Keyboards in movies/TV series!

E TwentyNine · 16 Mar 2014, 23:45

Lmao, I was noticing the selectrics during the show also. They are outstanding keyboards.

Also related to the topic at hand, in the latest Community when they flashback to the making of the VCR game, there's a poster on the wall with what looks like a Model F (think it was XT or AT).

phosphorglow · 17 Mar 2014, 01:35

Miami Connection, 1987.
I'm jealous of this computer lab.

: miami connection.jpeg (45.79 KiB) Viewed 11565 times

Halvar · 18 Mar 2014, 19:33

This is pretty much how our computer lab at school looked when I had my first CS classes, which also was about 1987. OK, our lab was half the size maybe. These computers were outdated at that time already, our school got them for free from a company that had replaced them.

Of course there were no hard disks. To program in Turbo Pascal or Turbo C (C seemed like an admirably modern and professional language to me at that time), you would need three floppy disks. The first one was the DOS disk that you started the computer with, the second held the Editor and Compiler, and on the third would hold your programs and header files.

mr_a500 · 18 Mar 2014, 19:49

IBM was too expensive in Canada. In 1987, our computer labs were filled with Commodore 64s or the Burroughs ICON:

Muirium · 18 Mar 2014, 20:14

As goes without saying, in Britain, we had BBCs…

And this was still the case in my first year high school computer class in 1992! I remember a roomful of bored shitless kids, and a teacher who didn't feel much different with his lot in life.

mr_a500 · 18 Mar 2014, 21:28

There are some interesting keyboards in The Cassandra Crossing (1976).

HP 2645A (there are another 2 without monitors in the room):

Cassandra.jpg

And 4 of these unknown things:

Cassandra2.jpg

(I'm positive I've seen this exact keyboard recently, but don't know where.)

I'd love to find out what the hell this thing is:

I saw a dual monitor IBM terminal somewhere, but it wasn't quite the same.

E TwentyNine · 18 Mar 2014, 21:39

That last thing is AWESOME is what it is.

mr_a500 · 18 Mar 2014, 21:43

Holy crap - my ideal computer setup! (yes, including the cows):

sweet dreams.jpg

(just kidding - I'd rather have that Demon Seed thing)

Muirium · 18 Mar 2014, 21:48

Well, we did wear black and white uniforms at school, and it was at the edge of town, so it was verging on that…

E TwentyNine · 18 Mar 2014, 21:57

Here's another pic of the Demon Seed one.

Apparently, it's kind of...rapey. For those that don't know, which was me until about 5 minutes ago, "Demon Seed" refers to the computer impregnating a woman.

So, yeah. 70's movies.

mr_a500 · 18 Mar 2014, 22:26

Well back in the 70's, computers could do a lot more than they can these days. One of my favourite features was their ability to get confused and explode in flames when simply asked an illogical question.

Just because computers can't impregnate a woman these days doesn't mean it wasn't possible back in the 70's. (more permissive times, and such)

Grond · 09 Apr 2014, 23:18

Jurassic Park (1993)

The infamous hacking scene!

One of those Silicon Graphics keyboards gets stomped by a Raptor!

wheybags · 10 Apr 2014, 15:25

Using an adb keybaord on an SGI machine?
Impressive

mr_a500 · 10 Apr 2014, 16:18

Yes, that would be impressive - but I think that ADB keyboard Newman was typing on was connected to a Mac.

Grond · 10 Apr 2014, 18:33

Yes, you can see a Mac minitower in other shots. He's the only guy in the film who's using a Mac, and he's a traitor!

Spoiler:

More SG:

Also featuring: the Oculus Rift!

mr_a500 · 10 Apr 2014, 23:54

I think this keyboard from Space 1999 sets the standard for "ergonomic nightmare":

The keys are all blanks too:

They seem to have a thing for blank keys on that show. Here's the other main keyboard:

Edit: here's another one:

Muirium · 11 Apr 2014, 01:45

Nice sphericals. I like how the colour theme of the keyboards matches the set generally and even the characters' clothes. Space 1999 was a crappy show (from what little I remember when it was played again here in 1999) but I approve of what they were up to with those boards, at least. Not nearly as cool as the underlit ominous Alien style, but a creature thoroughly of its time. Note the lack of screens and interfaces to look at when entering their commands. This was before we'd figured that computers needed that.

mr_a500 · 11 Apr 2014, 03:47

I wouldn't say Space 1999 was a crappy show. (talking about first season here - second season is unwatchable drivel)

It had great sets, awesome special effects (for the time), nice lighting, excellent photography. OK, the story lines were generally crap and the acting was dubious. But visually it was spectacular.

Speaking of colour schemes, this is the terminal that gives me that Space 1999 feeling:

Maybe it's all those 70's orange and yellows:

Findecanor · 11 Apr 2014, 07:58

: Falcon - Luke training.jpg (32.74 KiB) Viewed 11275 times

It looks like a keyboard in the foreground. Not seen in the movie.

mr_a500 wrote:It had great sets, awesome special effects (for the time), nice lighting, excellent photography. OK, the story lines were generally crap and the acting was dubious. But visually it was spectacular.

Don't forget the opening theme...

Game Theory · 26 Apr 2014, 15:06

Round 4 keys on Red Dwarf found by input on r/MechanicalKeyboards http://imgur.com/a/lHbpQ

Muirium · 26 Apr 2014, 15:13

Nice find. It's even pre-beaten up. Love those bare LED panels. You can tell this whole thing was made by a scrapheap master!

Grond · 26 Apr 2014, 16:09

12 Monkeys (1997). This scene is set in 1990. I guess it's a Model M2.

The Score (2001). Laughably crappy hacker rig with some rubber dome keyboard (Logitech?).

Findecanor · 26 Apr 2014, 17:16

Grond wrote:12 Monkeys (1997). This scene is set in 1990. I guess it's a Model M2.

Nope. The M2 has a 2u Backspace key and 1u space to the function row, with very narrow borders on the sides and top.

Grond wrote:The Score (2001). Laughably crappy hacker rig with some rubber dome keyboard (Logitech?).

Logitech Internet Keyboard.

Grond · 26 Apr 2014, 19:31

A Brief History of Time (1991) with Stephen Hawking.

E TwentyNine · 29 Apr 2014, 04:15

I'm guessing that's an M in Hawking's pic, as that monitor looks like an IBM 85xx series, probably sitting on top of a PS/2 desktop.

Grond · 29 Apr 2014, 09:46

Yes, the computer is shown in other shots as well, the keyboard isn't, but it's definitely a Model M.

More: some PC-XTs may be spotted in Diane Keaton's Baby Boom (1987)

Muirium · 29 Apr 2014, 10:04

I suppose Hawking would have a keyboard in his office for his secretary, because he's not exactly going to be a buckling spring man himself…

Spoiler:

Or it's just a set for the show. I do like his Marilyn poster! Perhaps he was thinking of his predecessor…

mr_a500 · 29 Apr 2014, 13:30

Muirium wrote:Or it's just a set for the show. I do like his Marilyn poster! Perhaps he was thinking of his predecessor…

Wow, that's some bad acting and a really crappy script. (..but I do like that shot at 7:54)

Muirium · 29 Apr 2014, 13:35

Yeah, something about Einstein seems to attract bad writers and producers. No audience is too dumb to recognise him, right? Just give some old guy an accent and a wig!

And the same is true for Marilyn. The only thing that they share, in truth, is universal name recognition.

mr_a500 · 29 Apr 2014, 13:37

Muirium wrote:Yeah, something about Einstein seems to attract bad writers and producers. No audience is too dumb to recognise him, right? Just give some old guy an accent and a wig!

I'm always amazed that the cliché image of genius is Einstein as a grey haired old man, when he actually did all his best work before he was 30. (though of course he'd be old when he met Marilyn)