Pirates of Silicon Valley

"Good artists create... Great artists steal." -Leonardo da Vinci

This is the story of the growth of the personal computer industry. The movie while based on historical fact did alter things a bit for dramatic reasons. The Movie begins with IBM in the early 1980's, the big brother in the computer world that everyone else feared. Everyone dressed alike at IBM, company songs and jingles filled the air, and men in suits were everywhere.

Steve Jobs along with his friend who he calls "Waz" delight in working with computers. They eventually form their own company, Apple Computers and begin making computers in a garage. There is just one problem; Hewlett Packard has the choice of first rights on anything that "Waz" develops. Fortunately for Apple, Hewlett Packard hated the puny Apple machines so the mechanisms of progress continued. A venture capitalist one day drops by the garage and offers $50,000 in venture capital. Apple was up and running.

Meanwhile Bill Gates was off in school doing wild things. He slept in his clothes, never could find his ties, and dreamed of computers and power. Bill Gates formed a company called Microsoft that made software such as operating systems. During one key meeting with IBM, Bill Gates sells IBM on the idea of using Microsoft's new operating system "DOS" as the operating system for all IBM machines. The only catch was that Microsoft would retain rights to the software and could sell it to other companies. IBM reasoned that hardware not software is where the money is at, so they agree. Microsoft had no operating system to sell at all though! They promptly buy one from a reclose for $50,000 and the Microsoft dynasty begins.

At the Apple camp Steve Jobs is invited to see the graphical user interface which has been developed by Xerox. Xerox had developed the mouse, and standard interface styles we all know today. But the company big Whigs thought it was a silly idea and agreed to let Apple look at everything they had. Apple naturally stole everything they could.

Over at Microsoft, Bill Gates fears Apple's expansive growth, and travels to Apple headquarters to talk of an alliance. Bill weasels his way into the heart of Steve Jobs, Apples founder and has access to Apples new machines. After reverse engineering and a few modifications, Windows is born. Apple discovers this during a speech touting Apples new advertisement campaign for the Macintosh. Bill Gates yells at Steve Jobs for the first time. The great rivalry between Windows, and Mac is born.

In the movie Steve Jobs split his company, Apple into two camps. One the old Apple computer camp, and the other the new Macintosh development camp. After seeing this effect on the company, Steve Jobs is forced to leave his position at Apple. Years later the movie picks up with Steve Jobs back in command of Apple who now has partnered with Microsoft and Bill Gates.

REFLECTION:

Technology could change life. Steve and Bill are friends and yet their lives change because of rivalry. Because of technology’s rapid growth, human beings could do anything to sustain their wants and needs without considering others feelings.