PowerPC Macs in TV shows and movies

[0248294]

Sometimes in TV shows and films, old and new, PowerPC Macs are seen. Especially the iconic iMac G3s and G4s are often used as props, as they are very unique computers. I've decided to make this chain thread, after not finding a similar thread, for our users to share screen captures of shows or films where a PowerPC Mac is seen.

I'll start with an iMac G3 Tangerine Slot Loader seen in a Dutch educational school TV program. I remember this show from years ago, and came across it in a YouTube video. They clearly have a new set, as they are now in some kind of shed, which used to be an apartment years ago, and the iMac with its keyboard can be spotted. Seems like they picked it because it's very colourful, much like the rest of the set:

 

[3349793]

In Garfield (2004), John uses a PowerMac G4 Quicksilver (if I'm right). Also, the monitor is an Apple ADC Display.

I also know that in The Cleveland Show, and The Simpsons, there are several Apple computers, but I'm not sure if they are PowerPC or not.

 

[eyoungren]

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/icarly-macs.1468381/

 

[havokalien]

Idependance day has a laptop. Seinfeld has has had an ever newer mac on his desk every new season from a compact to a TAM.

 

[ITguy2016]

The Drew Carey Show had several PowerPC Macs. iBook, Cube, and iMac G3 are three I can think of off the top of my head. The show Mom appears to be using an iBook as their primary computer.

 

[eyoungren]

When Frasier was on, Frasier Krane used a Classic Mac.

 

[Gamer9430]

You can find a plethora of macs in the 2nd and 3rd Austin Powers, such as a TiBook, Cubes, QuickSilvers, as well as Apple displays. The keyboards for the time machines are iMac G3 Bondi keyboards. Also, Oceans 13 has a bunch of cubes in the planning room.

Oh, and the first few seasons of 24 used Cubes, iBooks, and various other macs as well. Sadly, afterwards they switched to crappy dells and stuff.

The Simpsons also parodied many Apple products under the fictional name Mapple, such as the iMac, iPhone, iPod, MacBook, Cube, Lisa, Macintosh, Newton...

The Smith family of Rick and Morty (which I have recently fallen in LOVE with) use iPads, but no sign of any other Apple products.

Raj from Big Bang Theory used to use a MacBook Pro in the first few seasons, don't recall if he still uses one or not. Howard also has either a 128k, 512k(e), or Plus sitting on the shelf in his bedroom.

At the start of Tron: Legacy, Sam Flynn has a Mac Plus sitting on his desk in his room.

Also from iCarly, Freddy is shown having a Compact Mac several times and even tries to pawn one off to the guys from Pawn Stars in the episode where they go to Las Vegas. Upon demonstrating it for them, it goes up in smoke and dies... RIP brave little Macintosh

 

[eyoungren]

Oh, and the first few seasons of 24 used Cubes, iBooks, and various other macs as well. Sadly, afterwards they switched to crappy dells and stuff.

Production costs probably.

Whatever side you fall on (PC or Mac) it can't be argued that PCs are less expensive than Macs (with some exceptions).

 

[pochopsp]

In the movie Sahara, Rainn Wilson uses a PowerBook G4

In the movie Batman and Robin, they have an ibook g3

 

[Dronecatcher]

The X-Files had it's fair share of Macintosh appearances:

But the excellent spin off series, The Lone Gunmen, loaded with state of the art computer tech, was full of them:

And attention to detail, they were always running Kaleidoscope:

 

[jbarley]

Free product placement, just another method to get free advertising.

 

[QSDP-User]

Brian De Palma's Femme Fatale (2002).

I remember this thriller had at least 4 PPC Macs & a storyline with outrageous beneficial coincidences.
Antonio Banderas played a photographer with a Cube & Studio Display
(1st seen in the movie's split screen with Rebecca Romijn on the right side).

Rebecca Romijn had a dual look-a-like role: an opportunist survivor type and the other
one being an emotionally distraught member of a family that had PPC 6400/6500 & CRT Display
& a Clamshell G3.
The PPC Tower is barely visible under the (flower baskets) table, right side (in front of Romijn).

Peter Coyote used a PowerBook.

Antonio Banderas gets an email alert on his Studio Display & uses his Apple mouse.

 

[128keaton]

Lets not forget Legally Blonde, or You've got Mail.

http://starringthecomputer.com/appearance.html?f=111&c=193

This alone was one of the big reasons I was looking out for a Kanga. Simply because I love this movie

Reese Witherspoon never looked better:

And the beloved Kanga:

 

[abundantmussel]

The net had quite a few PPC Macs in it if I recall

 

[MacCubed]

You guys are missing out on 24!! That show had TONS of PPCs in it, the first season was filmed in 01, I recall there being 1 TiBook that Jack's wife owned, their daughter Kim had a Indigo Clamshell, the CTU Headquarters were populated with Quicksilvers, Studio Displays, Cubes, Graphite G4s, you name it! The second season continued this trend, but in the third season, Alu PowerBooks along with G5s and Cinema displays made an appearance. I own the 3rd season on DVD, and while watching it on my DLSD, a 17" PBG4 came up on the screen! By the time the 4th season or so rolled around, the CTU HQ had suffered major damage (no spoilers for those who are watching/want to watch!) and all of the PPCs were removed in favor of more "governmental" looking PCs. However, there were appearances from the non-unibody MBP in meetings and such, along with the original iPhone in some scenes. Later on in "24 Live Another Day" there were unibody MBPs, along with the cMB and such.

Either way, 24 is an AMAZING show and it's definitely up there at the top of the list of my favorite shows, which include Lost, Person Of Interest, and The 4400(which sadly was cancelled due to it being on USA network, but someone did end up writing a book to finish out the series).

There's definitely more than this, but Google doesn't exactly have all the pictures!

 

[QSDP-User]

The net had quite a few PPC Macs in it if I recall

The Net (1995)
Yeah, I remember Sandra Bullock making a living with her PPCs (IT Security) and being a nerdy homebody who ordered pizza online.
And the ending climax included the use of Mac floppy disks which took place at a MacWorld convention in San Francisco.

 

[tevion5]

I actually see early 2000's PPC macs appear in advertisements very regularly. Media companies must keep them in stock for a long time. iBooks and iMac G4's still look "modern and stylish" by today's standards.

 

[128keaton]

The net had quite a few PPC Macs in it if I recall

That movie was excelleeeeent. Seriously. A work of ART. The PPCC was such a neat scene.

 

[bunnspecial]

I'm watching the TV show Mom at the moment(still in current production) and one of the main characters uses a 14" iBook as her main computer.

I've been watching my way through House recently, and there are plenty of Macs to be seen all over the place. The parts I'm watching now were made in the PPC era, and there are plenty of TiBooks and AlBooks around.

 

[MacCubed]

I'm watching the TV show Mom at the moment(still in current production) and one of the main characters uses a 14" iBook as her main computer.

I've been watching my way through House recently, and there are plenty of Macs to be seen all over the place. The parts I'm watching now were made in the PPC era, and there are plenty of TiBooks and AlBooks around.

Yup! Love House too, in around the 5th or so season, there is a non-uni MBP running what appears to be a very early rendition of OS X!

 

[bunnspecial]

Yup! Love House too, in around the 5th or so season, there is a non-uni MBP running what appears to be a very early rendition of OS X!

Back when I was in high school, it was the hottest show on TV and the topic of conversation every day. I'm enjoying re-watching some of the stuff.

BTW, a few more:

Ray in "Everybody Loves Raymond" regularly uses some sort of Powerbook G3 with a prominent white upside down Apple

There are a bunch of Macs in Seinfeld, including a TAM at one point.

 

[spf2]

Here is one that hasn't been mentioned. The documentary "The Video Game Movie" in 2014 has a guy featured many times in front of a graphite imac G3. Can't remember exactly who he was but it shows him several times in front of it.

 

[rawweb]

While not seen, 16 of these powered the monitors on the bridge of "Star Trek: Enterprise"

And of course, Scotty invented transparent aluminum on a Mac.

He also set the ground work for Siri when he attempted to interface with a Mac:

Source: http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Macintosh

 

[crewkid89]

While not seen, 16 of these powered the monitors on the bridge of "Star Trek: Enterprise"

And of course, Scotty invented transparent aluminum on a Mac.

He also set the ground work for Siri when he attempted to interface with a Mac:

Source: http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Macintosh

Interestingly in the Star Trek universe, no one ever thought to name their computer anything. It was always just "Computer".

 

[photoj2754]

Still from The Family Stone. That's a strawberry G3, yes?