[ILUG] [OT] "twister" and the SGI laptop

[Paul Jakma]

uhmm.. just saw the below and thought it might be interesting. (didn't
i have an argument with people on this list as to whether the
"laptops"  in twister were live working computers as opposed to
mockups+post production screenshots?  :)  )

--paulj

PS: whats the policy on forwarding 'interesting' stuff? it's nowhere
on OT for the list, i know, but do people like seeing technology
related stuff or not on the list?

i would post it to technobabble at lists.redbrick.dcu.ie where this kind
of thing /would/ be OnT, but i don't think many people are subscribed.

??

----------------------------------------------------------------

Subject:
           Re: SGI and product placement
       Date:
           9 Mar 2001 22:05:58 GMT
      From:
           jsm at panix.com (Jim Millick)
 Organization:
           Public Access Networks Corp.
  Newsgroups:
           comp.sys.sgi.hardware
   References:
           1 , 2 , 3




In article <slrn9adgrv.hh1a.ivanr at omen.melbourne.sgi.com>,
Ivan Rayner <ivanr at melbourne.sgi.com> wrote:
>Ian Mapleson <i.mapleson at salford.ac.uk> wrote:
>> Twister has more obvious use of Indys, though they seemed keen to
>> avoid showing the actual company name or logo.

>I remember a laptop in Twister with the cube logo just above the
>keyboard, and there was a piece of masking-tape stuck next to it,
with
>the words "Silicon Graphics" written in pen.

I worked on several of those 'laptops' while on the TWISTER
set.  They were machined Corian (the counter-top material),
and IIRC, were supplied by SGI to the production company.  I
think they said a prototyping company did them for SGI.  The
ones I held had a cube logo, but no labeling via masking
tape.  They were fairly realistic in person, with a BRIGHT
display (for filming).  If only real laptops were that
bright.

In a way they were real SGIs, because under the table was a
hidden Indy running the display graphics, with an umbilical
running up to the LCD laptop screen.  Behind that laptop
screen was a trio of pencil-diameter florescent lights,
powered by a 12 V converter also hiding under the table.
You were seeing IRIX and 4DWM, it just didn't emanate from
the innards of the laptop.  The keyboard & mouse didn't
work, and the power & drive 'lights' were LEDs run by a 9V
battery.

Indigos were used to develop the displays, I think only
Indy's served duty under the table, and maybe in some of the
tornado chase crew rigs.

        Jim