Apple And The Boob Tube

Rick Zeman writes "The Washington Post talks about Apple's success in product placement in television shows. While 'Apple said it does not pay for product placement and would not discuss how its products make their way into television and films' television viewers are treated to the view and use of Apple products in such shows as 24, Sex and the City, and this year's biggie, The Office. Also from the article: '"Apple is the brand of people who are creative," said Lucian James, president of Agenda Inc., a brand consulting firm. "Where they are using Apple is sort of suggesting artistic-ness."'"

Comments

Obviously for the benefit of the masses

[Bombula]

I wouldn't say film and television uses Apple to suggest "artistic-ness" so much as intelligence and sophistication.

Which of course means that what they should be using are hacked XBOX 360s running Linux...

Re:Obviously for the benefit of the masses

[marimbaman]

I wouldn't say film and television uses Apple to suggest "artistic-ness" so much as intelligence and sophistication. Which of course means that what they should be using are hacked XBOX 360s running Linux...

Er, wouldn't that be suggesting living-in-parents'-basement-ness?

Re:Obviously for the benefit of the masses

[Anonymous Coward]

I wouldn't say film and television uses Apple to suggest "artistic-ness" so much as intelligence and sophistication.

It suggests something else. They have to suggest it, because you can't generally show assfucking on TV.

what??

[brabo]

so, selling is about perception??

From TFA

[Space cowboy]

Indeed, actors on [The Office]'s drab workplace set do not use snazzy Apple computers, but rather black, generic desktop PCs.

Of course, for Apple, that works too...

Simon.

Re:From TFA

[Anonymous Coward]

I rember when the iMac came out (the crt and the lamp-like style ones) that elementary and middle schools seemed to be buying them by droves. It didn't suprise me when a few years later those now dated models started appearing as props on tv shows. Sure the fact that creative professionals use Apple computers pretty heavily has something to do with their prevalence as movie and TV props, but I also thought it had something to do with the fact that there were so many cheap/free used/broken iMacs being tossed out and sold by educators.

Re:From TFA

[machine117]

You must not have a very good idea of education funding. Not many schools can afford to "toss out" old computers. I work as a network admin at a school, and even with decent funding, we rarely get rid of anything. We recycle computers wherever possible, and still utilize the early iMacs all over the place.

The old CRT iMacs may seem as useless as a prop to you, but they hold their own pretty well. Hell, some of the schools in my district are still using the beige powermacs.

Re:From TFA

[Hognoxious]

so many cheap/free used/broken iMacs being tossed out

I work as a network admin at a school

Maybe if you understoood what "broken" meant you could get a proper job?

The old CRT iMacs may seem as useless as a prop to you, but they hold their own pretty well.

The LCD ones hold a cake even better.

Re:From TFA

[machine117]

I didn't feel the need to go into too much detail, but now that you say it...

Broken computers are fixed for free by the district, or chopped up for parts, or recycled in use in any way possible. Anything unusable is warehoused until sent to resource recovery, which properly dispose the toxic chemicals, etc. To the best of my knowledge, no computer in my county (Which happens to be the #2 Apple buyer in the state of FL, only behind a county with a 1-to-1 plan) has ever been displaced anywhere else.

So "broken" is a meaningless word in a school, where it can be reused in a number of ways.

Re:From TFA

[machine117]

Oh, forgot to mention--how dare you attack my job! Not that it matters, but I happen to be just 19 years old, and this job is paying for my college tuition quite well.

What do you define as a proper job? Again, not that it matters, but I am officially the network admin's assistant, and in order to be the network admin, you must be a teacher for a number of years. So, teachers do not have proper jobs? I fail to see the significance of your claim of what a "proper" job is.

I have said nothing to offend you, but you seemingly feel the need to deface my credibility with baseless claims.

Free product

[nacturation]

Sure, maybe not *paying* for product placement but a truckload of notebooks and Cinema displays loaned to the studio for the season could be expected to find their way into scenes now and again?

Re:Free product

[moosesocks]

This is pretty normal operating procedure from what I understand.

Everybody wins. The studio gets free props, and Apple gets free advertising. If anything, it works out better for apple, as they get free advertising.

That said, I think that apple products get chosen by the set designers simply because they're the most stylish/fashionible. If you want a futuristic, high-tech set (ie. 24), Apple's the way to go. It's their job to make the set look good.

Re:Free product

[Geoffreyerffoeg]

Want to improve your Karma? Instead of "Post Anonymously", try the "Post Humously" option.

How would a Middle Eastern dip made with chickpeas and sesame help my posts?

Re:Free product

[Jesapoo]

Surely the real challenge would be to try to do it posthumously?

Re:Free product

[jamar0303]

I believe that there's 2 m's in the word you were thinking of as opposed to the lone m in "post humously"... Ah, the joy of misinterpreted humor.

Re:Free product

[MouseR]

Watch carefully. There's a trend, too, in HOW Apple products are used in comparaison to other manufacturers.

When Apple products are used, it's typically by "the good guys". The baddies in the same movie would be using some cheapo white box manufacturer running Windows.

I always find that hilarious.

This link is amusing for checking out all product placements in movies.

Re:Free product

[7Prime]

I don't find it hillarious so much as realistic ;)

Re:Free product

[NickCatal]

This season Henderson used an iMac... (on 24) Like people said, free stuff to set designers, set designers like the look, include it in. Just like how 24 must have had Dell give them a ton of server cases for product places. 24's set designers must have kept them..

MovieOS

[TheSHAD0W]

I bet they have coders all set up to make their computers display what they need to, as props; while if the studios used X86 they'd have to hire their own coders. It's important for the computers to be able to blink "PASSWORD DENIED" in red, and then "password accepted!" followed by the super-secret information fuzzing in with neat video effects.

Re:MovieOS

[gEvil (beta)]

Speaking of, has anyone ever created some version of MovieOS that we can use to wow our non-technical friends and family? I'm talking about all the "Password Denied" and "Accepted" messages, along with the slight tick-tick-tick as each character is printed to the screen. And then throw an image zoom function in there, too. Have it load up a really really hi-res image, but display it at like 200x300 and really fuzzy. As you zoom in, it just magically keeps on getting crisper and crisper, giving that MovieOS illusion of infinite-zoom. Now that's an open source project I'd be willing to donate my money to...

Re:MovieOS

[Bogtha]

Don't forget if you are searching for something, it needs to flash up each and every record in the database until it finds the one you want.

I can't wait until Google supports this killer feature.

Re:MovieOS

[Reaperducer]

I'm talking about all the "Password Denied" and "Accepted" messages,

There was a version of this for the Palm Pilot that pretended to read your fingerprint to gain access. In reality, all you had to do was secretly press any button.

along with the slight tick-tick-tick as each character is printed to the screen.

Back in the good old days of 8-bit computing, when the TV show Whiz Kids was on TV all the computer magazines published type-in programs that allowed you to do this on your Commodore 64, or whatever you were using. Of course, those few of us who were on line (via Compuserve, Delphi, Panix, Bitnet, ARBnet, or whatever), didn't have to fake it because our screaming 115 and 300 baud modems would take care of that for us.

Re:the brand of people who TOOLS MAKE THEM creativ

[topham]

No offense, but I've found that description true of almost everybody.

Very few people are truly wise enough to understand their own limits, and bigots even less so.

iPod in the Movies

[stateofmind]

Here is the iPod as an alien invader in Scary Movie 4.
Scary Movie 4 Trailer - iPod

Re:iPod in the Movies

[citizenr]

bzzz, its a tr_iPod! :]

Re:iPod in the Movies

[stateofmind]

Playlist select:

Awesome 80's
click-click
Destory Humanity

:)

Set dressing

[vought]

I'm lucky enough to have known a couple of set dressers for popular television shows introduced over the past decade. We never spoke specifically about Apple products, but she (both of them) had iBooks, a cube at home, etc.

Decorating a TV set is pretty complicated. You don't show brand names unless they're paying for it (and you must hide those brands from all camera angles), but you want to encourage a feeling of familiarity for the viewer, so you end up with stuff like a half-turned Coke(TM) can that has a malformed "ribbon device" to avoid the trademark police. Regardless, you always display products that the viewer will find familiar - hence the avocado-green washer and dryer on That 70's show. That godawful combo isn't there because it's pretty, but it is a clear indicator of when the show occurs, and a nod to the life and times the show is set in.

Apple is pretty unique in that they don't have to pay, but you'll notice that rarely is the Apple logo shown on TV shows that place Apple products. Apple knows that their industrial design is enough to get them placed in shows that want to show progressive, forward-thinking office environments or creative, flip characters.

You see racks of Dell servers on "24", but you never see the word Dell, either - and I'd bet you my neck on a block it's because XServes just don't have big enough blue LEDs and blinky lights - and because Dell's servers are, oddly enough, among their best looking products.

Apple products just look better on camera, full of artful, swooping designs that are utilitarian enough for everyday use, but futuristic enough for TV's trendsetting set dressers.

Re:Set dressing

[Anonymous Coward]

Spot on. Apple's status as a symbol of creative thought is no mere marketing invention; on the contrary, the media use Apple as such because the association was already there.

Longtime Mac users do think different, all marketing slogans aside. They're the ones who stuck through the lean years of the '90s, when every beady-eyed square on earth knew Apple's days were numbered. They're the ones who stayed true to the belief that artistry and good taste would prevail over bland, uninspired mediocrity. If you had faith in Apple's future during that terrible interregnum, you pretty much had to be a little bit crazy.

Re:Set dressing

[CRCulver]

Apple is pretty unique in that they don't have to pay, but you'll notice that rarely is the Apple logo shown on TV shows that place Apple products. Apple knows that their industrial design is enough to get them placed in shows that want to show progressive, forward-thinking office environments or creative, flip characters.

In the first season of Seinfeld Jerry's apartment had a Macintosh SE in the corner. If I recall, it was later upgraded to a Mac TV. Too far away to notice a logo, but everyone knew Jerry was a Mac guy 'cause only Apple made something as peculiar as the Mac Plus/Mac SE case.

Re:Set dressing

[pojo]

On the last ep of 24 I saw, they did have PowerBooks, and they just covered over the Apple logo with stickers.

Sometimes I wonder about those racks of Dell servers - that's a fair amount of computing power, I wonder if those are purely prop computers or they do something with them?

Re:Set dressing

[cthulhu11]

I noticed on Alias that both the good guys and the bad guys always used the same couple of racks of Dell servers, and that the good guys had Apple laptops. I think it was in the third season that the Apple logo suddenly got covered with a red circle, though.

Re:Set dressing

[Ohreally_factor]

You didn't come out and say it, but a big part of this phenomenon is that Apple computers tend to be distinctive and noticeable, going all the way back to the form factor of the original Macintosh. Whereas, it's hard to tell the difference between a Dell or an HP or what have you.

Also, while Apple doesn't pay, they don't always insist that the prop computers get returned. =) I know a few producers who have negotiated for computer systems* for themselves in return for product placement, as well. It's time honored practice.

*Not to mention lots of other consumer goods.

Re:Set dressing

[Telvin_3d]

Assuming they work? My guess is render farm

Re:Set dressing

[1u3hr]

You don't show brand names unless they're paying for it (and you must hide those brands from all camera angles), but you want to encourage a feeling of familiarity for the viewer, so you end up with stuff like a half-turned Coke(TM) can that has a malformed "ribbon device" to avoid the trademark police.

I'm sure this is a common policy, just to avoid hassle, but it has little basis in law. How on earth could Coca-cola complain about a character drinking a can of coke? The trademark is firmly attached to the actual product they sell. There is no passing off implied. So there is no trademark issue.

Some of the shows with more ballsy management just use whatever real products make sense. For instance, in the Sopranos a couple of years ago, Tony was in a death struggle with a guy and sprayed him in the face with a can of Raid, with the label prominently visible. Then he smashed his head on the floor and dismembered him in the bath. Is there any possibility that the company would have allowed that if they had the power to deny it? And in the movies, consider Supersize Me. McDonalds products and trademarks used in every scene, most certainly without permission. Shows avoid trademarked goods more because they don't want conflict with paid product placement and advertising.

Re:Set dressing

[dema]

... I'd bet you my neck on a block it's because XServes just don't have big enough blue LEDs and blinky lights - and because Dell's servers are, oddly enough, among their best looking products.

Have you ever seen an Xserve? They account for about 90% of the LED's in the server room where I work (:

Front view (27 LED's)
Rear view (7 LED's .. I think)

The front LED's in the dark (:

Re:Set dressing

[7Prime]

Remind me again, who are the "good guys" on that show?

Re:Set dressing

[vought]

Have you ever seen an Xserve? They account for about 90% of the LED's in the server room where I work

Yes, I have, and I appreciate the post...but XServe LEDs, though many, are tiny. Like Jawas fighting the mighty, singular Death Star of Dell's "Massive Blue Server-Lite 2000", they are overwhelmed, since hey - they don't photograph as well.

This probably means nothing

[zappepcs]

For a while in the 90's ... everything, and I mean *EVERYTHING* out of hollywood had one of those green shaded desk lamps in it. (just for fun, when you are watching anything from the 90s, count how many there are ... tv, movies, anything) and that is not because the lamp manufacturer paid for product placement... it is most likely because the prop departments got a good deal on them!

As for Apple, have you seen the programs that they actually show running on television and movies? It is ALL artwork... there is no programming in it. The reason the Mac is shown is probably because that is the only computer the 'program' would run on... Not to mention that when real wintel computing power came along, the Macs were probably sitting around with nothing to do, so made their way to the prop departments... Thats not meant as a crack on Macs, but face it, its probably true. Any wintel machine that gets old, goes on the scrap heap... Mac users keep theirs around for years after they should upgrade.

So, all in all, the probability that there is something to this is less than that of the cubs winning any year soon.

Computers Used by Movie Editors

[yintercept]

One explanation is that Apple might simply be the computer used by movie editors. If I were making a movie; I would be inclined to use the computer equipment I use in my business life on screen. If I use an Apple computer to edit the films, I would be apt to place an Apple in the film.

Apple could get placement simply by making sure that people in the movie industry have Apples ... either through gifting product and service or extremely low prices.

Re:Computers Used by Movie Editors

[Anonymous Coward]

"Creative People" may have started out using Mac's, and simply stuck with them. For example, Mac's could run music notation software or midi sequencing software a decade before PC's could even dream of doing such things. Macintoshes were the first computers I ever used as kid for that very reason. I was playing with a midi keyboard and Performer (http://www.motu.com/products/software/dp/features 50/) while other kids were playing with their first generation nintendos. For my father, as a musician/composer in the 80's the only choice was a Mac. He still uses a Mac for anything music related, and now I do to. I use linux on a PC for programming, web development and anything generally geeky, and I avoid windows at all costs.

Re:Computers Used by Movie Editors

[Concerned Onlooker]

It's an interesting idea, but not quite on for a few reasons. Most editors are using Avid systems, which was formerly Windows only software so there are probably many, many editing systems out there that are not Apple.

Also, editors are not responsible for what gets shot, only how it gets put together. So if all they're given is footage with Macs in it they don't have much choice.

Possibly one of the biggest reasons that Apple products seems to appear so often, especially in low budget movies and still photo shoots, is simply because that's what art directors and photographers tend to own and so they use them as props.

Re:Computers Used by Movie Editors

[SoupIsGoodFood_42]

More likely the writers.

Re:Computers Used by Movie Editors

[Anonymous Coward]

Most editors are using Avid systems, which was formerly Windows only software so there are probably many, many editing systems out there that are not Apple.

There was a long period of time (about a decade or so) during which Avid's systems were Mac-only.
(See the original Avid system press release.). Quite a few of those really old Avid systems are still in use, and many old-time Avid editors refused to give them up.

Also, it was partially in response to Avid's decision to go Windows-only that Apple started marketing FinalCut Pro as a replacement for Avid. Avid's decision to start offering Mac-based systems again was motivated mostly out of (actually well-founded) fear that its former Mac customers were more loyal to Apple than Avid.

Re:Computers Used by Movie Editors

[yintercept]

You're right. Screenwriters would actually have more influence on product placement. They would be wanting to use computers marketed toward visual communications.

Of course, one would expect the accountants in the background to have the move influence ... and they would use Windows.

Re:Computers Used by Movie Editors

[SoupIsGoodFood_42]

I think the only infuence the accountants would have would be to use PPPP-PowerBook, rather than a PowerBook :)

What?

[ScrewMaster]

Apple is the brand of people who are creative.

Baloney. I'm not knocking Apple products ... but from a marketing perspective Apple is the brand for people that are willing to pay a premium for their personal computers in order to suggest that they, themselves, have some degree of "artistic-ness", or at least style. Yes yes, many Mac users are artists or graphic designers or what-have-you, but people such as that purchased their equipment on its merits and have no need to impress anyone with "hey, look at me I have a Mac so I must be artistic!" For me, a computer is a box that sits on the floor and should remain as inconspicuous as possible, since I'm not trying to make any kind of statement with my choice of computer system. I make that statement with the quality of my work, regardless of the platform I happen to be working on at any given time.

Re:What?

[pclminion]

For me, a computer is a box that sits on the floor and should remain as inconspicuous as possible

The whole reason I bought my Mac Mini is because it's totally inconspicuous. A giant G5 box on my desk is one thing, but the Mini is great if you want to save desk space. I don't worry about my computer as such, I just have a system that works and I do what I need to do.

Re:What?

[needacoolnickname]

I think you are very right.

Sadly though, if I keep my laptop on the floor the cat walks all over it and my back hurts from that awkward position thus the quality of my work suffers and the people who purchased this laptop for me aren't as happy as they would be if I kept it on the desk.

Re:What?

[shmlco]

"Yes yes, many Mac users are artists or graphic designers or what-have-you, but people such as that purchased their equipment on its merits and have no need to impress anyone..."

To quote, "Baloney." Keep in mind that artists and graphic designers happen to be the exact same types who'd appreciate Apple's elegant lines and strong industrial design.

I have an Apple Powerbook, and I bought it not because it makes a statement to others, but because it works, works well, and I enjoy using it. I love solid well crafted tools, and I hate the flimsy creaky cheap plastic crap that other manufacturers pass off as "design".

I work better on my Mac. It's a synergistic effect.

Characterizing Apple owners as mere status-seekers is as simplistic as my characterizing Linux-types as people too cheap to pay for software. Sure, some might qualify as such, but it would be unfair, unwise, and, well... stupid for me to tar all of them with the same brush.

Re:What?

[Edmund Blackadder]

in other words, Apple is usually the brand of those assholes that tell everyone how they are an artist or musician, or (best of all) a movie director and expect to be treated as superiour people because of their self declared artistic ability. In the meantime they have not created anything that has brought even a single person a little enjoyment.

Of course I dont know how much of this is really Apple's fault, but they do encourage it by making their products as conspicuous as possible.

Re:What?

[Christopher Rogers]

For me, a computer is a box that sits on the floor and should remain as inconspicuous as possible, since I'm not trying to make any kind of statement with my choice of computer system. I make that statement with the quality of my work, regardless of the platform I happen to be working on at any given time.

I wonder if that's the same thing as saying you buy all your clothes from Wal-Mart because it's what's on the inside that counts.

Re:What?

[Dis*abstraction]

"Apple ... encourage[s] it by making their products as conspicuous as possible."

What do you want them to do, start slapping "intel inside" stickers all over their computers just to blend in? If Apple's products stand out, it's for looking good in a sea of ugliness. Don't complain that Apple stands out--complain that Dell is still pumping out slabby turds festooned with garish, useless blinkenlights and "Genuine Microsoft" labels.

I agree with you that all the "I use a Mac and therefore I'm creative" posers, recent switchers one and all, are getting annoying.

Re:What?

[DaveCBio]

And characterizing all laptops and computers other than Apple as "flimsy creaky cheap plastic crap" is just the sort of attitude he is talking about. "I work better on my Mac. It's a synergistic effect." is another line of bullshit. You are the cliche that you try to deny. A computer is a tool and that's all. If there is something that sets the computer apart like ergonomics or the software on a certain OS is better for your work flow then that's great for you. However, don't try and tell me that the case colour and design have anything to do with "working better".

Re:What?

[anarkhos]

What was that?

Sorry, I got distracted when you started sniffing your own farts.

Re:What?

[Ohreally_factor]

Ah, see, your problem is that you need a mattress on the floor of your office and maybe a blanket to pull over your head when you're on a deadline, and don't want to be disturbed.

Re:What?

[Anonymous Coward]

I am Artistic !

** rocks backwards and forwards cradling his violin, aged 2 **

And dyslexic...

** beats head agains space bar until he encounters "postercomment" compression filter **

Re:What?

[ScrewMaster]

No, it's because for me, as a software developer, it's what's on the screen that counts. And like I said, I think Apple has great products and I'm not being critical of them. I am criticizing a certain subset of the people that buy them.

Re:What?

[ScrewMaster]

Ah, yes ... another Mac owner. So nice to see you. How's the wife and kids?

Re:What?

[geniusj]

Could it have anything to do with the fact that it runs a completely different operating system too? Nah..

Re:What?

[Achromatic1978]

I appreciate elegant lines and strong industrial design. I also have no artistic talent. I like a lot of Apple's laptops. But not all. The others, I hate. Those all white models look like "flimsy creaky cheap plastic crap", too, whether they are or not. My laptop, not an Apple, uses dark slate gray /metal/, and is well designed.

You say it's a synergistic effect. What is? "I work better on my Mac because it works well" is /not/ a synergy. If you work because something works, that's not a synergy, that's cause and effect. It's not the bringing together of two things with different abilities to reach a common goal. It's flimsy creaky cheap marketing crap.

Re:What?

[Anonymous Coward]

Can you describe an example of you "working better" using your Mac?

I love solid well crafted tools, and I hate the flimsy creaky cheap plastic crap that other manufacturers pass off as "design".

The "tool" part of a laptop or computer is not the design of the case it is contained in. A pink shovel will work the same as a brown one. Is the cheap plastic causing the software to crash? Is the work you are doing in front of the laptop in any way degraded because the case creeked when you opened it before you started working? Is the cheap plastic all scratched up and keeping you from getting a clear view of the screen (sorry, cheap shot against the Apple Nano)?

Re:What?

[zo219]

"For me, a computer is a box that sits on the floor and should remain as inconspicuous as possible."

You, sir, have never owned nor worked on a Powerbook.

Call me psychic,

zo

Re:What?

[shmlco]

"However, don't try and tell me that the case colour and design have anything to do with "working better"."

If you don't get then it you don't get it. That's okay. Some people don't care about such things. Just keep in mind that others do.

Re:What?

[Anonymous Coward]

I know I work better on my Mac.

I have Applescripts set up for all the tedious tasks, I can easily use the Unix tools I was familiar with when I used Linux on the Desktop. Font rendering is really nice in programs like Eclipse, much better than ClearType and on par with FreeType.

Basically, I have all the Linux tools I loved, plus the proprietary apps (like Office) that I need.

This is all possible on Linux and Windows too, but it works pretty much out of the box with OS X. The only third-party addon I needed was Fink.

OS X is for lazy people who want everything to work and can't be bothered tinkering. I'm lazy, so I like it.

Re:What?

[Squirrelgirl]

Parents article doesn't say ALL other manufacturers but "other manufacturers", unspecified. I agree with you that a computer is basically a tool, whether its a SPARC, Mac or PC. But many Mac people love the operating system primarily. It is NOT irrelevant what operating system one runs, otherwise more might switch to LINUX and UNIX, but their graphical enviroments have only recently become more user friendly as well. And case colour and design actually has an impact to some extent. Would you buy a bright sheer pink computer, sit in a room with dark brown walls and a brightly blue floor? Maybe you would, maybe you'd hate it. Would you buy a super powerful computer that had a black keyboard with medium grey keys? You might know touch typing, but it'd still be annoying to some people at least if it got even slightly dark... I think we agree. :)

Re:What?

[senatorpjt]

That's why I use a mac. It doesn't piss me off on a daily basis like my Windows machines.

Re:What?

[ScrewMaster]

No argument from me on that score. Windows is an ongoing thorn in my side, unfortunately it's how I make a living. I like Macs ... I just think some of the people that buy them need to grow up a little.

Re:What?

[DaveCBio]

This response is the refuge of a person that can't actually back up their suppositions. It's like a freaking religious argument where when backed into a corner the religious person pulls out the "faith" card. Just admit it, you DID buy the Mac partly because of the "statement" and that false air of superiority it affords you. Macs are great machines, but if you are going to make assertions about their superiority at least have an actual argument to back it up.

Re:What?

[DaveCBio]

Did you actually read my post? No, of course not. You just glanced and then decided to post a smart-ass response. I addressed the idea that the OS and software might be better for the root poster. What I was responding to was the fact that he tried to imply that the construction of the Mac notebook was far superior to the "flimsy plastic" models of other companies. I don't know what other laptops he has used over the years, but I've used many and there are some incredibly well constructed pieces of gear on the market that don't bear the Apple logo. They don't have a monopoly on good design and construction.

Re:What?

[typical]

That's an excellent .sig, shmlco.

Re:What?

[shmlco]

FACT: It has great industrial design. FACT: I appreciate well-designed tools. FACT: I enjoy using it, and even look forward to using it. FACT: I take it with me more places, and use it more often, than I did the Dell. FACT: My frustration level is lower. FACT: My productivity on it as opposed to my Dell is higher.

FACT: There are people who appreciate design, many of whom are designers. Lack of design grates upon their senses.

Like I said, if you can't understand that, then you can't. But if your sense of superiority is reinforced by the delusion that I paid more to make some kind of "statement", then feel free. You're wrong, but feel free.

Re:What?

[DaveCBio]

So, your preference are now "facts"? Okay, I can see this is going nowhere fast. I am glad you like your Mac, but your preferences are far from universal and that is a FACT.

Re:What?

[shmlco]

So now one person's facts are nothing more than preferences? And no one else could possibly have the same reasons?

Apparently, to use an analogy, anyone who buys an expensive sports car does so solely because they're making a statement. And not because they appreciate the clean lines and precision engineering. And not because they admire the fit and finish and fine interior. Nor can they enjoy the performance and handling.

Nope, none of those things could possibly apply. Paying more money for an expensive vehicle is always a statement. I take it back. It's not that you don't get it. It's just that you're an idiot who's firmly wedded to his preconceived notions.

I'll leave you to have the last word, as I'm sure you can't refrain from doing so...

Re:What?

[DaveCBio]

How gracious of you. Since you allow me the last word I'll start with yours.

I hate the flimsy creaky cheap plastic crap that other manufacturers pass off as "design".

You haven't adressed the point that I was making all along. Not once did I deny that Macs have good design, not once did I imply that Mac OS and software is not a good choice for some users. What I am saying is that Apple isn't the only company to make well designed laptops and it's not like they haven't made their share of "flimsy creaky plastic crap". Apparently you never used an old school iBook. And it's great that your Mac makes you happy so you work "better" with it. I however don't have some kind of fetish for my computer and if it's well designed and does what I need it to do I am happy. An aluminum case doesn't increase my creativity, a decently designed system and software that works well with my work flow does that for me. Like I said, in an earlier post I have used Macs in my job, and they are fine, but my preference is the software I use on my PCs. However, I won't go out there and tell everyone that they are going to be less creative or that they will generate inferior work because they happen to be using a Mac.

Re:What?

[Anonymous Coward]

Those are very valid points but have nothing to do with the "great industrial design" and "sleek curves, fit and look" of the case that the author was refering to.
I am very familiar with the tools I need from my OS of choice as well but again, that has nothing to do with how the outside of the computer looks.

Re:What?

[Lord_Pain]

"Don't make stupid blanket statements! Here! I will make a stupid blanket statement to SHOW you how stupid YOUR blanket statement was! Grr! Hisss!"

Hmmm, I think I just made a stupid blanket statement somewhere in there...

Re:What?

[dmarcoot]

As graphic designer i have to say i totally agree with your statement. We writers make statements that macs are for creative types or macs are good or graphics (but nothing else) , is a nonsensical statement.

I use a mac for work, not because i am a creative professional ( i am regardless of what i use) or want them to think i am by my computer, ( i dont and its irrelevant because anyone who knows me, knows what i do, and by time they see me in office or at my studio, they will) but mainly Apple computers are 80% of the graphics industry, and they are more reliable. OS 9, OS X, whatever, i dont have to worry about an unresponsive IT dept to trouble shoot my machine, viruses, spyware crap or devices which plug and pray.

That apple caters to my tastes in Industrial Design and GUI's, typography, and even marketing is a plus for me and its because Apple knows its users are in creative industries and use this tool, not as pundits with no historical memory or context put forth that creative professionals use macs because of apples marketing and colored plastics.

and of course, with my luck, this will be modded down as troll or some other thing.

Re:What?

[geniusj]

Sorry, I was responding mainly to this comment:

"I work better on my Mac. It's a synergistic effect." is another line of bullshit.

I've noticed this

[pclminion]

Pretty much any time a laptop is shown on TV, you see the Apple logo on the back of the screen. I'm not sure, but I think it has to do with the tendency of producers/writers to want to avoid "generic" stuff in their work. An Apple branded piece of hardware stands out visually more so than your garden variety PC notebook, or at least they believe that to be the case.

Re:I've noticed this

[Rogue Pat]

DISCLAIMER: I own a Powerbook.

The opposite happens too.

Realy life observation 1: In the biggest local electronics shop [Elkjøp] they have a HUGE [think 2-3 meters high] ad with a laptop and a Digital Camera. The laptop is obviously a powerbook, the camera is a Canon. However, the store doesn't carry any Apple products. So obvious a case of showing of fancy products/lifting along Apple's image with products that they don't even have.

Realy life observation 2: i've been spotting numerous ads in planes and magazines for companies delivering IT related products [in the broadest sense of the words, like Voice Over IP, or broadband] using Powerbooks in their ads [eg, Ventelo on the SAS airplanes]. The've photoshopped the Apple logo away from the cover, making it an even grey, but they're still clearly Powerbooks. So, they need a good looking laptop for their commercials, and they use arguable the sleekest one: the Powerbooks.
Funny side note: call such a company featuring Apple laptops in their ads, and ask if they support Apple computers with their solutions and they'll answer "no" :(

Comic strips also

[azpenguin]

I don't know exactly how much Apple actually works to get its products out there on TV. If you want to follow the creative/graphics angle though, look in your newspaper comics. Almost every single time you see a computer it looks like an Apple product. I doubt Apple is pushing this placement; rather, it's just what the artist uses (and most likely prefers.)

Re:Comic strips also

[Anonymous Coward]

For that matter, print ads also over-emphasize Macs, even to the point of absurdity...

i think you misunderstand the term

[johnpaul191]

in the business world when they refer to the "creative people" they do not mean just people who think outside the box, but generally the creative department is the people that do the graphic design work etc. they said "artistic" as well.

maybe the reason a lot of artistic people use Macs is that they are flat out easier and less maintenance. they use the machine as a tool for their work, instead of spending tons of time learning manuals and procedures and how to keep things secure and bla bla bla. i realize i am yelling an an anonymous brick wall here... but some people (like those at Apple) think the computer should be a tool to enhance your work and life making tasks easier, and for the average user it should not have to be a field of study just to get the OS running.

nobody is going to argue that hacking linux onto an Xbox and running gimp to produce some graphics for your website is not a creative solution. though following a step by step procedure to do that is not as creative as some people may want to think, it can still be fun and satisfying.

Re:i think you misunderstand the term

[dsmall]

(snip)
maybe the reason a lot of artistic people use Macs is that they are flat out easier and less maintenance.
(snip)
Umm, it's sort of easy to tell who *really* owns the Macs here...
"less maintenance"? Yes, that would be why the biggest problem with Macs up to the Powerbook is blown power supplies ... ol' Steve just will NOT put a fan in there. I can recall my wife's PowerBook going in six times for repair. I am sure that when it was around and working she really thought outside the box but the fact is the Powerbook spent a LOT of time "inside the box" -- being shipped.

I have personally resoldered the power supply diodes etc in "classic Macs" that overheated from this DESIGN FLAW and "magically fixed" Macs.
But hey, it was "a flat out easier and less maintenance" repair!
(snip) "but some people (like those at Apple) think the computer should be a tool to enhance your work and life making tasks easier, and for the average user it should not have to be a field of study just to get the OS running". (snip)
My opinion is that Apple's interest in me lasts until the check clears, and that's it. At least it's honest and direct. If you don't think so, you may want to look in a bookstore for books like "OS/X -- The Manual They Didn't Ship" and so forth. (Let me flatly recommend any book from Tim O'Reilly and Associates.)
I can tell you're not the person who has to fix Macs in your area, because it is a strange, intricate "field of study". It can be a fulltime job learning how to get a SCSI drive terminated, or a partition sector rewritten. Are you even following the discussing of multi-booting drives?
-- Dave Small

24 and bad guys

[Dionysus]

Didn't the bad guys on the first season of 24 use PCs? All the good guys (CTU) used Apple

Re:24 and bad guys

[I'm Don Giovanni]

According to a post below, it's just the opposite this year.
But I think I've also seen HP TabletPCs in use this year on 24 by the good guys.

Cynical, moi?

[russotto]

Apple doesn't pay for product placement. Apple does pay marketing and advertising companies, and if some of the money Apple pays them ultimately ends up paying for product placement.... well, that's another story, isn't it?

Of course, truckloads of free product probably have some effect. But I noticed that on the last Veronica Mars, the logo on her laptop was covered up... it isn't usually. Did someone stop paying?

Re:Cynical, moi?

[Anonymous Coward]

"Apple doesn't pay for product placement.

Where did you that information from?

Re:Cynical, moi?

[Anonymous Coward]

"Of course, truckloads of free product probably have some effect. But I noticed that on the last Veronica Mars, the logo on her laptop was covered up... it isn't usually. Did someone stop paying?"

That was symbolic and related to the plot, there were fish all over the place, including over Apple logos.

Apple and 24

[Anonymous Coward]

In the first season of 24, the good guys (ie, Jack and CTU) used Apple and the bad guys (ie, terrorists) used Dells. This season, the good guys use Dells and the bad guys (ie, Russians, Cunningham) use Apples.

Reflection of Set Designers Preferences

[jigoman]

if
"People in the entertainment industry tend to be more aware of aesthetics and good design"

then
"products that considered to be better designed will appear more often onscreen"

Artistic-ness?

[VP]

Everyone knows that the word is "artisticity"! :-P

Isn't it a pain to backup?

[antdude]

What happens if the HDD goes bad, wouldn't this be a pain to back up and restore? From what I understand, you have to have everything the same when moving to a bigger drive. Or reformat and partition the new bigger drive, and then copy everything over which is tedious due to three different file systems.

Re:Isn't it a pain to backup?

[rjung2k]

What happens if the HDD goes bad, wouldn't this be a pain to back up and restore?

Connect external drive. Boot from external drive. Restore backups to external drive.

Or, alternately, crack open that puppy and replace the drive. But the external drive workaround is one easy enough for grandma to deal with.

MovieOS already exists, under a different name.

[bartyboy]

Just watch Jurassic Park. It's blatently advertised in it. Apparently it can be learned without much difficulty by 13 year old girls and has a very pretty 3D graphical interface. Here's the line:

"This is a UNIX system. I know this."

How I wish this intuitive GUI and OS were available to the masses. I hear that Apple is using some kind of clone as the basis for OSX, but I have yet to find confirmation about it.

Re:MovieOS already exists, under a different name.

[Anonymous Coward]

Have you actually read your link or do you know anything about what you're talking about ? It can be dowbnloaded from here.

Re:MovieOS already exists, under a different name.

[Xyde]

Actually that machine was running UNIX. IIRC it was a Quadra 700 running A/UX 3.

Re:MovieOS already exists, under a different name.

[Anonymous Coward]

Haha I think the poster was being sarcastic.

It's funny because you missed it.

Re:MovieOS already exists, under a different name.

[fatphil]

That awful 3D explorer was in fact a standard program that comes as part of IRIX on Silicon Graphics machines. No-one computer literate uses it by choice.

Re:MovieOS already exists, under a different name.

[Anonymous Coward]

/. really should have a +1 Nerdish mod..

Re:MovieOS already exists, under a different name.

[Anonymous Coward]

Almost - there were two boxen. One was in fact a Quadra (though I think it was a 900/950) running A/UX (which was the second-best GUI UNIX, behind NeXTSTEP). I have just such a machine next to me right now, in fact.

The other, however, was an SGI running IRIX. Both of these were KVMed onto the same monitor, I think. The app was called fsn, and it can be had for free from SGI's FTP site, or at least it could as of a few years ago. There's a clone-oid of it that runs on Linux and Solaris, too (and also I think FreeBSD, etc - it's open source, anyway...)

Re:Say NO to Apple Astroturfing, run GNU/Linux

[Dis*abstraction]

I bet you think UserFriendly is funny too.

The article says BOOB

[LoveTheIRS]

hahaha! BOOB! hahaha!

Re:The article says BOOB

[Scooter]

Question is though - why does it say that? I've never heard TV referred to as the "boob tube" before? "The Tube" sure. I thought the "boob tube" was a peice of awful looking clothing from the eighties.

Re:The article says BOOB

[Anonymous Coward]

Hey hey, let's try to be grown-up, mature adults. Remember that we should not be demeaning, but respectful towards boobs. Mmmkay?

It is also a clue about the character using the

[alfredo]

computer. Most often the hero is on a Mac, and the villain uses a PC.

Re:It is also a clue about the character using the

[xTantrum]

please, i think they just get the apple logo/sticker or whatever and just stick it on a regular pc sometimes. I wish is could remember the name of the show where the dude had a "mac" and then proceeded to right click and select - some other BS they did as well. But look out for this, cause its happened more than once i've seen this.

The Apple Cover-Up

[jedrek]

I'll admit it, I watch quite a few TV shows, all downloaded, all while I work alone at home (the quiet tends to drive me crazy after a while). Over the past year or so, I have been more or less actively noticing the computers they use in TV shows and they are almost all Apple. The thing I find funniest, is how they cover up the Apple logo. I'm setting up a website to document this phenomenon, and have records of everything from stickers (the most obvious), to post-its (center bottom on ACD monitors) and strategically positioned plants. Surprisingly, you can often find the big white glowing apple in a lot of shows, uncovered... ah, product placement at its best.

Gratuitous Apple computers

[K8Fan]

This is a pet peeve of mine. In seemingly every TV show or movie, they have an Apple computer. Even in corporations where the bean-counters are not going to pay 50% more for a computer. The Whitehouse staff on "The West Wing" all had Powerbooks. I have no problem if the character is a writer, photographer, graphic artist or reasonably successful musician. Those people are in the 5% of the population that will pay the "Mac Tax". The rest of the population uses Windows boxes (Slashdot readers possibly excepted).

Re:Say NO to Apple Astroturfing, run GNU/Linux

[tkdog]

Could you repost this - but with a user name and ideally a cell phone number and e-mail address? I'd like to be able to get ahold of you in case I need any help with my cheap Linux box. I'm not arguing in favor of Mac, though I'm typing on one, but rather pointing out that a cheap Linux box isn't the best solution to every problem.

Not this sh*t again...

[DaveCBio]

Apple is the brand of people who are creative

I am really getting sick of this cliche. I have used Macs on occasion, but in my 7 years of sound design for videogames my primary tools have all been on Windows and PCs. A computer and the software that it runs are just tools and tools are only creative forces in the hands of people that are skilled enough to use them. Not once did I feel limited in my work because I was on a PC. Not once did I feel less creative because I was running Sound Forge and nuendo instead of Peak and Logic.

Re:Not this sh*t again...

[1u3hr]

but in my 7 years of sound design for videogames my primary tools have all been on Windows and PCs.

I work in print publishing. I personally use a PC, but am in a tiny minority amongst the Mac users. Actually, if my boss hadn't been such a cheap bastard back when I started I'd probably be using a Mac too, but I got comfortable with my old-school DOS software and find it hard to change. But I do lust after OSX and may "switch" sometime.

Re:Not this sh*t again...

[rjung2k]

I have used Macs on occasion, but in my 7 years of sound design for videogames my primary tools have all been on Windows and PCs.

Maybe you're not as creative as you think. ;-)

The Office

[tsaler]

The Office? Nope, sorry.

There's only one character in The Office who uses a Mac. The temp, Ryan Howard, uses an Apple iBook. He's the guy played by B.J. Novak. In almost every shot, however, the Apple logo is obscured. If I didn't own an iBook, I might think it was just a white laptop. The iBook is not very often shown on camera at any rate.

Almost everybody else uses Gateway PCs. In fact, the Gateway logo is quite visible on the back of the flat-panel monitors in many, many shots. There are also a few IBM PCs that the characters Oscar, Angela, and Kevin use. I wouldn't have normally noticed this if I hadn't read this article and then gone back and watched some of the episodes in iTunes.

The only other Apple product on the show that I can think of is the video iPod from "Christmas Party."

In any case, I won't comment on whether or not Apples are found disproportionately in film and on television. I am a Mac user, a recent "switcher" in fact (summer 2005), and I'm very happy with the overall experience, but not a supporter of the Intel processor decision. I don't particularly care if there's more or less Apples in film or on television than they are otherwise found "in nature," if you will, but to me there are enough examples that you don't have to use The Office, which clearly does not place Apple products in comparison to, say, Gateway.

Re:The Office

[Anonymous Coward]

Go back again and watch the episode where Jim throws a part in his apartment, to which everyone is invited (except for Michael. Jim clearly has a Mac on the desk of his bedroom.
 
I'm sure Apple is perfectly happy either way. Generic Windows boxes are shown as what you are forced to use in a mind-numbingly dull office environment. Macs are what are chosen by sympathetic characters (Ryan, Jim) when they have a choice.

Re:The Office

[tsaler]

True. I forgot about that. I was just watching "E-mail Surveillance" today, but I stopped it before they got that far.

Do you think viewers really put that much thought into it, associating the Apple computers with characters that they give a lot of sympathy to? If that's so, why did Dwight get the iPod but Pam ended up with the big brick music player from "The Injury"?

Re:The Office

[Anonymous Coward]

There was an episode where Michael shows a video during a presentation and mentions that he made it on his Mac.

Re:The Office

[tsaler]

Yes, but it was done in a mocking way. Or is it all the same difference?

"Apple is the brand of people who are creative"

[Circlotron]

Reminds me of when someone with their own skill and experience takes a truly wonderful photograph and someone tells them "Wow, you must have a *great* camera". They don't realise how insulting that may be until it is compared to someone that writes a great book and so it follows they must have a terrific typewriter etc. You don't need an Apple to be creative; if you have an Apple it doesn't mean you are creative. "Apple is the brand of people who are creative" sounds like a line from a cigarette ad. It's a tool, a machine. No matter what machine or what OS, it can only produce results as good as the person driving it.

Re:"Apple is the brand of people who are creative"

[jthill]

You don't need an Apple to be creative; if you have an Apple it doesn't mean you are creative.

True enough. But the title comment stays true anyway, because Apple have consistently approached computers with a creative mindset: ~Gods, this is a neat toy. Look what can you make it do!~.

They didn't stick to what their customers already knew they wanted, they went and found stuff or made it up themselves, and stuck it on their boxes because they thought it was cool. And they were right. Full-bore WIMP? Apple. Networking on every box? Apple. Decent sound card on every box? Apple. Cute-looking hardware just because they could, and it was fun? Quicktime? Postscript? Multiple monitors? Care to guess how long this list could go on?

Many people who care about creativity buy Macs out of simple appreciation, and even gratitude might not be too strong.

Judge Ito's laptop

[Anonymous Coward]

The ultimate product placement.
Of course this may have been before many of your times.

Cisco Phones too

[kjh1]

I'm sure folks have noticed that Cisco IP Phones also get placed into quite a few shows that have a high-tech slant to them bordering on sci-fi (think Alias). Sure, it's not something that a typical consumer is going to run out and buy, but I can imagine those people working in large corporations that can afford Cisco IP telephony products wondering how they can cool phones like that.

Dell, FWIW

[David Rolfe]

FWIW, Dell is definitely getting its name onscreen in this season of 24. Just like Cayce in Pattern Recognition I'm really starting to notice branding because of my negative reaction to it. Dell's logo appears on the back of every flat panel display, and each keyboard shot. I think the only reason you haven't noticed a name on the racks is they haven't zoomed in close enough to show the badge 'buttons'. Also prominently displayed: Cisco, Avaya, Ford, Treo. I've noticed the powerbooks and Macs (Henderson's home computer), but I can't recall if they've gone as far displaying the glowing Apple. Interestingly, they haven't really branded the weapons -- despite the use of obvious signature weapons like the Microtech OTF, 1911, HK USP P2000, etc.

Additionally: Jack Bauer sleeps with a gun under his pillow, but he could kill you with the pillow.

Re:Dell, FWIW

[Anonymous Coward]

The gun is unloaded, and used to scare off would-be thiefs so he doesn't have to get his pillow all bloody. :)

Re:Dell, FWIW

[crerwin]

Dell's logo appears on the back of every flat panel display, and each keyboard shot.

It's not that hard to imagine an orginization that needs to purchase large quantities of computers to buy Dells. In fact, it's fairly normal. Maybe the Dell products are placed because Dell paid for it or supplied the equipment, but it's also possible that they are just trying to recreate a true-to-life environment. That means buy what usually would be found, not what is the best choice.

Jack Bauer sleeps with a gun under his pillow, but he could kill you with the pillow.

Pfft, Chuck Norris would only need the pillow case.

Disguised Macs

[Anonymous Coward]

What gets me is how many shows/ads discriminate *against* Apple. Whenever you see a Dell, the Dell logo and branding is clearly visible. Half the time you see a PowerBook, though, the Apple logo is hidden beneath a sticker or chunk of plastic or something.

I wonder why. Maybe Macs look good enough that they want to use them, but they consider them "fringe" enough that they don't want to advertise the fact.

Or maybe they just don't have the manpower to cover up all the stickers on the Dells.

Re:Disguised Macs

[Narcogen]

Because Apple won't pay for product placement. If a studio that is producing a TV show or movie wants to take product placement fees from other companies, but puts Macs in the shot without Apple paying, then they are ripping off their product placement clients. In other words, when you see an obscured Apple logo, you know that any other logo you see in that show or film is product placement, and that those companies paid-- but Apple didn't, as they say they do not. When you see the Apple logo, it means whomever put it there wanted it there whether Apple paid or not, and most likely they aren't trying to get product placement fees from Apple or anyone else.

Re:Disguised Macs

[Anonymous Coward]

I call bull. If other companies pay for product placement (Coke, for example), they must believe that has value to them equal to the money they're paying. Whether or not Apple chooses to pay has absolutely no effect on whether Coke is "ripped off".

There's nothing that says that if Coke pays to have my hero drink a Coke, I can't have him using a PowerBook without extracting money from Apple.

Of Art and Apples

[PhotHog]

In a world so diverse, that there is no exactness anymore, I think that I can say with some truth,(and have for a while now)that the people who use Apple computers, are either Artists or Liberals. Now this is not to say that one can not be both, but that there is a greater chance of you being one or the other if you own a Apple. you do not need to be an artist or a liberal to own one. and it is not a necessary thing to have if you are either a artist or a liberal, I know from experience, I am -and I don't

Re:Of Art and Apples

[Anonymous Coward]

I think that I can say with some truth,(and have for a while now)that the people who use Apple computers, are either Artists or Liberals.

Yeap, and on 99% they are not Electrical/Electronic Engineers. What feds me up is that sometimes they show 'cool' and idealised scientists using Apple computers (CSI:NY), but Mac OSX has so poor offer when it comes to engineering software (especially the one that is widely used) that it is impossible.

Re:Of Art and Apples

[Weedlekin]

I agree that Macs aren't generally used by engineers, but they have been extremely popular with scientists in labs for many years. Don't ask me why, because I don't know!

Re:Of Art and Apples

[gyrogeerloose]

Uh, excuse me, but doesn't Rush Limbaugh use a Mac? Please don't tell me he's an artist...

iPod not computers in The Office

[Anonymous Coward]

There was an xmas episode where everyone wanted the ipod in their little gift exchange. That was the Apple product placement.

Re:iPod not computers in The Office

[Darvin]

Also, Ryan the temp uses an iBook at his desk, rather than a PC.

Enjoyment

[YKW]

However, don't try and tell me that the case colour and design have anything to do with "working better".

Maybe not better but more enjoyable. A good looking desktop and a well-designed computer put me on a good mood which can mean the difference between getting irritated or not. Sure, I could do the work on a regular PC but I probably wouldn't enjoy it as much.

Re:Enjoyment

[elrous0]

A good looking desktop and a well-designed computer put me on a good mood which can mean the difference between getting irritated or not.

Anyone who needs a pretty color on their computer case to put them in a good mood is a remarkably weak-minded person.

-Eric

Macs look better on camera

[Kunt]

It's really very simple. Apple's machines look much cooler than anything else. That's why they are used as props in movies and TV shows.

Lies! Blade: Trinity!?!?

[Anonymous Coward]

Claiming that Apple don't pay for their product placement has to be one of the biggest porkers I've read in a long time. If you've seen Blade: Trinity, you'll likely know what I'm talking about. Basically there are a couple of scenes in the movie where hottie Jessica Biel is shown filling her iPod with tunes from her Powerbook before going vampire hunting. The shots of the Apple hardware are blatant. Here are some screencaps:

http://fapomatic.com/show.php?loc=15&f=vlcsnap1000 35.png
http://fapomatic.com/show.php?loc=15&f=vlcsnap1008 56.png
http://fapomatic.com/show.php?loc=15&f=vlcsnap1014 15.png
http://fapomatic.com/show.php?loc=15&f=vlcsnap1010 30.png

And perhaps the most blatant:
http://fapomatic.com/show.php?loc=15&f=vlcsnap1084 73.png

Despite the questionable quality of the film, this is some fairly superb product placement imho. The whole "Vampire slaying vixen loves her iPod and Apple gear" approach just has a shocking amount of geek value. I refuse to believe that this wasn't paid for.

It's not just apple

[k-sound]

For some reason (most likely my profound hatred for advertising in any form) I've been paying a lot of attention on product placement in movies and tv shows. I noticed that apple indeed has a great deal om laptops and pc's planted on sets. The percentage of people in movies using mac isn't remotely equal to the real life percentage of mac owners. The problem is that lately movies in general seem to be exploiting this technique to a point where I'm asking myself if I'm watching a really long commercial or an actual movie. I first started noticing these thing in the matrix with the nokia phones. more recently there were movies like 'Cellular' and I saw final destination 3 some time ago (which had lots of mac close ups) but also seemed to casually mention brand names a lot: "Funerals are so boring is I die bring me a PSP" "I like totally forgot my IPOD" .. Luckily movie makers are sometimes a bit more subtle I remember a scene in underworld Evolution (I think it was when Selene and Michael where in the safehouse) where the camera is zoomed in on the Sony logo on the back of a TFT and then slowly zooms out. Personally I'm getting a bit fed up with this attitude of the movie industry I have to pay 7,5 euro to see a movie at a theatre or 20 to purchase it on DVD (which is way to much) and I end up paying to get flooded by product placement. Some of these movies are almost paid for in advertising stop overcharging us please.

Fake GUI's?

[4D6963]

Sorry for being slightly off-topic, but maybe someone could at last answer me this. When you see a Mac on TV, you see Mac OS, whether it's classic like in Sex & The City and Independance Day or OS X like in um... can't think of any. Anyways whenever you see a PC, not only it's never Windows' GUI, but it's never KDE, GNOME or even Black/Open/Flushbox.

So, why do you see either Mac GUI's or totally fake GUI's, and then, since you never see the same fake GUI's, is there some kind of GUI-creating industry in Hollywood? I'm not even asking about the funny lil sounds that goes with them because for these they don't bother creating them, they just take them from Deus Ex

Re:Fake GUI's?

[gyrogeerloose]

I'm not 100% sure on this but I understand that there's software available for the Mac (probably "Classic" only rather than OS X) that makes it easy to sync up screen refreshes with the frames of a cinema camera, which is one of the reasons you see them onscreen quite a lot.

I read an article about this some time back, sorry I can't give a reference. It may be out of date by now anyway.

Apple's been successful at this for a LONG time

[dpbsmith]

In 1995, in "Under Siege 2," Steven Segal saves America by faxing critical data using an Apple Newton. He secretly taps into into a satellite communication system while hiding from approaching bad guys on a moving train. The camera cuts back and forth from the surroundings to an extreme closeup of the snot-green Newton screen which happens to say "Newton Fax" on it in huge letters, and its slow-moving progess bar, creeping, creeping toward completion as we become aware of the bad guys approaching closer, closer.

In "Independence Day," 1996, Jeff Goldblum saves civilization by using an Apple PowerBook to infect the alien spaceship with a computer virus. (Impossible, of course, since we all know Macs aren't subject to viruses). One charcoal-grey laptop looks pretty much like another, but the camera just happens to get a nice closeup shot with the Apple logo placed just right.

Re:Apple's been successful at this for a LONG time

[elrous0]

Good thing for humanity the aliens were Apple users.

-Eric

MS does it, so why not Apple

[freeplatypus]

Have You seen the movie Island? MSN Search, XboX, etc. They didn't even bother to make it look like a product placement, it was plane advertaisment.

Re:MS does it, so why not Apple

[Kaimelar]

Have You seen the movie Island? MSN Search, XboX, etc. They didn't even bother to make it look like a product placement, it was plane advertaisment.

Microsoft is starting to build aircraft now? That'll give a whole new feel to complaining about when MS products crash. :-)

Weird

[LKM]

Apple is the brand for people that are willing to pay a premium for their personal computers in order to suggest that they, themselves, have some degree of "artistic-ness", or at least style.

That's pretty arrogant.

People who work with their computers buy what's best for the job. For some people, it's Macs, for others, it's PCs. So you buy PCs. Good for you. Others buy Macs. That doesn't make them better or worse than you, it just means they need a different OS to "make that statement with the quality of [their] work."

And no, Macs don't cost more than comparable PCs.

Re:Weird

[ScrewMaster]

Hardly arrogant, just observant. And you're right: it doesn't make them any better or worse than me ... the difference is, unlike me, they think they are better.

Now, I thought I had made it clear: I'm not knocking Apple products, I happen to like them. I wasn't bitching about their pricing. I'm slamming attitudes, not hardware. Nor am I slamming all Apple users, just the irritating ones traditionally called "Mac bigots". That's actually a fairly significant subset of the Mac using population, large enough for non-Mac users to notice. Large enough for a popular term to have been coined. I look at computers as I do programming languages: pick the best one for the job, and always buy the best tools you can afford. But I know a number of Mac people that will always try to find a way to rationalize a Mac as the best tool for the job ... even when it clearly is not.

But back to the original point. I'm talking about the Mac bigots who exude a sense of innate superiority because they use a Macintosh. You don't see people with any other brand of equipment exhibit those symptoms. Why? Because everybody else perceives their computers for what they are: boxes full of electronics, as you say, tools. You don't see owners of any other brand get so defensive about their choices either: clear signs of elitism at work. I swear, some of these Mac people must get down on their knees and pray to their machine god every night, thanking it for the respect they believe it has earned them.

Whether it be cars, homes, big-screen TVs, significant others or computer systems, there will always be those people who base their purchasing decisions upon the public perception of what is the coolest, the most impressive, the "best". And yes, in many respects the Macintosh is just that when it comes to personal computing, and if you bought a Mac because it truly is the best for your computing needs, that's great. Wise choice. But if you bought a Mac because you think we think you're someone special for having done so, well ... you're wrong.

Re:Weird

[LKM]

the difference is, unlike me, they think they are better. (...) at's actually a fairly significant subset of the Mac using population, large enough for non-Mac users to notice. (...) I'm talking about the Mac bigots who exude a sense of innate superiority because they use a Macintosh.

I don't see this. It's porbably similar to the recent Southpark episode with the Hybrid owners: They aren't smug (at least none of the ones I know), but people often perceive them to be smug because they unintendionally remind them of their own shortcomings :-P

It's the same with everything. I know people who get angry at religions people: "But they think they're better than me because they think they'll go to heaven and I'll burn in hell, and they only wear those stupid kippas to remind me of how better they feel." Meh. Most people aren't smug and don't feel superior just because they drive a Hybrid, own a Mac or think they'll go to heaven. It's your perception of them.

(And for the record, while I own a PowerBook (and a self-built PC dual-booting Windows and Ubuntu for gaming and MythTV, which most certainly does make me a nerd, but also does not make me superior to anyone), I don't own a Hybrid (in fact, I don't own a car at all), I'm not religious, and I have no big-screen TV. I simply never got the impression that those people felt any superior to me)

You don't see owners of any other brand get so defensive about their choices either:

That's because you don't have to defend yourself if you bought a Lenovo or a Dell. You don't constantly get "Oh, but I thought Dell was about to go out of business?" "But it's not compatible! Can I still send you .doc files?" "You know, my computer cost half as much and is twice as fast! Your computer is just pretty and for artsy types..."

But if you bought a Mac because you think we think you're someone special for having done so, well ... you're wrong.

Methinks you're just jealous :-P

Apple disproportionally strong in creative market

[LKM]

I have used Macs on occasion, but in my 7 years of sound design for videogames my primary tools have all been on Windows and PCs.

Gah, I hate the cliché that you need a Porsche to drive fast. Sure, Porsches are fast, but I've been doing street races with my hummer for seven years now!

Anyway, there are lots of Windows users doing creative stuff, and lots of Mac users doing non-creative stuff. That doesn't change the fact that Apple is disproportionally strong in the creative market.

Dell is product placement on "24"

[Kadin2048]

Actually I have definitely seen the "Dell" logo a few times in this season of "24," which makes me think that they ponied up the big bucks for all that product placement. I'm thinking specifically of a few times when they have shown somebody's face over the top of their monitor from the back, you can rather clearly make out the word "Dell" on the rear side.

Of course, I'm watching this on a fairly large screen, so I'm not sure how obvious this would be on a smaller TV, or what the 'standards' are for a 'visible trademark.' If it's out of focus but still legible, is it visible?

It seems like really sloppy work if it's being shown by accident, which makes me think that it's a paid placement.

I have a dim recollection also of back in the first season or so of "24" that there were Macs, but now it seems to be entirely Dells in the past few. In fact, back in the first season (maybe two) it seemed like all the bad guys used PCs and Jack and friends used Apple gear. I wasn't the only one to notice this, Wired even had an article on it here.

Re:Dell is product placement on "24"

[Weedlekin]

I've seen Dell displayed prominently on on one (or more) of the CSI series', usually on large black flat-panel monitors.

Mod parent up

[Anonymous Coward]

This is the best comment I've seen on Slashdot in two years!

Apple definitely used to have placement rules...

[strat]

It was a long time ago, but back when I was working in the Mac product world, I ran into someone who explained how it works. I believe that Apple will donate equipment for use in films, but IF AND ONLY IF the equipment is used by protagonists/good guys.

If you want your movie's evil creative villain to use a MacBook Pro, you'll probably have to buy your own.

yes- animations only

[reaktor]

Yes most all of the computer screenshots are pre-made animations on 24, for instance. Even when it looks like they are typing.

Re:yes- animations only

[4D6963]

oh yeah, makes more sence than bothering creating fully functional GUI's, mostly that alot of what we see could hardly work the way it seems

Safari spotted!

[7Prime]

Last night, as I was working at my job as a TV board op, I saw a commercial for some online product (tax filing software, or something), that blatently used a Safari look-a-like browser in an OSX setting, although no logos were shown. The thing that astounded me, though, is how much trouble they went to to make it look ALMOST but not quite like Safari/OSX. The window had the tell-tail "stop light" (red-yellow-green) circle widgets in left corner (Mac OS windows always place widgets on the left side, because they're all made by a bunch of pinko-commies ;) The only thing that made me realize it was a fake was that the Safari buttons, though using exactly the same shape, style, and bevels, had slightly different icons, ones that were a bit more stylized (arrows were a little more curvy, reload button looked a little more twirly)... but it was only an incredibly minor point.

The question is, why? Why did they go through so much trouble either photo-shopping in, or creating a firefox theme that looked "oh-so-much but not-quite" Safari? I can't imagine there would be any legal repercussions having that last degree of likeness.

This is actually illegal

[good soldier svejk]

In the US product placement on television is prohibited under the FCC sponsorship identification requirements of 47 U.S.C. 317 and 508, and 47 C.F.R. 73.1211. My wife used to be Director of Marketing of a well known consumer goods manufacturer. She says that back in her day TV placement for gratis product was already common, but the shows didn't even ask for money, probably more because it devalued advertising slots than because they were afraid of the FCC.

Hollywood, without advertisers or the FCC to answer to, was never so shy. She didn't pay them, because she was always able to place gratis product, but they always asked.

Just a brand

[EpochVII]

Apple computers are just a brand nothing more. There's nothing you couldnt do on an Apple that you couldnt do on a Windows machine you built in your basement. You can do anything on windows linux or osx that you can do on any other. Apple is just a name and a white box with a big price tag. If you want to make people think you're sophisticated, intelligent and creative: read a book, paint a picture, become a conversationalist. You're not what you buy.

Re:Just a brand

[rjung2k]

Apple computers are just a brand nothing more. There's nothing you couldnt do on an Apple that you couldnt do on a Windows machine you built in your basement.

How about "put it naked on the internet and not get it hacked inside of an hour"?

In Britain, A Boob Tube is...

[GrahamCox]

In Britain, A Boob Tube is an article of clothing. It consists of a cylinder of elastic material and is (or was, having now gone very much out of fashion) worn by women and girls as a top. In other words, it's a tube that covers the boobs. The American use of this phrase always sounds bizarre to me - I mean, why boob, in that context?

Re:In Britain, A Boob Tube is...

[ianhaya]

In North America, Boob is sometimes used as a replacement for idiot or fool (What a boob!). Tube is sometimes used as a replacement for TV or Telly (What's on the tube?). Boob Tube is synonymous with Idiot Box, which refers to the idea that watching television inherently makes you stupid because of all the crap on TV.

The Boob Tube that you refer to is usually referred to as a Tube Top here in North America. Maybe we don't call them Boob Tube's here because they are becoming quite popular (much to the dismay of their parents) with pre-teen girls who haven't developed boobs yet ;-)

I Dont know where you work

[eadint]

I dont know where you work but many of the engineers and scientists that i work with use apples, also many of the conventions that i go to with scientists and engineers are using apples more than pcs., why you may ask whell there are many programms that require the computing power of unix and the ppc arch, and they dont run as well on pc's. many of the scientists that i talk to who are on pc's have no choice because their company forces tham to use it.

Several Cases of Spontaneous Placement

[podperson]

For years, Seinfeld had a Mac SE in his apartment. Why? It was actually his SE. Apple eventually provided him with a Duo (with dock and monitor) replacement so that a more current model would be placed.

Similarly, when we first saw a Powerbook on Sex and the City, its logo was taped over. Not product placement (by the way, that's a very handy clue). Likewise the ibook used by Buffy's friends in several episodes.

Apple even gets plenty of free advertising in advertisements for other companies. Almost every time you see a website on a TV ad it's either Safari + Aqua or a fake Safari with fake Aqua.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.