The Triumph of the Nerds: The Rise of Accidental Empires (1996) (TV)

User Rating:

8.8/10   

Writers:

Robert X. Cringely (book)
Robert X. Cringely (screenplay)

Release Date:

12 June 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot Keywords:

Computer | Corporate Warfare | Nerd | Business | Computer Disc

Cast

Robert X. Cringely	...	Himself (host / interviewer)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Douglas Adams	...	Himself (author)
Sam Albert	...	Himself (former IBM executive)
Paul G. Allen	...	Himself (co-founder, Microsoft)
Bill Atkinson	...	Himself (designer, Macintosh Development Team)
Steve Ballmer	...	Himself (vice-president, Microsoft)
Dan Bricklin	...	Himself (VisiCalc inventor)
David Bunnell	...	Himself (founder, PC World and Macworld magazines)
Rod Canion	...	Himself (co-founder, Compaq)
Jim Cannavino	...	Himself (former head, PC division, IBM)
Christine Comaford	...	Herself (CEO, Corporate Computing International)
Eddy Curry	...	Himself
Esther Dyson	...	Herself (computer industry analyst)
Larry Ellison	...	Himself (founder and president, Oracle)
Chris Espinosa	...	Himself (manager, Media Tools, Apple)
Gordon Eubanks	...	Himself (former head of language research, Digital Research)
Lee Felsenstein	...	Himself
Bob Frankston	...	Himself (VisiCalc programmer)
Bill Gates	...	Himself (co-founder, Microsoft)
Adele Goldberg	...	Herself (former Xerox PARC researcher; founder, PARC Place Systems)
Marv Goldschmitt	...	Himself
Andy Hertzfeld	...	Himself (designer, Macintosh Development Team)
Steve Jobs	...	Himself (co-founder, Apple Computer)
Gary Kildall	...	Himself (founder, Digital Research)
Joe Krause	...	Himself (president, Architext Software)
Bill Lowe	...	Himself (Head, IBM PC Development Team 1980)
Roger Melen	...	Himself
Bob Metcalfe	...	Himself (former Xerox PARC researcher; founder, 3Com)
Gordon Moore	...	Himself (co-founder, Intel)
Dana Muise	...	Himself (founder, Hypnovista)
Doug Muise	...	Himself (software designer)
Bill Murto	...	Himself (co-founder, Compaq)
Tim Patterson	...	Himself (programmer)
Vern Raburn	...	Himself (former vice-president, Microsoft; president, The Paul Allen Group)
Jeff Raikes	...	Himself (vice-president, Microsoft)
Jean Richardson	...	Herself (former VP, corporate communications, Microsoft)
Ed Roberts	...	Himself (founder, MITS)
Arthur Rock	...	Himself (venture capitalist)
Jack Sams	...	Himself (former IBM executive)
John Sculley	...	Himself (president, Apple Computer, 1983-1993)
Rich Seidner	...	Himself (former IBM programmer)
Charles Simonyi	...	Himself (chief programmer, Microsoft)
Sparky Sparks	...	Himself (former IBM executive)
Claude Stern	...	Himself (Silicon Valley attorney)
Bob Taylor	...	Himself (former head of computer science lab, Xerox PARC)
Larry Tesler	...	Himself (former Xerox PARC researcher; chief scientist, Apple Computer)
Mark Van Haren	...	Himself (programmer, Architext Software)
John Warnock	...	Himself
Jim Warren	...	Himself (founder, West Coast Computer Faire 1978)
Steve Wozniak	...	Himself (co-founder, Apple Computer)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Robert X. Cringely		book "Accidental Empires"
Robert X. Cringely		screenplay

Sound Department
Gene Koon	....	sound mixer

Production Companies

• Oregon Public Broadcasting

Distributors

• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1996) (USA) (TV)

Also Known As:

The Triumph of the Nerds (USA) (short title)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Company:

Oregon Public Broadcasting

Quotes:

Steve Jobs: The problem with Microsoft is they just have no taste. They have no taste and I don't mean that in a small way, I mean that in a big way.

Movie Connections:

Followed by "Nerds 2.0.1: A Brief History of the Internet" (1998)

Sociopaths, egomaniacs and hippies.

And we have THEM to thank for all of this.

Your humble author can't help but wonder how Bob Cringely got the likes of Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Steve Wozniak, Paul Allen and others in front of the cameras for an honest look inside the slightly twisted minds that begat the personal computer.

At 3 hours in length, "Triumph of the Nerds" isn't just a PBS miniseries. On home video, it becomes an epic. And why shouldn't it be? The personal computer has an impact on our lives equal to that of the light bulb and the automobile. But in the case of the PC, most of the people responsible for its creation and worldwide influence are still alive. These are flesh and blood humans, not fading historical sketches like Henry Ford and Thomas Edison.

"Triumph of the Nerds" was originally produced as a 20-year retrospective on the personal computer. But the PC will be 25 years old in the year 2000. I can't wait to see Bob Cringely's follow up.