This might not be quite as funny if you aren’t a computer geek, but I’m sure at least a few of these will be recognizable to even non-techies. The Programming Blog has a long list of things computer in movies can do that computers in real life just can’t seem to manage.
4. All monitors display inch-high letters.
5. High-tech computers, such as those used by NASA, the CIA or some such governmental institution, will have easy to understand graphical interfaces.
6. Those that don’t have graphical interfaces will have incredibly powerful text-based command shells that can correctly understand and execute commands typed in plain English.
27. Searches on the internet will always return what you are looking for no matter how vague your keywords are. (See “Mission Impossible”, Tom Cruise searches with keywords like “file” and “computer” and 3 results are returned.)
Some of the things in the movie can be done by real computers, but that breaks part of the list if you consider that. They also left off the Wargames computer feature of the computer being able to talk to the user no matter what computer the user is on.
[tags]Things computers in movies can do[/tags]
1. Word processors never display a cursor.
At least you don’t have to talk into a mouse… oh wait…
2. You never have to use the space-bar when typing long sentences.
Bytes are a natural resource and every /bit/ helps.
3. Movie characters never make typing mistakes.
Well why should they? They are Democrats and therefore perfect and right about everything they say and do.
10. Powerful computers beep whenever you press a key or the screen changes. Some computers also slow down the output on the screen so that it doesn’t go faster than you can read. (Really advanced computers will also emulate the sound of a dot-matrix printer.)
22. The more high-tech the equipment, the more buttons it will have (See “Aliensâ€Â.)
Welcome to Microsoft Vista.
13. A hacker is always able to break into the most sensitive computer in the world by guessing the secret password in two tries.
Two tries? HA! NooB
20. Computers can interface with any other computer regardless of the manufacturer or galaxy where it originated. (See “Independence Dayâ€Â.)
21. Computer disks will work on any computer has a floppy drive and all software is usable on any platforms.
One Word: JAVA (Sun is not content in taking over the world… it’s the galaxy they’re after!).
25. Laptops always have amazing real-time video phone capabilities and performance similar to a CRAY Supercomputer.
True. Think Dell XPS
/tg