Re: WarGames for Apple II?

[Egan Ford <datajerk@gmail.com>]

On Feb 13, 2:29 pm, Sean Fahey <a2...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> On Monday, February 13, 2012 11:45:00 AM UTC-6, Michael Black wrote:
> > Was there an Apple II in the movie?  I saw it when it came out, but likely
> > haven't seen it since it aired on tv sometime afterwards.
>
> The only Apple II in Wargames was the computer used to control the LED light show inside the W.O.P.R.
>
> http://www.imsai.net/Movies/WarGames.htm
>
> "The flat panel display (the early flourescent type) that carried the countdown information was the only existing prototype of a display developed by a fellow I knew in Sunnyvale who I met through Paul Lovoi, then of InTA (International Technical Associates, formerly of ILC), who built the giant strobe system we used for the end
> sequence.  Paul was, and is, one of the most brilliant people I have ever met - he's still in Sunnyvale and still inventing very cool stuff.  I have drawn a blank on the display fellow's name, but he was a well known inventor in Silicon Valley in the 80's, and had quite a few patents to his name (Nolan...?  Damn, why can't I remember that? I may have to call Paul).  Anyway, I hand carried the display on my lap from Sunnyvale to MGM, where I personally installed the display in the WOPR and then connected it to an Apple II with a prototype driver card for displaying characters on the screen.
>
> While filming the machine, I sat huddled inside with the Apple in my lap and typed commands into it per instructions from John Badham as the camera rolled.  Very high tech.  The display is only seen in insert because it had not yet been installed when we shot the live action around WOPR.  I remember that the driver card was not built to run at 48hz, which we needed to maintain sync with the 24 frame per second camera, so I, with the help of a fellow named Larry Barton, changed out the crystal on the board, and then trimmed it by rubbing it with a lead pencil until the scope showed us 48hz.  Fun."

The DVD extras mention how the Apple II was used for the special
effects--more than just WOPR IIRC.  Sadly all behind the scenes.

ITOH, Flynn (a proper hacker :-) used an Apple /// to break into ENCOM.