly powerful text-based command shells that can correctly understand and execute commands typed in plain English.
- Laptops, for some strange reason, always seem to have amazing real-time video phone capabilities and the performance of a CRAY Supercomputer.
- Whenever a character looks at a VDU, the image is so bright that it projects itself onto his/her face (see Alien, 2001, Jurassic Park).
- Either a Jacob’s Ladder or a Van Der Graaf Generator is absolutely necessary for the operation of new, experimental computers (especially when built by brilliant scientists), although in real life, these devices do absolutely nothing.
Have any to add to the list?
My personal favorite goofs involve video games, like gamboys that work with no carts in them or modern game consoles with 70′s sound effects.
Back on the computer thing: In Office Space when Peter is trying to shut down his computer, it shows the Mac working-beachball, and the GUI is obviously Mac. Then it quits to a C: prompt.
I also just realized that I’m a big nerd for noticing that.
What about voice activated computers that can usually understand the most idiomatic language, but can’t understand a simple command during a crises?
Would you like to play a game?
How about the whole screen turning red with blinking “WARNING” texts to indicate a disaster is on the way?
A few years ago while I was working for an ISP one of our client asked me why the computers don’t make a bunch of sounds when you type on them, like in the movies. I think she was referring to how computers in the movies will always play these sound effects whenever something happens like you type in your name or a window pops up. You can set up Windows to do this in real life, but in the movies the computers are always making noises for no apparent reason.
yeah, not everyone is a fucking geek. the do it for theatrical effect. youre not supposed to know what a government computers screen is supposed to look like, the same that they can’t have exact copies of military uniforms. those people need to get a life.
My personal fav is that in movies there’s no such thing as a mouse. Want to manipulate an image or zoom in on a map? Clickity clickity clickity, viola!
I was watching swordfish the other day, and I cracked up when they said that 128 bit encryption is impossible to break. Also at the fact that a major hacker was using a worm to hack into the DEA bank accounts.
*sigh*
Movie industries should hire tech geeks like us to help avoid these issues!
Just once, I’d like the evil villain to exclaim “WTF! Goddam Word just ate my plans for word domination, again!”
or…
“It looks like you’re writing a plan for world domination…”
in the movies, from some reason, computers always display information at one character a time…
I really enjoy floppy seek sound effects while someone is running an intensive application. Oh and I love infinite zoom-in clarity, too.