Apple Powerbook 5300 in Independence Day (1996)
David uses the Powerbook to display the coundown to the alien attack, and later to infect the alien mothership with a virus, disabling the attackers' defenses..
The alien ships have indestructible shields. David's virus, delivered by the Powerbook, allows a successful attack.
Let's face it - it's one on the sillier movie plots involving a computer, isn't it!
John Ruschmeyer
The 5300 in ID4 is interesting in that it is actually a prototype. In the scene where David loads a CD-ROM while on the drive from NY to DC, the model plate reading "PowerBook XXXX" is clearly shown. Also, the CD-ROM drive is the never-released 3.5" CD-ROM module for the 5300.
2009-11-25 14:59
Boris Johnson
I would appreciate a more in-depth analysis of the role of the 5300 in this film. In particular the importance of the laughing-skull gif and perhaps a complete walkthrough for future defenders-of-the-Earth. Best wishes, Boris.
2012-03-05 21:24
Oscar
They also made an ad in '96 showing this computer in the movie. ("If you only have 28 hours to save the world....better hope you got the right computer.")
2012-07-26 17:54
Rob T Firefly
Pretty hilarious that he explodes the aliens with his 5300, considering the real-world "HindenBook" tendency of that model to actually catch fire from faulty batteries. Also, it's a good thing the aliens were running System 7 or that virus thing would have just been silly.
2013-01-21 03:44
ctopher
Silly? Maybe the mothership was running Mac OS X and Jeff Goldblum entered "File :\\\"
2013-02-10 15:47
BrowncoatKal
I remember that there was a sweepstakes in conjunction with this movie where you could win the actual Powerbook used in the movie. I wonder where it is now?
2014-01-24 17:00
Mitchell Pope
Still my favorite movie of all time, thanks for the info! Mind boggling to think that a telecommunications engineer with no more than 64MB of RAM, a few hours of time at Area 51, and a few minutes after having the idea to create a virus, successfully programmed an executable virus that can interface with Alien technology... using his Mac OS 7.5
2024-08-03 06:56