By McLean Greaves

In Memory Of Steve Jobs: Pirates Of Silicon Valley

An entertaining look at the early days of Steve Jobs.

As the tech world mourns one of its greatest, here is an entertaining way to remember the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Embedded below is Pirates Of Silicon Valley — an Emmy Award-winning docudrama about the two geniuses who drove the early days of the PC industry and ultimately changed the world. Aired in 1999, Pirates starred Noah Whye as Steve Jobs and Anthony Michael Hall as Bill Gates. As reported on this Wikipedia entry, reception to the film was tremendous:

The Apollo Guide commented that, “Over less than 30 years, a band of shaggy nerds rose to become the richest people on Earth. They were the pioneers of the computer industry [...] While you might think that a story about the creation of computer companies might be as thrilling as your university Pascal course, think again. Seeing this history played out is thoroughly entertaining [...] Jobs, played by Noah Wyle, is a child of the ‘60s: an advocate of peace and spirituality who places art on a higher pedestal than commerce. Jobs’ charisma, drive and ideology form a dangerous cocktail. He pushes Apple designers into such a frenzy that they work 90-hour weeks and intensely compete with each other. Anthony Michael Hall does an impressive job mimicking Bill Gates. Gates is portrayed as obsessed and impossibly nerdy.”^[7] Rob Owen of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette argued that the film is, “a fascinating drama filled with Shakespearean twists and betrayals as viewers come to know the geniuses who transformed not only the way we communicate, but the way we live. You’re looking at the proof: This review was written using a program created by Gates’ Microsoft, and TV Week is designed using one of Jobs’ Macintosh computers.”^[8] John Leonard of NY Magazine, described the film as “a hoot.”^[9]

In memory of the great Steve Jobs, here is the film in its entirety. Enjoy. — MG

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