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Apple II

Released in 1977, this was Apple's first commercially successful computer, and one of the earliest and most successful home computers. It was widely used in American schools and some remain in use in classrooms to this day.

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Bird of Prey (1982)

Henry enlists the help of a journalist who owns an Apple II. In order to avoid being killed by le Pouvoir, he later used the machine to implant all he knows about the affair into several computers to be released on his death.

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Importance: ****
Realism: *****
Visibility: ***


The Dead Zone (1983)

Johnny takes on the tuition of Chris, the shy son of a powerful businessman. Amongst many gadgets in his room, Chris has a Apple II that he uses for word processing.

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Importance: **
Realism: *****
Visibility: **


Evilspeak (1981)

Coopersmith uses the computer for his schoolwork initially, but his extracurricular uses of it include translating Latin texts and raising the devil.

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Importance: ****
The Apple plays a pretty central role in this film, and even appeared on the advertising poster.

Realism: **
The CAD works seems quite reasonable, but it goes downhill from there.

Visibility: ****


Lost - Season 2 (2005)

The Apple is in the Swan research laboratory and it is required that a sequence of numbers be entered on it every 108 minutes.

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Importance: *****
Realism: ****
The machine is of the right era for the Dharma Initiative, but the Apple II keyboard does not have an EXECUTE key that is so prominent here. They also appear to switch on the machine using the monitor's power button.

Visibility: *****
Nice shots of the Apple with the lid off, here!


Micro Men (2009)

The Apple II appears in a couple of adverts, including one in a magazine read by Clive as he prepares to enter the computer business.

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Importance: **
Realism: *****
Visibility: **


The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

Chas uses the Apple to run his childhood business, although he still uses it in adulthood.

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Importance: **
Realism: ****
The only slight shortfall on realism - could one really still use an Apple II to run a modern business?

Visibility: ****


Spies Like Us (1985)

Austin uses the Apple II to decode a Chinese military radio message.

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Importance: ***
Realism: ****
It is, allegedly, a simple code and therefore within the Apple's capabilities.

Visibility: ***


The Thing (1982)

The Apple II is disguised as a "Chess Wizard" computer that MacReady plays, destroying it by pouring a glass of whisky into it after the computer wins the match.

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Importance: **
Realism: ***
It's a mock up, and there's some unnecessary voice synthesis, but other than that the capabilities of the machine are realistic.

Visibility: **