Disney's Spaceship Earth went through a little reinvigorating recently, and as you may have heard, when it reopened, there was
everybody's favorite computer tinkerer sitting at a desk working on an Apple prototype-- the one, the only Woz. Originally,
Jobs was rumored to make an appearance on the historical ride
inside Epcot Center, but no--
Disney ended up going with the huskier and more bearded of the Apple founders.
You can click on the pic above (or hit the Read link below) for
a bigger version of the image, to take it all in. The vintage
Popular Mechanics on the wall behind the wooden monstrosity that would later become the Apple is a nice touch, as is the multiple pizza boxes behind him.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
12-11-2007 @ 1:49PM
Dan said...
You can also see his HP calculator on the desk to the left.
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12-18-2007 @ 11:12PM
GMD said...
I can't see any HP calculators in there - neither of the two things that look like calculators are HPs of that era.
12-11-2007 @ 1:50PM
Sean Flanagan said...
My head just exploded. I am the biggest Disney geek I know. I am also the biggest Apple geek I know. I'm geeking out so much right now that my geek-o-meter broke.
Reply
12-11-2007 @ 1:50PM
Luigi193 said...
"Disney ended up going with the huskier and more bearded of the Apple founders"
Awesome description!!!
You GOTTA love the woz.
Reply
12-11-2007 @ 1:52PM
artifex said...
I see a Popular Science, not a Popular Mechanics.
Also, the mockup of the prototype I see looks nothing like the Apple or the Apple ][. What I see looks like a prototype of a Lisa or a Mac -- rather incongruous, I would think.
Perhaps we are looking at different pictures?
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12-11-2007 @ 1:59PM
Ken Cavanaugh said...
I was at Epcot eight days ago and the ride wasn't open yet. I must have just missed it. Bummer!
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12-11-2007 @ 2:06PM
Aloysius Snuffleupagus said...
@artifex
I noticed that too. That thing looks like a Lisa. The Apple I was a wooden box connected to an external CRT. And a slot for a floppy drive!? Forget it. Those bad boys were loading up Space Invaders and ProDos on cassette tapes. I know because I did it. Even when floppies came around they were the big ol' 5 1/4"ers that had a uniform sized slot with a little door in the middle, not a notch on one end as pictured. Hard to believe for all the verisimilitude of this little diorama, they got the star attraction so wrong.
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12-11-2007 @ 2:16PM
artifex said...
I suspect they did it because the design is just more recognizeable to most people, or perhaps they had a 20-something designer who worked from a memory in his head of a picture he saw once.
12-11-2007 @ 5:36PM
Frank said...
you sir, are correct. still, it's nice to see woz get some cred.
12-11-2007 @ 2:10PM
Aloysius Snuffleupagus said...
@artifex
I noticed that too. That thing looks like a Lisa. The Apple I was a wooden box connected to an external CRT. And a slot for a floppy drive!? Forget it. Those bad boys were loading up Space Invaders and ProDos on cassette tapes. I know because I did it. Even when floppies came around they were the big ol' 5 1/4"ers that had a uniform sized slot with a little door in the middle, not a notch on one end as pictured. Hard to believe for all the verisimilitude of this little diorama, they got the star attraction so wrong.
Reply
12-11-2007 @ 2:46PM
Ron said...
Someone obviously did some research when they made this exhibit. Maybe it's based on something Woz described?
Either way, this is cool...
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12-11-2007 @ 3:06PM
bimbum said...
these guys on the poster - who are they?
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12-11-2007 @ 3:10PM
Dave said...
Fleetwood Mac.
Either I'm very very old or you're very very young. I hope it's the latter.
12-11-2007 @ 3:13PM
YodaMac said...
Seriously? You guys are looking to Walt Disney World for historical accuracy?
Seriously?...
sigh
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12-11-2007 @ 3:13PM
YodaMac said...
Seriously? You guys are looking to Walt Disney World for historical accuracy?
Seriously?...
sigh
Reply
12-11-2007 @ 3:16PM
bimbum said...
well, I'm old enough to know them. I had some stuff from them on tape when I was a kid. Can't remember any song titles, but I can remember Stevie Nicks (was that her name?) singing.
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12-11-2007 @ 3:30PM
Dave said...
Whew! Thought I was going to have to tell you to get off my lawn :-)
12-11-2007 @ 3:37PM
Brian said...
I rode Spaceship Earth last Saturday morning. This part of the ride seemed incomplete - it was a bit dark, and the figure was motionless. I'm really hoping they improve the show a little more before official reopening.
I was disappointed that they used some boxy Lisa thing instead of an Apple I wooden case and circuit board.
Outside the garage is a red car from the 1970s. I couldn't identify it.
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12-11-2007 @ 4:49PM
artifex said...
How red? Did it look like this, perhaps?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0Gi8xd5ygs
12-11-2007 @ 5:25PM
Kevin said...
Makes a great (if a bit creepy) desktop picture...
Reply