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gulmatan · Feb 24, 2006, 05:45 AM

So why is it that every TV show from "Crossing Jordan" to CSI to ER have Dell/Wintel crap as their workstations? I'm sure the Mac can run every single one of these government/medical/technical software programs and the Windows developers as well as Bill Gates wants to manipulate the world into thinking a Mac can only serve as a doorstop. Why does TV not show the Mac in action? Furthermore, why is it that if a Mac is used , its logo has to to be covered up whereas, OTOH, if a Wintel crapola is on a TV show, the logo is shown in full view?

zanyterp · Feb 24, 2006, 05:50 AM

crossing jordan and csi both have macs on the show. jordan owns one and, if you look carefully, you can see them in csi. csi:miami fully shows the iMacs they have. as to why the apple logo needs to be covered, not a clue....$$$$ maybe?

gulmatan · Feb 24, 2006, 06:03 AM

Is it dinero or is it something like they aren't allowed to promote Apple cuz of some Wintel/Micro$loth lawsuit if they openly promote Mac.

DigitalEl · Feb 24, 2006, 06:13 AM

It's called product placement. If a company PAYS to get their product some screen time, you'll see it. Apple has done this in the past and is likely to in the future. Didn't (former Apple spokesman) Jeff Goldblum save Earth with an early PowerBook in Independence Day? Apple was also featured prominently in the first season of 24. All the good guys used Macs. All the bad guys used generic black boxes. I guess Apple stopped paying, b/c it's been all Wintel in subsequent seasons.

Look at most any Hollywood movie out these days. If you can identify a product on screen, it's likely somebody paid for it. Audi in iRobot from last summer comes to mind. As does Nokia in The Island.

It's not some great anti-Mac conspiracy. It's just bid'ness.

greenamp · Feb 24, 2006, 06:44 AM

Dell has recently been on a huge ass media blitz with obnoxious tv product placement bits.

greenamp · Feb 24, 2006, 06:45 AM

Originally Posted by DigitalEl

As does Nokia in The Island.

Don't forget Puma!

Dakar · Feb 24, 2006, 09:04 AM

Yeah, so what happened to the old days (like 3-5 years ago) where the Mac was everywhere (Friends, West Wing, etc.). I thought they weren't paying even back then.

Pretty weird how now that Apple is more popular all the Apple logos are covered up (like by the white house seal on West Wing now).

christ · Feb 24, 2006, 09:37 AM

Apple is still popular, in the UK at least.

The BBC (publically funded - like PBS only good) have issues with product placement, and have been directly targeting Apple. The trouble is that anyone can recognize an Apple logo, so TPTB jump all over Apple product placement, but it takes a nerd to recognize an Acer (or DELL, or HP), so TPTB assume that it is a 'generic PC', and therefore OK.

Dakar · Feb 24, 2006, 09:40 AM

Well Hu$tle is the only television program I can recall seeing in the past 2 years that doesn't cover up the Apple logo.

Millennium · Feb 24, 2006, 09:42 AM

They want to use Macs, probably because they just plain look better than most Wintels. However, they don't want to pay Apple to use the logo, but if they don't pay then they could get sued for trademark infringement since they'd be showing the Apple logo in their shows. To avoid that problem, they cover up the logo.

In other words, blame the lawyers.

Dakar · Feb 24, 2006, 09:43 AM

But what I'm saying is this didn't look like the case 5 years ago. What changed?

SSharon · Feb 24, 2006, 10:14 AM

I was just watching the show entourage and it almost bothered me how many imac G5s they could fit in one shot.

wdlove · Feb 24, 2006, 12:08 PM

I want to be able to easily play TV off of my Cable. Fro it to be Mac hardware and software.

demibob · Feb 24, 2006, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by Millennium

They want to use Macs, probably because they just plain look better than most Wintels. However, they don't want to pay Apple to use the logo, but if they don't pay then they could get sued for trademark infringement since they'd be showing the Apple logo in their shows. To avoid that problem, they cover up the logo.

In other words, blame the lawyers.

i disagree. Im sure apple would prefer the logo to be visible. I think they wanted to use macs because they look better but covered up the logo because they excpected to be paid for doing so but wern't.

demibob · Feb 24, 2006, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by gulmatan

So why is it that every TV show from "Crossing Jordan" to CSI to ER have Dell/Wintel crap as their workstations? I'm sure the Mac can run every single one of these government/medical/technical software programs and the Windows developers as well as Bill Gates wants to manipulate the world into thinking a Mac can only serve as a doorstop. Why does TV not show the Mac in action? Furthermore, why is it that if a Mac is used , its logo has to to be covered up whereas, OTOH, if a Wintel crapola is on a TV show, the logo is shown in full view?

I seem to remember seeing apple computers in almost every movie from just a few years ago. I think apple just stopped paying the advertising money so film and tv showmakers started covering up the badge.

olePigeon · Feb 24, 2006, 12:45 PM

Anyone see the movie "Firewall?" I did, unfortunately, but I was desparate to see a movie and that was the only one that had any interest at all.

Anyway, they had the demographics pretty much spot on in the movie. The graphic/home designer uses a Mac with a nice Cinema (including the shiney Apple logo on it), the little kid had an iPod mini, but at the Bank they all had Dell machines.

Really funny cuz the Bank also had Dell servers everywhere... but the movie was about some guys that hacked the Bank and the Security guy's (Harrison Ford) work computer (a Dell) was hacked as well.

At one point, the guy takes over his computer. Probably through some Windows exploit since Harrison's character was using Outlook.

Mastrap · Feb 24, 2006, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by Millennium

They want to use Macs, probably because they just plain look better than most Wintels. However, they don't want to pay Apple to use the logo, but if they don't pay then they could get sued for trademark infringement since they'd be showing the Apple logo in their shows. To avoid that problem, they cover up the logo.

In other words, blame the lawyers.

It's almost exactly 100% the other way around. Product placement is a huge business these days.

Wiskedjak · Feb 24, 2006, 01:04 PM

Apple wants to be paid to have their logo appear on TV
Dell pays to have it's logo appear on TV

If you have a problem with Apple visibility in TV, you really need to take it up with Steve, not Bill and not Michael.

euchomai · Feb 24, 2006, 01:07 PM

Originally Posted by wdlove

I want to be able to easily play TV off of my Cable. Fro it to be Mac hardware and software.

Are you drunk right now? Someone please interpret this post in light of this thread.

Dakar · Feb 24, 2006, 01:22 PM

Originally Posted by euchomai

Are you drunk right now? Someone please interpret this post in light of this thread.

He wants an Apple DVR.

Wiskedjak · Feb 24, 2006, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by euchomai

Are you drunk right now? Someone please interpret this post in light of this thread.

He wants a Mac that can do anything

teney7 · Feb 24, 2006, 01:33 PM

I have definitely seen ACDs and PBs on CSI, though they really like Dells too for some reason...

Chuckit · Feb 24, 2006, 01:43 PM

Originally Posted by DigitalEl

Didn't (former Apple spokesman) Jeff Goldblum save Earth with an early PowerBook in Independence Day?

Yep. They couldn't network with Windows for crap, but apparently they networked great with Evil Alien technology.

Originally Posted by DigitalEl

Apple was also featured prominently in the first season of 24. All the good guys used Macs. All the bad guys used generic black boxes. I guess Apple stopped paying, b/c it's been all Wintel in subsequent seasons.

I thought it was because people had caught on to the Mac = Good Guys, Windows = Bad Guys thing.

euchomai · Feb 24, 2006, 01:59 PM

Originally Posted by Dakar

He wants an Apple DVR.

OHHH, I totally get it now. Thanks for the clarification!

olePigeon · Feb 24, 2006, 02:05 PM

I think the Drew Carey show started this all with his G4 Cube.

Dakar · Feb 24, 2006, 02:11 PM

Originally Posted by euchomai

OHHH, I totally get it now. Thanks for the clarification!

Not a problem. I reread his statement once. his 'fro = for' thing probably messed more than a few people up.

Shaddim · Feb 24, 2006, 02:28 PM

Originally Posted by olePigeon

I think the Drew Carey show started this all with his G4 Cube.

I thought it started with Buffy: TVS. Willow had a clamshell iBook and every computer on the show was a Mac.

Dakar · Feb 24, 2006, 02:29 PM

Willow... *drool*

subego · Feb 24, 2006, 02:36 PM

Originally Posted by olePigeon

I think the Drew Carey show started this all with his G4 Cube.

In "Moonlighting", Cybill Shepherd had, like, a Mac Plus on her desk.

There was one episode where she made a flowchart of their company's chain of command. It was clearly done with MacPaint.

Cadaver · Feb 24, 2006, 09:28 PM

Seinfeld always had a Mac of one kind or another in his apartment, too.

meelk · Feb 24, 2006, 10:06 PM

Sydney on Alias always has macs because JJ Abrams uses them.

John Doe used macs as well.

ReggieX · Feb 25, 2006, 12:22 AM

Originally Posted by MacNStein

I thought it started with Buffy: TVS. Willow had a clamshell iBook and every computer on the show was a Mac.

I think early on, 1st or 2nd season, the computer lab at the high school was all Compaqs, but every screenshot was clearly Mac OS!

Gropin'GL · Feb 25, 2006, 12:59 AM

My mom and my sister watch Gilmore Girls and whenever I sometimes sit down and watch it with them, I see at the mom's hotel, there is a G4 Cube / Plastic ADC Display.

turbopants · Feb 25, 2006, 01:03 AM

Same here, Gropin', my mom watches Absolutely Fabulous, the BBC show. They have a G4 Cube and ADC display on their desk in many of the episodes I've seen.

moonmonkey · Feb 25, 2006, 04:02 AM

Sex in the city use's a lot of Mac's, logo is not coverered up.

Miniryu · Feb 25, 2006, 04:43 AM

For the first two or three seasons of Smallville, all of the good guys used Macs. The only PC on the show belonged to Lex Luthor or his father Lionel.