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See my Chronology of Personal Computer for a more complete list of all things PC.
Your contributions to this list will be gladly accepted. Be as specific as possible as to dates and how the reference appeared. Images should include any appropriate photo credits. Send me email at kpolsson@islandnet.com.
February 25, 1996
| The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. A computer is used, and when the screen is shown, a window is titled "Untitled-1", and shows an animated wristwatch for a "please wait" symbol, like an early version of Microsoft Windows. |  
(Copyright 1996 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) |
May 19, 1996
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. A character refers to the Us Festival, "sponsored by that guy from Apple Computers". Response by another character is "What Computers?".
May 22, 1996
Paramount Pictures releases the film Mission: Impossible to theaters in the USA and Canada.
- A black laptop computer is used to monitor several video cameras.
- The Netscape Web browsing software appears on a computer.
- A white desktop computer appears.
- A Verbatim 230 MB optical disk is used.
- A small Apple Computer portable computer is used.
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(Copyright 1996 Paramount Pictures) |
1996
- The film Goldeneye includes IBM ThinkPad 701, ThinkPad 755, Aptiva PC 300 and PC Servers.
July 2, 1996
| Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation releases the film
Independence Day to theaters in Canada. Apple Macintosh desktop and laptop computers are shown. |  
(Copyright 1996 Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation) |
September 27, 1996
- Djibouti releases a postage stamp depicting a desktop computer.
December 9, 1996
| The Public Broadcasting System airs the Arthur TV show in the USA. A child plays an underwater shooting game on a personal computer, using the keyboard and mouse. | 
(Copyright 1996 PBS) |
February 9, 1997
| The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. A personal computer appears, with system unit under CRT monitor, and separate keyboard and mouse. | 
(Copyright 1997 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) |
February 16, 1997
| The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. In the title scene, an Apple Computer Macintosh-style window makes a parody of the America Online software, calling it "America Onlink", with a very slow loading of artwork for the show's family characters. | 
(Copyright 1997 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) |
October 24, 1997
- Columbia Pictures releases the film Gattaca to theaters in the USA. A couple of rooms full of computers are used to plan "perfect" missions into space.
October 26, 1997
| The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. A missile is fired, with the "Intel Inside" logo on the outside. | 
(Copyright 1997 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) |
February 15, 1998
The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US.
- An issue of "WIRED" magazine shows a desktop computer on the cover.
- A personal computer is used to access the Internet over 28.8 kbps modem.
- Bill Gates appears, offering to buy out a competing Internet company. Instead of actually buying the company, two of his goons trash the office.
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(Copyright 1998 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) |
February 22, 1998
| The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. A laptop computer is shown, with a wireless Internet connection. | 
(Copyright 1998 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) |
March 22, 1998
| The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. A personal computer (system unit, CRT monitor, keyboard) appears, with all glass sides showing the insides. | 
(Copyright 1998 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) |
April 26, 1998
| The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. Homer Simpson appears unexpectedly on a multi-monitor jumbo screen, much like Bill Gates appearing on the jumbo screen at the Macworld Expo in August 1997. | 
(Copyright 1998 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) |
May 8, 1998
- Paramount Pictures releases the film Deep Impact to theaters in Canada and the USA. Personal computers are used at MSNBC for doing research on news that is presently happening. They use a custom internet browser to look up their information on.
November 22, 1998
| The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the USA. A computer in a school has labels "COLECO" on it. The salesman says "These old Colecos will rust up on you like that" (snaps fingers). | 
(Copyright 1998 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) |
December 11, 1998
Warner Bros. Pictures releases the film You've Got Mail to theaters in the USA.
- The film title is the phrase used by the America Online software, which is shown and used in the film.
- The icon for Microsoft Word appears on a computer desktop.
- An Apple Powerbook and an
- IBM laptop computer are used throughout the film.
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(Copyright 1998 Warner Bros. Pictures) |
April 9, 1999
The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the USA.
- A t-shirt shows "C:/DOS C:/DOS/RUN RUN/DOS/RUN", a reference to Microsoft's MS-DOS operating system on a personal computer with a hard drive.
- A personal computer is shown, with monitor, keyboard, and mouse.
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(Copyright 1999 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) |
April 20, 1999
| The Fox Broadcasting Company airs the Futurama TV show in the US. In a law court scene, the judge closely resembles an original Apple Macintosh computer. When the computer freezes, someone suggests "Try control-alt-delete". | 
(Copyright 1999 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) |
May 16, 1999
| The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the USA. A cyber-cafe shows several color-cased computers, a reference to the Apple Computer iMac computers. | 
(Copyright 1999 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) |
June 20, 1999
- Turner Network Television airs the TV film Pirates of Silicon Valley in the USA. Personal computers (IBM and Macintosh) appear throughout the film.
June 30, 1999
Paramount Pictures releases the film South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut to theaters in the USA and Canada.
- A personal computer with PC keyboard and mouse is used to access the Internet.
- When a holographic display is encountering difficulties, a man kicks the unit and says "F'ing Windows 98!". He calls in Bill Gates and says "You told us Windows 98 would be faster, and more efficient, with better access to the Internet!" Bill Gates tries to argue that it is, but the man shoots him.
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(Copyright 1999 Paramount Pictures) |
September 26, 1999
The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the USA.
- A man is kicked out of a movie theater for having a computer with him: desktop unit, CRT monitor, keyboard, and mouse.
- In a later theater showing, the man leaves the theater typing a review on a laptop computer.
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(Copyright 1999 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) |
October 3, 1999
| The Fox Broadcasting Company airs the Futurama TV show in the US. A university campus dormitory in year 3000 includes what appears to be an original Apple Computer Macintosh computer. | 
(Copyright 1999 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) |
October 3, 1999
| The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the USA. A small handheld computer is used, with a small text screen. | 
(Copyright 1999 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) |
October 24, 1999
| The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the USA. A personal computer is used to write a letter. | 
(Copyright 1999 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) |
December 13, 1999
The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the USA.
- A personal computer appears: system unit, monitor, keyboard, mouse.
- One child asks another why a toy is destroying other toys. The other child responds "They must have programmed it to eliminate the competition." "You mean like Microsoft?".
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(Copyright 1999 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) |
Other web pages of interest:
Chronology of Personal Computers
Disney References in Pop Culture
Video Game References in Pop Culture
Chevrolet Corvette References in Pop Culture
Ken P's Today in History
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