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Starring the Computer is a website dedicated to the use of computers in film and television. Each appearance is catalogued and rated on its importance (ie. how important it is to the plot), realism (how close its appearance and capabilities are to the real thing) and visibility (how good a look does one get of it). Fictional computers don't count (unless they are built out of bits of real computer), so no HAL9000 - sorry.

Please let me know if you spot any mistakes, or have any tips about films not mentioned here that feature computers.

James Carter <james@starringthecomputer.com>

News

2025-05-23 22:00 Three New Laptops
None of these laptops is really all that new but they are all making their first appearance on Starring the Computer. The Dell Inspiron 8500 appears now and again in The Departed, Alienware Area 51m 766 laptops play a fairly important part in Stay Alive and a pair of Asus ROG Zephyrus Duos also have an important role in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One.
2025-05-16 23:17 RISCy business
This update sees a couple of rare appearances of some Silicon Graphics RISC machines, and a RISC-based Starring-the-Computer newcomer. The "Black Mirror" episode Plaything has an SGI Indy, a couple of Commodore machines (a 64 and SX64) and, making its Starring-the-Computer debut, the Acorn Risc PC. The episode High Score of "The Bill" has some shots of an SGI Indigo2, as well as an Apple Macintosh LC and a Dell 4XX/P NetPlex (also making its debut).
2025-05-11 00:22 Robotron, Robotron, Robotron, Videoton!
Here are four features with Eastern Bloc computers. The "Deutschland 83" episode Brave Guy has a Robotron A 5120, and a Robotron EC 1040 makes a brief appearance in an episode of Polizeiruf 110. Zwei schräge Vögel offers two Robotron machines that have not appeared on the site so far: the A 7100 and the K 1600. And finally the Hungarian Videoton 52539 makes its Starring-the-Computer debut in the second episode of Chernobyl.
2025-05-05 23:54 The Net, Revisited
A few people have pointed out over the years that I missed some machine in The Net. I've fixed the existing entry for the Apple Powerbook Duo and added the missing Apple Powerbook 540c, Power Macintosh 7100 and Compaq Prolinea.
2025-05-04 11:46 All Apple
There are so many Apple Macs on my to-do list! Here are a few of them. There is an iBook G3 in Picture This and Glass, along with a Unibody iMac. Interview has a small but important role for an iBook G4. Finally there are very fleeting glimpses of a Power Mac G4 Cube in Cheaper by the Dozen, and an iMac G4 in Michael Clayton.
2025-04-26 16:31 Commodore bits
Here's a collection of Commodore appearances. Blue Beetle is a bit of a Commodore-feat with Commodore 64s, a PET and a rare appearance of a Commodore Plus/4. Also there is a VIC-20 in Der Schatz der weißen Falken, and a Amiga 500 in Sevimli Hirsiz.
2025-04-21 15:53 SEs and Classics
These films feature Apple Macintosh SEs or Macintosh Classics, or both! The Maid and Teaching Mrs Tingle both have small roles for the SE. House of Gucci has a brief glimpse of a Classic and Golden Years has a room full of both.
2025-04-13 16:14 Two more ICT 1301s
Here are two more appearances of the ICT 1301. In The Famous Five, Five Go to Kirren Island, professor Kirrin uses an ICT 1301 for his research, and in Doctor Who, Revenge of the Cybermen, the Nerva Beacon also features an ICT1301 panel.
2025-03-30 23:15 The Dead Zone
Season 2 of The Dead Zone has a number of computers on display including Johnny's Apple Powerbook G4 that appears throughout the season. In Episode 4 there is an Apple iMac G5 and another Powerbook G4. iMac G5s also appears in Episode 5, and Episode 7 also has a brief appearance of a Panasonic Toughbook.
2025-03-09 22:47 A Pile of Powerbooks
Here's a collection of films that include Apple Powerbooks. The Don's Analyst has a 5300 and Hitman's Run has a 520c (and an incidental Commodore PET 2001 keyboard in a prop that has appeared in a number of places). Finally, The Omega Code and Town & Country both have Powerbook G3s.