Jimmy James

So pretty much this is fictionalized Compaq, right?

Jay G.

I don't think it was specified, but in the pilot the movie they went to see at the theater was Return of the Jedi, which was released in 1983.

The show may make mention of the Lisa next episode, but I think they're just going with the better known Apple. Anyway, the Lisa might've been considered fancy, but a bit out of the league of regular consumers. It was priced at $10,000 in 1983, while the Macintosh was released at $2,000. The PC retailer in this episode mentioned a $900 wholesale price for the Giant, so the Macintosh is a more direct competitor.

Also, the idea that the Macintosh talks to you compare to the kind of personal experience Cameron was aiming for with her OS. I don't think the Lisa ever said "Hello, I'm Lisa."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Lisa
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Macintosh

They also mention that they saw a Windows demo, so it wasn't necessarily the GUI that impressed him:
http://toastytech.com/guis/wincdx.html

I'm pretty sure Joe mentioned Compaq by name when talking to the IBM exec at the beginning or episode 2. Also, a Compaq PC may have been one of the examples Joe used when pushing for something smaller in episode 3.

The first Compaq used a CRT screen and was about 30 pounds.
http://toastytech.com/guis/wincdx.html
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/byte-...irst-pc-clone/


BTW, the use of a LCD screen may be considered apocryphal, since from what I can find the type of screen used on the Giant wouldn't have been available until 1984:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histor...lay_technology

Strafe

A funny thing I've noticed when people discuss this show is that they can't seem to wrap their heads around whether this is a fictionalized account of actual events, or complete fiction. This can't be the first time where it's some place in the middle, right?

Jay G.

Mad Men has mixed real and fake events, mostly the fictional ad agency being responsible for certain real ad campaigns.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip garnered a lot of confusion as it was obviously based on Saturday Night Live and NBC, but mentioned SNL in the show itself. Setting the in-show sketch show on Friday nights instead of Saturday, and recording on the West Coast instead of the East, led to the idea/joke that it was really based on an alternate reality where the real-life show Fridays had lasted for decades.

Jimmy James

I'm just trying to figure out the predominant source material for the storyline, and whether they mention Compaq or not so far I'm getting Compaq.

ETA: I lugged one of those 30 pounders to show and tell in elementary school. It blew everybody away. I was well aware it had a CRT (well my back was!). I chalk that up to a storytelling liberty.

JTH182

That's why I just couldn't get into the new Planet of the Apes film. I mean, they showed Obama as the President in the opening credits, so we know it takes place in the present, but I have yet to hear any stories of intelligent apes in San Francisco.

mcnabb

Great episode! Really looking forward to the season finale, as I hope its not the series finale. I read on twitter that they will decide on Season 2 in the next few weeks. This show was doing better in the ratings then 'Turn' and that got renewed.

Jimmy James

Fargo got renewed. I can only hope the hot streak for marginally rated shows I like continues. Between Fargo and Community it has been a good year so far.

slop101

I think a lot of that these days, after crunching the numbers, these networks/studios are better off with marginally rated shows where they know how they'll do (especially if they're quality show and/or have positive buzz), rather than gamble on an unknown show. They're more risk-adverse than ever.

Abob Teff

I'm not helping the cause, but this is a show I will watch at some point! I wanted to watch this, it just slipped by me until it was too late to catch up.

mwbmis

I'd like to see the show come back b/c I like the characters, but, if it doesn't, that episode worked perfectly fine as a series finale.

windom

Even if he had watched all of a Return of the Jedi, Joe might still not know what an Ewok was because "Ewok" is never said in the entire movie.

mcnabb

It would have been funny if Gordon & Donna started talking about Return of the Jedi, "I hope George Lucas doesn't ever tinker with those movies because the trilogy is perfect!"

I REALLY hope this show comes back, as I think it is very underrated.

flashburn

Pretty good interview with the creators. Don't read if you haven't finished the season though...

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Halt-and...m-1085225.aspx

So at least they have communicated with AMC their ideas for Season 2, if it is renewed. Please AMC, it's not like you are going to have anything else that gets good ratings besides TWD, you might as well just renew this, and then reair the shit out of the first season.

sportsfan64

Was the word "App" used in 1984? I don't quite remember that.

RichC2

I referred to stuff as Apps back in the early 90s while using GeOS so I have to assume yes.

Rex Fenestrarum

Who knows? It seems like it is, but Cardiff Electric started by making radios in the 30s and has a mainframe business dating back to the mid 60s or early 70s, while Compaq didn't exist at all until 1982. And, as Jay G. said, Joe mentions Compaq a couple times.

There have been a couple of minor incidents in later episodes that refer to other companies as well, but I can't remember them at the moment. It was one of those things that, while watching, I was like "oh, that actually happened at Microsoft in 1981" and "that actually happened at Digital Research in 1979".

Rex Fenestrarum

According to the OED, the first usage of "app" in that context was from 1985. From an issue of Info World:

More here. I can't find a cite at the moment, but one would think that "killer app" would have to come after "app", right? I've found examples of "killer apps" dating back to 1980 - VisiCalc was the first killer app after all - but I can't find any reference to the actual term "killer app" before 1985.

windom

Can someone explain the ending to me? Joe started the trunk with all their computers on fire and then he left to find some woman or to look at the stars or something?

Gordon was left running the company it seems. What happened to the previous boss (Cotton Hill)? Did they ever find out what happened to their truck?

flashburn

I think it's just loosely based on Compaq and them mentioning Compaq is just a CYA move.

JTH182

The ending was a little abrupt after the commercial break after the fire. They didn't even mention the fire even though it seemed several days had passed. I thought it was an odd way to leave this show hanging. I loved the whole season except the last 7 minutes or so, so I really hope it comes back!

morriscroy

I agree ^.

It seemed like most of the finale episode was disjointed and puzzling. Almost like they were in a rush to throw in a bunch of stuff (and the kitchen sink).

DJariya

https://twitter.com/tvmojoe/status/496757963269619712

http://m.deadline.com/2014/08/halt-c...edium=facebook

Sorry to disappoint some of you. But a second season is very unlikely. Finale got a 0.2 demo and reportedly 574K in viewership according to Deadline. translation= no one was watching.

Ratings got worse as the weeks progressed.

To put this in perspective, Low Winter Sun, which got cancelled last year, had higher ratings than this show and that got awful ratings.

Turn got 1.6M viewers in it's finale.

This isn't marginally rated, the ratings for this show sucked.

JTH182

Damn, that's a shame. Can't say I'm surprised though. I think I even said back in the pilot episode thread that I didn't see this one catching on. I really enjoyed it and would love to see more of theses characters.

valkyrie

Agreed, I will be very disappointed when this gets the axe. Neat story and interesting characters. I tuned in every week and wish I could do so next season!