Apple Predicted Siri 24 Years Ago

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ernest_t_bass's avatar

ernest_t_bass

12th Son of the Lama

24,984 posts
Oct 5, 2011 2:55 PM
http://gizmodo.com/5846630/apple-predicted-siri-24-years-ago-so-perfectly-its-scary

[video=youtube;3WdS4TscWH8][/video]
[h=1]Apple Predicted Siri 24 Years Ago So Perfectly It’s Scary[/h]This just blew my mind. Back in 1987 Apple made a video about a future computer that would have a touchscreen with a computerize assistant you could talk to. They were off in their prediction by only 18 days. Wow.
In 1987, former Apple CEO John Sculley wrote about a concept called the Knowledge Navigator. It was a far out idea that was way ahead of its time. Its time, evidently, was today. The Knowledge Navigator features a digital assistant that is almost identical to Siri, which just launched hours ago, though Siri is a disembodied voice, not a guy in a bow tie. Less bow tie is always good. Check the video and tell me it's not eerily similar.
Here's the kicker, though. Andy Baio of Waxy.org noted, "The date on the professor's calendar is September 16, and he's looking for a 2006 paper written 'about five years ago,' setting the year as 2011." September 16th, 2011. So, twenty-four years ago Apple predicted that there would be a magical, touchscreen device, that could do video calls, that would have a digital assistant you could interact with, and that would pull down data from a massive network (coughTheCloudcough)... and they were only eighteen days off? That's fucking crazy.
What kind of dark magic is at work here? Does Apple have a time machine (other than their product, Time Machine) or a crystal ball? Is that how they rule computers? Time travel? Absolutely nutso. [Waxy.org and BYTECellar]
Update: To clarify, the video is not from 1987. The video was made in the mid-90's. The 1987 date was when John Sculley wrote about Knowledge Navigator is his book Odyssey. Sorry confusion be banished!

UPDATE 2: To avoid confusion and on the advice of Andy Baio, I've swapped in an edited segment of the video. To be clear, this video was produced in 1987. The previous video was produced in the mid-90's and contained this 1987 video in it. So they're still time-traveling warlocks. Everybody got that? Okay, good. Thanks, Andy!
Oct 5, 2011 2:55pm
M

MontyBrunswick

Oct 5, 2011 3:00 PM
Who gives a shit?
Oct 5, 2011 3:00pm
gorocks99's avatar

gorocks99

Senior Member

10,760 posts
Oct 5, 2011 3:01 PM
dlazz;922793 wrote:Who gives a shit?
Apple hater

/in before apple lovers
Oct 5, 2011 3:01pm
M

MontyBrunswick

Oct 5, 2011 3:02 PM
I might be an Apple hater, but who gives a shit? Honestly?
Oct 5, 2011 3:02pm
like_that's avatar

like_that

1st Team All-PWN

26,625 posts
Oct 5, 2011 3:02 PM
lol dlazz must lose sleep over his hatred for Apple.
Oct 5, 2011 3:02pm
gorocks99's avatar

gorocks99

Senior Member

10,760 posts
Oct 5, 2011 3:06 PM
dlazz;922800 wrote:I might be an Apple hater, but who gives a shit? Honestly?
Apple lovers
Oct 5, 2011 3:06pm
ernest_t_bass's avatar

ernest_t_bass

12th Son of the Lama

24,984 posts
Oct 5, 2011 3:06 PM
dlazz;922793 wrote:Who gives a shit?
dlazz;922800 wrote:I might be an Apple hater, but who gives a shit? Honestly?
Obviously, not you. Some people do. Hope this helps.
Oct 5, 2011 3:06pm
karen lotz's avatar

karen lotz

TuTu Train

22,284 posts
Oct 5, 2011 3:15 PM
Mindblown.
Oct 5, 2011 3:15pm
J

Jawbreaker

Senior Member

520 posts
Oct 5, 2011 3:49 PM
Are they saying that Siri can do all that?
Oct 5, 2011 3:49pm
Scarlet_Buckeye's avatar

Scarlet_Buckeye

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5,264 posts
Oct 5, 2011 4:05 PM
dlazz;922800 wrote:I might be an Apple hater, but who gives a ****? Honestly?
If you can't admit that's pretty awesome/impressive then you really ARE an Apple hater.
Oct 5, 2011 4:05pm
J

Jawbreaker

Senior Member

520 posts
Oct 5, 2011 4:29 PM
Scarlet_Buckeye;922899 wrote:If you can't admit that's pretty awesome/impressive then you really ARE an Apple hater.
What is awesome or impressive about it? I still don't understand what the correlation is between the video and Siri. The idea of talking to a device and it giving you information has been around since the 50s and 60s. Some dates line up with some apple stuff and that is about it. I don't think Siri can do half of what is in the video.
Oct 5, 2011 4:29pm
justincredible's avatar

justincredible

Nick Mangold

32,056 posts
Oct 5, 2011 5:25 PM
I'm a Machumper and this is meh.
Oct 5, 2011 5:25pm
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bases_loaded

Senior Member

6,912 posts
Oct 5, 2011 7:07 PM
This would be impressive if someone not affiliated with Apple said it. But for them to say it, then do it, is more them reaching a goal they set then predicting the future.
Oct 5, 2011 7:07pm
Pick6's avatar

Pick6

A USA American

14,946 posts
Oct 5, 2011 8:36 PM
dlazz is probably getting shitfaced right now to the news of Steve Jobs' death
Oct 5, 2011 8:36pm
M

MontyBrunswick

Oct 5, 2011 10:20 PM
Pick6;923164 wrote:dlazz is probably getting shitfaced right now to the news of Steve Jobs' death
I'm indifferent. The "RIP Steve Jobs" bullshit on Facebook is annoying, though.
Oct 5, 2011 10:20pm
I

I Wear Pants

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16,223 posts
Oct 5, 2011 10:33 PM
dlazz;923282 wrote:I'm annoying.
FIFY
Oct 5, 2011 10:33pm
hoops23's avatar

hoops23

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15,696 posts
Oct 6, 2011 12:53 AM
LOL, good one IWP
Oct 6, 2011 12:53am
gerb131's avatar

gerb131

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9,932 posts
Oct 6, 2011 12:58 AM
I thought Tom Cruises daughter was like 4
Oct 6, 2011 12:58am
M

MontyBrunswick

Oct 6, 2011 8:15 AM
I Wear Pants;923296 wrote:FIFY
ah man
Oct 6, 2011 8:15am
Scarlet_Buckeye's avatar

Scarlet_Buckeye

Senior Member

5,264 posts
Oct 6, 2011 9:12 AM
I Wear Pants;923296 wrote:FIFY
Reps.
Oct 6, 2011 9:12am