Patrons visiting their favorite cinemas to see the opening of Oppenheimer in IMAX film this weekend would probably be surprised to discover that the spectacle they were about to watch relies in part on a vintage piece of technology.
The official IMAX TikTok recently posted a video showcasing the sheer size of Oppenheimer’s film reels, as modifications needed to be made to compensate for the movie’s runtime. It was a smaller background detail, however, that caught the eye of many discerning viewers. A wall-mounted tablet can be seen next to the huge reels, and it appeared to be displaying an emulation of a 2002 PalmPilot, specifically a PalmOne m130.
The mini computer was a personal digital assistant (PDA) that helped pave the way to the smartphones we enjoy today. Why, then, are we seeing a digital version of the retro PDA next to an 11-mile long reel of an upcoming film? An IMAX spokesperson revealed to Vice’s Motherboard that “The original Quick Turn Reel Units operated on Palm Pilots. In advance of the release of Oppenheimer, IMAX Engineering designed and manufactured an emulator that mimics the look and feel of a PalmPilot to keep it simple and familiar for IMAX film projectionists.”
Well, there you go. In a surprising example of “if it ain’t broke,” engineers decided that keeping the PalmPilot interface would be the most familiar and comfortable for experienced IMAX projectionists. If you’re lucky enough to live near one of the 30 theaters equipped to show Oppenheimer on IMAX film, be sure to tip your hat to the humble PalmPilot while you’re there.
Oppenheimer releases today, July 21, in the US and UK.
