Engineer catalogs the real computers behind Jurassic Park
A new hobbyist analysis identifies the 1990s hardware and software visible in the film, from SGI workstations to Macintosh Quadras.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
3 min read
Google software engineer Fabien Sanglard has cataloged the identifiable computer gear shown in Jurassic Park, pulling together a detailed look at the real 1990s hardware used on the film’s sets. Ars Technica reported that the work has drawn attention on Reddit and Hacker News because it gathers long-discussed details into one accessible technical survey.
The film’s computers have long been a point of fascination for technology fans, especially the scene in which a character recognizes a graphical interface as a Unix system. According to Ars Technica, the interface was not invented for the movie: it was FSN, an experimental 3D file system browser that ran on Unix.
Sanglard reviewed the film for specific devices that could be identified on screen and added context about their specifications, prices and role in the production, Ars Technica reported. The result is less a new discovery than a consolidated inventory of the machines, displays and software that helped make the control rooms and workstations feel credible.
Workstations, supercomputers and Macs
Among the hardware Sanglard identified were five Thinking Machines CM-5 systems, a Motorola Envoy personal digital assistant and several Silicon Graphics workstations, according to Ars Technica. The SGI machines included an IRIS Crimson and an R4000 Indigo, both high-end systems for the period.
Dennis Nedry’s workstation setup also included two Apple computers, Sanglard found. Ars Technica reported that both were Macintosh Quadra 700 machines, a detail the outlet noted in contrast with later reporting that Apple does not allow villains to use iPhones in screen product placement.
The production relied heavily on real equipment rather than props, according to special effects coordinator Cory Faucher, as quoted in The Making of Jurassic Park and cited by Sanglard. Faucher said the set and an off-stage control room used loaned Silicon Graphics hardware valued at $875,000, Apple gear valued at $350,000 and another $500,000 in hardware and software.
The software was real, too
Sanglard also pointed to real software visible in the film, according to Ars Technica. Viewers can spot QuickTime, and characters use command-line interfaces in several scenes.
The most famous software moment remains FSN, the 3D browser behind the much-memed Unix line. Ars Technica reported that the line is technically defensible because the system shown was, in fact, Unix-based.
Computer historian and enthusiast Andrew Warkentin has also made it easier for modern users to try some of the software associated with the film’s era, Ars Technica reported. Earlier this year, Warkentin released a 174GB “Virtual OS Museum” collection that includes some software seen in Jurassic Park.
Ars Technica framed Sanglard’s post as a reminder that the film’s computing details were handled with unusual care. The outlet also pointed to author Michael Crichton’s computing background and his detailed approach in the novel as part of the broader context for why the movie’s technology has remained a subject of close inspection.
This story draws on original reporting from Ars Technica.