MOVIE TRAILERS
Trailer for Documentary 'Silicon Cowboys' Telling the Story of Compaq
by Alex Billington
August 31, 2016
Source: YouTube
"Enjoy it while you can, because IBM's gunna have a portable and then it's sayonara." As a computer nerd, it's always fun to see documentaries that explore the history of computers. Silicon Cowboys tell the story of the rise and fall of Compaq Computers. Launched in 1981 by three friends in Houston, they wanted to challenge IBM's dominance over the personal computer market and were mostly successful. That is, until IBM decided to fight back. Everyone knows the name Compaq, but do you know the real story behind them? This looks like a fascinating and captivating doc not only about computers but about the cutthroat business world that is still prevalent today. That quote about "the way you were supposed to deal with IBM" sold me.
Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Jason Cohen's doc Silicon Cowboys, direct from YouTube:
Three friends dream up the Compaq portable computer at a Texas diner in 1981, and soon find themselves battling mighty IBM, for PC supremacy. Their improbable journey altered the future of computing and shaped the world we now know. Silicon Cowboys is directed by filmmaker Jason Cohen, of the Oscar nominated short doc Facing Fear previously. The doc "explores the remarkable David vs. Goliath story, and eventual demise, of Compaq, an unlikely upstart who altered the future of computing." The film premiered at this year's SXSW Film Festival and played at a few other fests. FilmRise will release Silicon Cowboys in select theaters + on VOD starting September 16th coming up. For info, visit their official site. Interested?
Reader Feedback - 14 Comments
1
Ah...the good ol' days, when a laptop with 4 MB of ram cost 4000 $. Are they still on the market? I know they were still around in the 2000.
tarek on Aug 31, 2016
2
I remember playing LEISURE SUIT LARRY on my friend's Compaq...those were the days.
DAVIDPD on Aug 31, 2016
3
I love this stuff! Great to remind us how truly far we've come. My first computer was an IBM 486 with 4 mb of Ram. Pissed me off when I had to buy another 4 to play my first game: Full Throttle by LucasArts.
RAW_D on Aug 31, 2016
4
Remember when you had to use around 10 to 20 floppy disks to install a game? ;D
tarek on Aug 31, 2016
5
Or switch from one disc to another in the midst of said game?
RAW_D on Sep 1, 2016
7
C:run.exe
RAW_D on Sep 2, 2016
8
' run isn't recognized as a an internal or external command, operable program or batch file. ' Abort, Retry, Fail?
tarek on Sep 2, 2016
9
Puzzles of history...
shiboleth on Aug 31, 2016
10
Compaq made shit computers just like Dell, so I'm not interested in this documentary!
MLTC on Aug 31, 2016
11
That's why HP bought them. HP computers are the worst. Dell follow closely.
tarek on Aug 31, 2016
12
HP did have at least one laptop that could take water on the keyboard without damaging it. The water would just be led through channels. I like HP's printers. I'm a computer technician.
MLTC on Aug 31, 2016
13
I made a mistake. Toshiba come second. Dell follow closely. HP laptops are not reliable. My best laptop brand is Gateway (Acer). I prefer Canon printers. But they all are made for one thing: to make you ruin yourself in ink cartridges. Unless you go laser.
tarek on Aug 31, 2016
14
We had HP printers and Xerox printers at my work and Braillo printers that was for Braille. Laser or LED printer is the way to go for documents.
MLTC on Aug 31, 2016
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