Skunkworks At Apple -- The Graphing Calculator Story

avitzur writes with a link to the story behind the Macintosh Graphing Calculator. An excerpt from this strange account: "It's midnight. I've been working sixteen hours a day, seven days a week. I'm not being paid. In fact, my project was canceled six months ago, so I'm evading security, sneaking into Apple Computer's main offices in the heart of Silicon Valley, doing clandestine volunteer work for an eight-billion-dollar corporation."

Comments

EA?

[danielacroft]

I hope we don't hear from this person's significant other soon...

Re:EA?

[rampant mac]

"I hope we don't hear from this person's significant other soon..."

Somehow, I don't think that will be a problem around here.

Microsoft Security?

[Anonymous Coward]

"...but sadly, Microsoft has effective building security."

I hear you can use Internet Explorer and ActiveX to get around any Microsoft security...

Re:Microsoft Security?

[IO ERROR]

Being the only person I know to walk into a Microsoft building and out of same carrying CD-R's stamped "Microsoft Confidential" all over them, without actually being there to do any work for the company, I think I should comment on what MS building security was like.

In order to get into the building, I had to use the phone outside the door to call upstairs to my friend who then came down and let me in. (Five-digit extensions starting with 2.) Or you could just follow somebody in, but watch out, the building I went into has double sets of doors, and you have to swipe your card at both sets. And there's a receptionist inside who had to be distracted...

Once you're in, you're in. If you look vaguely like you belong there, nobody's going to raise a stink. It helps a LOT to wear an old T-shirt and jeans, the standard MS business suit. Wander in and out of offices nobody's in, load up your backpack with cool stuff lying around. Stop by the kitchen and pick up some free soda. (Well they don't have that anymore, I guess...) Play a game of pool or Donkey Kong.

If someone does challenge you, tell them the connector you're writing is driving you insane, and do they want to pop out for Chinese?

And definitely swipe 50 of those "Microsoft Confidential" CD-R's.

Sometime that evening, I notice the building seems a lot dimmer than it was before. When I got outside I noticed Microsoft Security driving around, stopping in front of a building, and pointing some sort of remote control at it. He pushed something, and most of the lights in the building shut off. I STILL want one of those remotes.

I got in my car, drove back across the lake, and hightailed it up I-5 to Canada...

Re:Microsoft Security?

[richie2000]

an actual Microsoft employee has been "social engineered" into revealing information about the security in the buildings.

He's probably on the ActiveX team and not really used to the concepts of "security" and "secrets".

Working for no pay...

[Junior J. Junior III]

This is guy put the "insane" in "insanely great"

Heh

[daveschroeder]

The last line of the story:

We wanted to release a Windows version as part of Windows 98, but sadly, Microsoft has effective building security.

Too bad that security didn't translate to other areas...

Re:Heh

[binkzz]

We wanted to release a Windows version as part of Windows 98, but sadly, Microsoft has effective building security.

I heard that if you issue any sentence longer than 1024 characters to the first guard, he'll obey any command you give after that.

For the second guard, keep shift pressed before he sees you and he won't notice you.

Good job, you will probably get security fired

[AHumbleOpinion]

... my project was canceled six months ago, so I'm evading security, sneaking into Apple Computer's main offices in the heart of Silicon Valley ...

Good job, Steve will probably hear about this tomorrow and start firing people working security.

Re:Good job, you will probably get security fired

[AHumbleOpinion]

Ummm, the story being told took place nearly 10 years ago

Do you really think that little details like that can stop Steve's rage?

I liked this line the best

[goon america]

I liked this line:

I asked my friend Greg Robbins to help me. His contract in another division at Apple had just ended, so he told his manager that he would start reporting to me. She didn't ask who I was and let him keep his office and badge. In turn, I told people that I was reporting to him. Since that left no managers in the loop, we had no meetings and could be extremely productive.

Someone should write a novel about this. ... Come to think of it, this is exactly the sort of thing Chuck Palahniuk would write (author of Fight Club).

Re:All too true...

[nihilogos]

I really wish more programmers, engineers, and managers understood this.

And I wish first time users weren't so flipping clueless ;)

Re:Article Text without silly next buttons

[name773]

that world could be coming to a planet near you soon
then it's just the pits for mars, isn't it... we should recall the rover as soon as possible.

Re:Dedication

[pHatidic]

Yeah all this guy's dedication is making me feel guilty for posting while being too lazy to even read the story.

Obligatory

[Have Blue]

The first rule of graphic calculator club...

Red stapler, anyone?

[Jester99]

100+ comments, and nobody's yet realized that this guy is Milton from Office Space?

"They fired him, but he doesn't know it. He just comes in every day and works."

(And despite Milton's, ah, interesting character traits, I find him the coolest character in the show; or perhaps it's because of them. So, I mean this in the most praiseworthy manner possible. Rock on!)

Golly...

[CodeWanker]

Apple is so cool it has stalkers.

I love the last line

[bossesjoe]

We wanted to release a Windows version as part of Windows 98, but sadly, Microsoft has effective building security. Never thought I'd ever see "microsoft" and "effective security" in the same sentance

Re:And this is the kind of zealous insanity

[Max Romantschuk]

If you mean in the sense that there will always be an Amiga, then yes.

Sheesh..

[Kwil]

We wanted to release a Windows version as part of Windows 98, but sadly, Microsoft has effective building security.

Wouldn't you just know it.. the one place Microsoft has effective security is the place that keeps people from doing something useful.

Re:An engineer's dream

[rmull]

University, huh?