General Magic

This video is a great look at General Magic, a company the employed a lot of top talent from Apple (who was a major investor). They created the concept of a smartphone and tablet, but failed ultimately because the market wasn't ready. Their pioneering work made today's smartphones and tablets a reality.

Note: There were audio problems with this video when it was first released making it almost impossible to hear the voice over. That appears to be fixed now.

I watched this at home on DVD from my public library. I see that a number of reviews here complain about the sound mix, I want to state that there is absolutely NO sound problem with the version that is on DVD. This is an excellent documentary, a glimpse into Silicon Valley innovation and what can determine if a company succeeds.

I am a technical guy and worked in a technical career. As I watched this story unfold it brought to mind the first two rules of a group technique called 'brainstorming.' First you generate lots and lots of ideas without regard for whether they are practical or implementable. That unbridled synergism of ideas can be very creative. Second, at some point you switch to the evaluation mode, selecting the subset of really good ideas that can be implemented given time, technology available, budget, and market factors.

The early 1990s Silicon Valley company called General Magic, an Apple spinoff, was really good at the first but mostly neglected the second. They forged ahead with what they envisioned, ignored the advent of the worldwide web, and didn't verify that consumers really wanted what they were inventing, a personal device that replaced a computer, a fax machine, a telephone, and who knows what else.

So they ultimately failed and went bankrupt , partly because their parent Apple used their ideas to forge ahead and create something that came online sooner. But more so because their product was not properly targeted. Yet the ideas they generated, the projects that former General Magic technologists undertook, have changed our world in 25 short years in ways we could not have imagine. Had it not been for General Magic our ways of communication and social media, for good or bad, would not be as it is today and we would not have had devices like Iphones and Ipods.

So, while they failed as a company, their ideas have gone on to big successes.

First off, I watched this on Showtime and the sound was perfect.

If you care about Silicon Valley history or are just an Apple fan, this is a must see.

An excellent film that tells the rare story of the most consequential company to fail... but which was not really a failure, because the people and ideas, fueled technologies and devices that changed the world.

Tech/SV tends to glorify successes. It was nice to watch the deconstruction of how General Magic was created and then failed.

Especially interesting were all the interviews with Tony Fadell (founder of NEST), Marc Porat (CEO of General Magic) and their perspective on how the company imploded.

Also, how did they get a hold off all that old footage??

This is a very interesting documentary about the development of technology as we know it today and how failure can turn into success. I learned a lot about the development of the smartphone.

It tells the story of a technology company called General Magic and their struggle to make a smartphone, all while trying to keep it a secret from other companies that could steal their ideas.

It is easy to understand. I like how they illustrate things. For example, they use ocean waves to describe the coming and going of companies. The story is told by former General Magic employees, who know best about what happened since they were a part of it.

They frequently cut to show beautiful landscapes throughout the film. My favorite one is a beach, but they also show city skylines, forests and other interesting places. The music is very 80s and helps establish the time period. The message of the film is that sometimes, failure for one person can help another person to success.

It has some very mild profanity and there is mention of somebody being naked, but it is never shown. I give this 4 out of 5 stars and recommend if for ages 12-18 as well as adults.

Reviewed by Kayenta C., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic. For more reviews by youth, visit kidsfirst dot org.