Cool News
Aaron Sorkin Talks About The Unexpected Structure Of His Steve Jobs Movie!!
The mighty Aaron Sorkin (THE WEST WING, THE SOCIAL NETWORK) has let spill some details about his upcoming Steve Jobs biopicture.
(vid via CelebrityCafe)
In short...
** The picture will be comprised of three scenes...
** ...realtime scenes...
** Each scene will be set before a product launch...
** Said launches include the original Macintoish computer in 1984, the NeXT cube (1990), and the first iPod (2001)...
** He wants to end the movie with a text or voiceover of Jobs' iconic "Here's to the crazy ones..."
Sorkin - an amazingly fascinating and talented man...tackling the life and personality of a titanically compelling individual of indisputable genius. Kinda hard not to be rather interested in this project..
More as we know more...
Readers Talkback
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But so was Jobs. I trust Sorkin to write a completely compelling screenplay. Now they have to get the right actor.....
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I cannot wait for this one.
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He was just a guy.
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Probably the structure of this script would be the number one selling point for me. Different, but in a good way.
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Nov. 16, 2012, 9:30 a.m. CST
I don't care how successfully he revived Apple, he cancelled their philanthropy and as the richest corporation on earth they still do none!
by golden tribw
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Nov. 16, 2012, 9:30 a.m. CST
Sounds great, until you remember Ashton Kutcher is playing Jobs
by Garbageman33
Replace him with the preacher from There Will Be Blood and I might be interested again.
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Nov. 16, 2012, 9:31 a.m. CST
In fact, not only do they do no charity work, they still use Chinese slave labour (equivalent) to make iPads, they're just a tech Nike, for-profit but anti-human
by golden tribw
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Nov. 16, 2012, 9:33 a.m. CST
the preacher from There Will Be Blood .... as in Paul Dano?
by golden tribw
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Sorkin is a very good writer, just not a terribly creative one. He has a good way distilling political buzz topics and putting polarizing world events into perspective for the everyman. I generally like what his characters are saying and appreciate the insight and tone, but I rarely FEEL for them. Which is why he was PERFECT for The Social Network and why he will do VERY WELL to NOT tackle the DEATH of Steve Jobs. Dealing with the launches is a great idea. I'm definitely looking forward to this.
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Nov. 16, 2012, 9:47 a.m. CST
The satisfaction I get from writing this on the toilet is worth far more than any human life or philanthropic effort.
by UltraTron
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Nov. 16, 2012, 9:49 a.m. CST
So it won't mention his use of Chinese slave labour then?
by Gary Makin
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NOAH WILEY MOTHERFUCKER
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have you read the biography? I'm not interested in seeing that on screen. First off, it's boring, even to someone who enjoys reading about the history of computers etc. Secondly, I don't want to see a biopic that turns an asshole into a great man. Actually, i'd rather see a movie about how all of that sensitive info related to Apple Customers got onto an FBI computer, and how the FBI's computer got stolen or hacked. That would be much more relevant and interesting.
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That's the *other* biopic which I think is done filming
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he killed it! they could re-enact the product launch where wyle came out as jobs. And wyle could play...both? Mess ur head up, bros.
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It is simply false to state that Apple gives nothing to charity. They've always been involved with (Product) RED. Info on that and more... http://venturebeat.com/2012/02/02/apple-charity-efforts/
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I've gone through about 7 episodes of newsroom and must say I'm kind of disappointed. I do like the subject matter, but just don't think the characters are that great and the writing is also sloppy at times. Sorkin's snappy back and forth dialogue segments are hit and miss, and when they miss, they miss pretty badly. I did like Social Network. Be interested to see how the Steve Jobs project works out since I read the book.
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Nov. 16, 2012, 10:24 a.m. CST
Screw the Cult of Apple. I don't know what's douchier, the Cult of Apple or the Cult of Nolan.
by The Krypton Kid
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I think the douchiest (that surely cannot be a word) of all is 'The Cult of People that call things Cults that Aren't.' And I understand that this now includes me.
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Like human trafficing makes it iffy to go to a whorehouse.
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Nov. 16, 2012, 10:48 a.m. CST
When do we get a Bill Gates biopic? Where he fends off a space dwelling robotic lizard.
by kindofabigdeal
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Nov. 16, 2012, 10:49 a.m. CST
Ashton Kutcher is only qualified to play Stephen Hawking.
by kindofabigdeal
That way we wont have to listen to his douchey voice.
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Nov. 16, 2012, 10:49 a.m. CST
Imagine a biopic where the VO is in Hawkings computer voice.
by kindofabigdeal
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Nov. 16, 2012, 11 a.m. CST
Am I the only one who thinks if I never hear the word "overrated" again, it'll still be too soon?
by TheSeeker7
I'm sorry but this has been bugging me for a LONG time. "Overrated" has become like the most popular buzz word for fan boys, and just generally in pop culture, for too many years now. It's like that's the only way someone is interested in critiquing something, if they can just brush it off and say, pfftt... overrated. See I have a theory that a certain faction of fanboys simply won't allow ANYTHING to have a certain level of popularity. That NOTHING deserves that much positive attention and accolades that some things get. So literally no matter what it is, these guys are going to get the word out, that it's just not that great.
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Nov. 16, 2012, 11:01 a.m. CST
I think saying X person "is god" is more inane than the other inane shit brought up in this thread so far
by Autodidact
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Nov. 16, 2012, 11:07 a.m. CST
I'm sick of people thinking I care about Apple because I use computers all day. Yes their shit is great, no I don't use Apple computers because they're too expensive and I have to keep using Windows for some of the shit I do so why bother splitting betwee
by Autodidact
I have an iPad and an iPhone, get off my dick!
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Nov. 16, 2012, 11:09 a.m. CST
Apple does not use "slave labor", and matches employees' charitable giving
by robogeek.com
Apple has the most transparent labor practices in the industry, and is a member of the Fair Labor Association. (And no, they do not and have never used "slave labor".) Exhaustive info here: http://www.apple.com/supplierresponsibility/ Apple's charitable giving includes donating over $50 million to Project RED, $50 million to the Stanford hospital, and they match their employees' charitable donations. http://www.apple.com/product-red/
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Nov. 16, 2012, 11:11 a.m. CST
I guess I am slightly anti-Apple because their marketing was so obnoxious and "anti" anything makes me anti the thing that's being anti
by Autodidact
This is one of the reasons I got turned off by GENESIS back in the day. It was the marketing victim's system. The one screaming at you on TV about how it was cool and the other company's system was lame-o. Apple took it further and basically said "if you use PC/Windows you are a nerd with no style or creativity". For that reason I won't buy an Apple desktop probably ever. Maybe a MBA or MBP though.
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your narrative structure, key scenes and intended ending before you've even finished the script.
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...and though I have enjoyed the Newsroom, it really pales by comparison. I am a big Sorkin supporter though, and will follow this movie.
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Whatever happens, I always give kudos to entertainers who roll the dice and try something new. I guess Sorkin feels he's already written a successful biopic with a 'standard' arc ('Social Network') and wants to challenge himself with something new (and arguably more difficult). Risk should be admired and I am looking forward to seeing how this turns out.
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I would really love to have an extended look at those days when the concept of video games was first taking off and Nolan Bushnell was making all kindsa crazy moves. I can just see the early scenes where they go to "fix" the first Computer Space machine and find the problem is that its overstuffed with quarters. Have a PTA or someone interesting do it and stuff it with period detail... and don't make it too heavy just have it be fun and about how these kooky hippy-hacker types made billions by using the cutting edge of technology to give people games to play.
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Nov. 16, 2012, 1:03 p.m. CST
Lets see: Watch Paint dry or watch movie on Steve Jobs?
by Mike Soiseth
I think Im gonna have ta go with watching paint dry if I had to chose between that and watching a movie about a computer geek. Can't somebody make a decent picture on Gen. Custer or something interesting?
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Nov. 16, 2012, 1:24 p.m. CST
Sorkin is the only writer who could bring Jobs to the screen.
by jamesonian
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Nov. 16, 2012, 1:49 p.m. CST
Among its other sins, Apple deals with closed, proprietary technologies
by Mostholy
Which is why I don't buy their products. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=an-open-question
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Nov. 16, 2012, 1:52 p.m. CST
If your only gonna have 3 scenes why not just do a play???
by kindofabigdeal
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Loved THE WEST WING but thought THE SOCIAL NETWORK was rather tedious (movies with unlikeable protagonists rarely workand hat Scott Pilgrim looking geek who was the main guy and best buddy Timberlake were kinda a pair of annoying cunts).
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A movie with only three sequences, set around product launches?! Hmm The middle one the NeXT Cube, am I an idiot for not knowing what that one is? Can anyone enlighten me?
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Oh yeah, and the whiny guy from nu SPIDERMAN was in SOCIAL NETWORK too. He was also an annoying cunt. (in case the actor is reading this I didnt want him to feel left out).
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He is a genius and possibly the best writer of all time.
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Nov. 16, 2012, 2:33 p.m. CST
"...until you remember Ashton Kutcher is playing Jobs..." - thats a different movie; Sorkin's Jobs hasn't been cast yet.
by critical
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If it hadn't been for him meeting Steve Wozniak, Jobs would have been a used car salesman.
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He can write some great screenplays, but his Newsroom was beyond laughable. it was pure loonytunes and not even all that well thought out.
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Nov. 16, 2012, 3:18 p.m. CST
LOL! From the article the moron apologist linked to: "Apple is not well known for its charitable contributions" ... "Apple’s charity efforts fall short" ... "labour issues"
by golden tribw
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That's what he said in the video. Way I figure, it'd be kind of a sequel to finding Nemo. It's actually an epic trilogy of movies about this walrus that no one would listen to because, even though it was brilliant and a great leader, it had substance abuse problems and commitment issues connected with a beautiful career minded sea otter whose heart he broke. There is also a pair of porpoises that obviously want to fuck but they just spend the whole three movies flirting and it never goes anywhere, because they have commitment issues too. Then a plucky seal makes a rousing speech about civic duty quoting an obscure rousing speech by John Quincy Adams, and then they go vomit fish guts all over a Tea Party rally to Smashmouth's "Walking on the Sun." Rated R for language and drug use. Most kids will cry but the first and third movie will win the Oscar for best original screenplay.
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Nov. 16, 2012, 3:42 p.m. CST
Darn, I was hoping the unexpected structure was going to be found-footage shakey-cam
by Dreamwriter
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Nov. 16, 2012, 3:47 p.m. CST
RE: "Steve Jobs got Lucky" - so did Wozniak in meeting Jobs
by Dreamwriter
Wozniak wasn't a business person. He didn't know how to sell, nor did he want to. He was a tech geek who enjoyed playing with electronics, and he would have given away all his computer boards to other tech geeks, and probably would have ended up working for other people all his life had he not been friends with Jobs. It was also Jobs who made the decisions such as making the Apple II look "friendly" so that real people would be interested in them. Jobs in general was very smart about figuring out what normal people would want, and what would be easy for them to use.
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Was supposed to be an cross-platform compatible system (this is back in the pre-'Mac running Windows stuff' days of course) that was basically a small black cube (pc's at the time were actually quite large and usually flat on the desktop by necessity - towers came later) driven by a graphical user interface (gui) which didn't really exist at the time (Apple stole the ideas from Xerox). The theory was you could connect anything to it and it would work (pre-mouse too by the way - I wanna say the NeXT used a mouse and kb for input...could be wrong on that). Any real computer software (no Atari/Commodore/TRS/TI stuff), any hardware...and it was supposed to be cheap too. I've forgotten a lot of the original specs and I could easily be getting some of the above incorrect/inaccurate, this is all around 1981/1982 timeframe here (Mac came out in 1984), but I do recall reading about it that it was actually quite innovative...especially stepping out of the proprietary obsession Jobs had with his stuff. But, if I remember correctly, it never even made it to a commercial product but, in essence, was a theoretical precursor for the Mac (the Apple Lisa was also part of that precursor - seems like the Mac is a combo of Lisa and NeXT, etc, etc) And the poster who said he didn't want to see an asshole made into a great man is exactly right here. Jobs was a gigantic mega-asshole, tyrannical douchebag but that is also, unfortunately, what made him so driven and so successful. To me, Jobs was a non-violent (so far as I know) sociopath.
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Without a great actor, this will be as craptastic as Jobs himself.
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Sure, but if they hadn't met I'd bet Woz would have gone to work at IBM or Intel or somewhere and made major contributions to technology in other ways. I'm not sure Jobs would have contributed much without having the brilliant computers to sell that Woz provided. But we'll never know anyway ;-)
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Other than having pretty much everything wrong, great post. NeXT came after Jobs was fired from Apple (hence, his NeXT project). Fully graphical user interface, built on a UNIX/Mach kernel, it was built to be an "education machine" - targetted toward college students. Unfortunately, by the time it went thru Jobs perfection obsession (he had a fully automated factory built in the US to build them), the base cost was $3000, which was way too much for an education computer. NeXTstep (the combined GUI/OS that ran on the hardware) was built for portability and ran on multiple processors. This, along with Jobs, was the main reason Apple bought NeXT. NeXTstep was tweaked to run MacOS programs and became OS X. (In an alternate universe, Apple almost bought a different former CEO's technology company - Jean-Louis Gassee, who was the CEO after John Scully, had his own version of NeXT called Be (plan B) which ran BeOS. Apple was negotiating with both Jobs and Gassee, but Gassee wanted too much money.)
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Nov. 16, 2012, 4:35 p.m. CST
Fred...you did see where I said i could be incorrect/inaccurate, yes?
by Darth Macchio
I'm going off decades old memory here chief.
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There is a lot of truth to this. Wozniak was the technical genius behind the first Apple's and Jobs was the business genius. They both were lucky. Also, the idea for the original Macintosh was directly stolen from Xerox who inexplicably showed Jobs and Apple their concept for the graphical user interface. Jobs obviously took this concept and perfected it. Bottom line is Jobs would've been ultra successful in whatever he did, but the stars were aligned near perfectly for him to become who he ultimately did (he also got real lucky in his purchase of Pixar which he initially did so to sell their graphical software / computers which failed, not for animation).
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Nov. 16, 2012, 4:48 p.m. CST
Machio should give fredipusrex a Force Crane Kick to the nuts.
by kindofabigdeal
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Nov. 16, 2012, 4:57 p.m. CST
Nah, no need for nut kicking...I haven't thought about NeXt since the 80s
by Darth Macchio
And while I'm not exactly farting dust here, my memory is not what it used to be I'm afraid. Regardless of fred's minor jab at my faulty memory, the history of both Apple and Microsoft, and the various involved players, is truly fascinating.
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The NeXT cube was/is a magnesium enclosure with a Motorola 68030/40 CPU, DSP chip, and used DisplayPostScript as the GUI. OS was NeXTStep; a MACH kernel with BSD wrappers. This platform is in fact, the forerunner of today's Mac OS and the machine Steve wanted to build at Apple before the Sculley ouster. Yes, it used a KB and mouse. What it did NOT have was a floppy drive. Instead, it had a 256MB magneto-optical drive developed by Canon. I still have a cube in storage, along with complete manuals, dev kit, etc. There was a workstation model as well. Steve personally showed me a pre-release model of the NeXTstation at NeXT HQ in Redwood City. I was at the 'scene' in 1990. One of the NeXT folks walked up to some of us guests right before the unveiling and said "You'll love this; it's an IBM PC AT clone that's 20% faster and 10% cheaper!" then laughed his ass off when our chins hit the floor. I hope the movie isn't a train wreck and gets some of the man right.
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Nov. 16, 2012, 5:24 p.m. CST
I have generally adored just about anything Dorkin has done. His talent is enormous but, an excellent writer should be able to take any subject you normally don't care for and make it compelling. I loathe badeball and Moneyball bored me shitless. A rare m
by Sean
The fact that a man as smart as Dorkin was once a cokehead is also a bit disappointing. Otherwise, he's great. But I too...have little interest in celebrating and deifying a prick like Jobs.
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Nov. 16, 2012, 5:50 p.m. CST
KINDOFABIGDEAL IS RIGHT. THIS 3 ACT THING IS MEANT FOR THE STAGE, NOT THE SCREEN.
by Darth Busey
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Mac-mini. Surprised? You gotta zag when the others zig in those leagues.
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Nov. 16, 2012, 6:29 p.m. CST
That must be why so many Chinese employees commit suicide.
by Gary Makin
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Nov. 16, 2012, 6:55 p.m. CST
Looks more interesting then a regular biopic, like that made for TV one from the 90s
by Ricardo
But this sounds like a Philip Glass opera libretto, not a movie.
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The Newsroom is great. B
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great flick with a great cast that very quotable. Havent like much of what hes done since the drugs set in and he started the walking hallways and talking shows
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i mean what has he really done? made people think that their lives are meaningless unless they queue outside stores for releases of more of his cheap chinese made stuff. big deal, didnt cure cancer, go to the moon....count me out. the social network started a precendent of people who are not worthy of a biopic.
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Nov. 16, 2012, 8:08 p.m. CST
I was kind of hoping it would be sort of a remake of THE PIRATES OF SILICON VALLEY
by lv_426
I love a good rivalry picture. That is in fact the reason The Social Network was any good, the rivalries that developed between Mark Zuckerburg, those rich kid twins, and Zuckerburg's friend. Steve Jobs vs. Bill Gates
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oh wait, too soon?
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Nov. 17, 2012, 12:02 a.m. CST
Jobs is only revered as a god because of the failure of a man named Jean-Louis Gassée
by Humie Bubbie
Jean-Louis Gassée was Jobs' successor at Apple. Then he went off to found BeOS, which was brilliant and Apple wanted to buy. Gassee wanted too much money for the OS, Apple balked, and instead bought Next and brought Jobs back in to turn NextStep into OSX. If that Frenchman accepted 200 million instead of being a greedy pig, Jobs would've been relegated to the dustbin of history.
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Given the subject matter I'd say perfect fit.
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Always writing at the same speed, in the same voice, featuring characters passing a ball back and forth or perhaps walking briskly towards the camera while trading too-neatly-conceived-and-not-quite-as-clever-as-they-think-they-are quips while rattling, rattling, rattling off data points to prove that Sorkin read several New Yorker articles on the subject, then another quip, then one person says something momentous and the other person stops walking briskly along the hallway, to ruminate for a second and perhaps allow us the audience to pause for a moment how utterly portentious the dialogue is supposed to be. DEEP BREATH
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Jobs didn't believe in putting your name to charitable giving, he felt that made it self serving. That isn't the same as not giving to charity, he simply didn't think it should look self serving... Ever look up what his wife does? ;)
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darth_macchio daniel-san you will always be welcome to at the dojo of your enemy! Thanks also so to fred and headbooter, now I dont feel so bad for not knowing about the NEXT cube - apart from some samples it was unproduced? NEXT Cube. Sounds like a strange amlgam of the GameCube and Xbox!
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Nov. 17, 2012, 6:47 p.m. CST
Apple represents everything I hate about America - Stupid idiots supporting inferior crap. And SOCIAL NETWORK was a terrible film about a lame ass webmaster as if that means anything at all...
by MENTALDOMINANCE
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Nov. 17, 2012, 6:48 p.m. CST
But again, from the way most stupid Americans think, money means everything so it must be brilliant if it makes cash. Fucking sheep.
by MENTALDOMINANCE
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Thanks for this blurb Merrick!
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Nov. 17, 2012, 11:13 p.m. CST
i say thank god its not another Pirates of Silicon Valley.
by nametaken
going to be something different, and i have no reason to believe sorkin can't pull it off.
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so glad his scripts do not include all the "umms" and hesitations with which he speaks. Looking forward to this movie.
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Jobs noticed his friend Steve Wozniak—employee of Hewlett-Packard—was capable of producing designs with a small number of chips, and invited him to work on the hardware design with the prospect of splitting the $750 wage. Wozniak had no sketches and instead interpreted the game from its description. To save parts, he had "tricky little designs" difficult to understand for most engineers. Near the end of development, Wozniak considered moving the high score to the screen's top, but Jobs claimed Bushnell wanted it at the bottom; Wozniak was unaware of any truth to his claims. The original deadline was met after Wozniak did not sleep for four days straight. This equated to a bonus, which Jobs kept secret from Wozniak, instead only paying him $375.
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Nov. 19, 2012, 8:44 a.m. CST
Stop with the slave labour crap.....as if any of you really care or do anything about it in your day-to-day lives. Pleeeeze. UR just parroting the news.
by Fandude7
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Nov. 19, 2012, 10:12 a.m. CST
armchairhero, I hope that makes it into the ATARI movie!
by Autodidact
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Yes, I agree, he is kind of obnoxious in those Canon commercials, but he is certainly a solid actor and likable in Two and a Half Men. Much better than that arrogant, drugged out asswipe Sheen.
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I registered just to post that. Totally worth it.
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I find it pretty easy not to be interested...especially from this mockumentary style he apparently plans to do. I saw Pirates Of Silicon Valley on TV, that was good enough for me.
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