I am a bit suspicious of the constant mentions of brands etc in the books – like that computer, Ikea stuffs etc. What is it – product placement? Or just an innocent attempt to make the imaginary life seem real?
Do you suspect an advertising link? Perhaps those who understand computers to a high degree need to have a named product to understand the significance?
Mentioning that she has Ikea products just describes her style. Instead of a shabby chic style, her style is Ikea. It helped me have a clearer picture of her home. Explaining what kind of Mac she and Blomkvist have give them credibility that they do have the capability to find out certain info. because their computers are bomb-diggity. It makes it seem more real.
i think it just sortof makes it seem more realistic and describes each charecters style. also i would guess larsson just put in references to stuff he enjoyd or had some degree of interested in (ex. computers, food, drinks, phones, cars etc)
For one, I really appreciate the level of realism in the computer department of the series. Detailed descriptions of hardware only contributes to an already credible perception of what is possible and what is not possible from a technical stand point, lending credit to exactly the parts that needs it (Asphyxia)
Interesting what you say Olga : “I am a bit suspicious of the constant mentions of brands etc in the books – like that computer, Ikea stuffs etc. What is it – product placement? Or just an innocent attempt to make the imaginary life seem real?” as the apparent product placement was the ONLY thing that wound me up about the books- at one point Larsson eveb includes a shopping website link to one of the gadgets he’s writing about- I suspect some sort of promotion going on. Having said that though- it does surface some realist aspect- something I’d not contemplated before… If only we could ask him! (Larsson)
I think Stieg did an amazing job by adding the details (Ikea, PowerBook, Billy’s Pan Pizza, etc.) It made the books so much more realistic, as if it was actually happening right now in Sweden.
So where are the IT professionals is this discussion? I want to know whether something like Asphyxia isn’t already being used in military intelligence or low level sabotage…… Surely most of the computing schenanigans are fully possible and happen already, yes? Come out of the woodwork, IT folks! TELL us! Thanks!
Posted by Thankful_Ignor_A _Miss in Raymondville, TX ,
So being part of the CCC I can in fact confirm that many Hackers use Macs. Google up a 30c3 video if you don’t believe me. Linux is cute and all, but sometimes you have to die your commercial death… I myself use Macs for desktops and BSD Servers. Cheers
In the last of the last century and into the first decade of the 21st anyone doing publishing had a MAC and most often used an application called QuarkExpress.
In the second decade Adobe and Microsoft basically muscled out Quark, which was too little and too unique to survive. They did this, in part by getting the printing industry to go in the Microsoft direction using Unix/Linex servers that were able to handle MAC AND Windows since big business was dominated by Microsoft.
But that was accomplished–at the street level– AFTER the time of the Millennium Trilogy.
Apple remains very strong in Europe mostly (I think) because Microsoft is and always has been a business oriented company and not really a technology outfit.Europeans recognized this early on,
I just want to know what happened to it after she was arrested. Blomquist found it in her apartment, ominously ‘wiped’; at the hospital Lisbeth wishes he could have smuggled it in to her instead of her handheld palm. But when she is acquitted and released towards the end of “Hornet’s Nest” there is no further mention of it or what had become of it.
Correction / clarification:
It does mention that Blomquist restores and uses her PowerBook for his research and documentation pertaining to her defense. it seems presumable that it should still be there in her apartment when she returns (after her acquittal), but it mentions only her palm Tungsten, her lost car keys and shoulder bag, and a pile of accumulated mail.
— Given the central role of computers in her life, and also her particular attachment to this computer, and what she went through to acquire it- I would have expected it to get a mention.
Comments :
6 Last comment by chris from sallysfriends.net in Copenhagen 24 October 2009. Started by : Salander fanatic in salander ville 16 October 2009
21 comments on “Lisbeth’s Computer”
PowerBook 17?, 1GB RAM, 200GB hard drive
Posted by Henrique U. in Coimbra ,
Apple PowerBook G4/1.0 GHz in an aluminium case with a PowerPC 7451 processor with an AltiVec Velocity Engine, 960 MB RAM and a 60 GB hard drive.
Posted by New Larsson Fan in Tampa ,
a white one
Posted by Jos in Herkenbosch ,
LOL Jos!!! How funny.
Posted by Ginger in New York City ,
I am a bit suspicious of the constant mentions of brands etc in the books – like that computer, Ikea stuffs etc. What is it – product placement? Or just an innocent attempt to make the imaginary life seem real?
Posted by Olga in Moscow, Russia ,
Do you suspect an advertising link? Perhaps those who understand computers to a high degree need to have a named product to understand the significance?
Posted by sue fraser in chippenham wiltshire ,
Mentioning that she has Ikea products just describes her style. Instead of a shabby chic style, her style is Ikea. It helped me have a clearer picture of her home. Explaining what kind of Mac she and Blomkvist have give them credibility that they do have the capability to find out certain info. because their computers are bomb-diggity. It makes it seem more real.
Posted by theresa in Michigan, USA ,
i think it just sortof makes it seem more realistic and describes each charecters style. also i would guess larsson just put in references to stuff he enjoyd or had some degree of interested in (ex. computers, food, drinks, phones, cars etc)
Posted by benwasheare ,
For one, I really appreciate the level of realism in the computer department of the series. Detailed descriptions of hardware only contributes to an already credible perception of what is possible and what is not possible from a technical stand point, lending credit to exactly the parts that needs it (Asphyxia)
Posted by go-flight ,
On the other hand, if he had left out all the brands and street names and bars it sure would have been a shorter book!
Posted by Tiny in Vancouver ,
Interesting what you say Olga : “I am a bit suspicious of the constant mentions of brands etc in the books – like that computer, Ikea stuffs etc. What is it – product placement? Or just an innocent attempt to make the imaginary life seem real?” as the apparent product placement was the ONLY thing that wound me up about the books- at one point Larsson eveb includes a shopping website link to one of the gadgets he’s writing about- I suspect some sort of promotion going on. Having said that though- it does surface some realist aspect- something I’d not contemplated before… If only we could ask him! (Larsson)
Posted by wasteinyourspace in Manchester ,
I think Stieg did an amazing job by adding the details (Ikea, PowerBook, Billy’s Pan Pizza, etc.) It made the books so much more realistic, as if it was actually happening right now in Sweden.
Posted by WaspNest in New Lands ,
So where are the IT professionals is this discussion? I want to know whether something like Asphyxia isn’t already being used in military intelligence or low level sabotage…… Surely most of the computing schenanigans are fully possible and happen already, yes? Come out of the woodwork, IT folks! TELL us! Thanks!
Posted by Thankful_Ignor_A _Miss in Raymondville, TX ,
Jos, from Herkenbosch had the best answer….I can’t stop laughing!
Apple dominates that sector of intelligence. Steve lives on in mercantile heaven, I hear its nice there.
Posted by Estarme in Cebu, phills ,
i find it amusing that all the bad guys have thinkpads (atleast in the swedish movie adaptations) and blomkvist and salander have macs.
Posted by Christian FS in Hadsund, DK ,
I love the trilogy but I hate this detail in the book, it destroys almost everything!
NO HACKER WOULD USE APPLE!!!
And the Powerbook mentioned was NEVER the most powerful laptop.
Posted by Tom Phan in Farpoint ,
So being part of the CCC I can in fact confirm that many Hackers use Macs. Google up a 30c3 video if you don’t believe me. Linux is cute and all, but sometimes you have to die your commercial death… I myself use Macs for desktops and BSD Servers. Cheers
Posted by Frenzy in Berlin ,
In the last of the last century and into the first decade of the 21st anyone doing publishing had a MAC and most often used an application called QuarkExpress.
In the second decade Adobe and Microsoft basically muscled out Quark, which was too little and too unique to survive. They did this, in part by getting the printing industry to go in the Microsoft direction using Unix/Linex servers that were able to handle MAC AND Windows since big business was dominated by Microsoft.
But that was accomplished–at the street level– AFTER the time of the Millennium Trilogy.
Apple remains very strong in Europe mostly (I think) because Microsoft is and always has been a business oriented company and not really a technology outfit.Europeans recognized this early on,
Now Apple is a big business and Jobs is dead.
Posted by CowboyBob in Napa Ca ,
I just want to know what happened to it after she was arrested. Blomquist found it in her apartment, ominously ‘wiped’; at the hospital Lisbeth wishes he could have smuggled it in to her instead of her handheld palm. But when she is acquitted and released towards the end of “Hornet’s Nest” there is no further mention of it or what had become of it.
Correction / clarification: It does mention that Blomquist restores and uses her PowerBook for his research and documentation pertaining to her defense. it seems presumable that it should still be there in her apartment when she returns (after her acquittal), but it mentions only her palm Tungsten, her lost car keys and shoulder bag, and a pile of accumulated mail. — Given the central role of computers in her life, and also her particular attachment to this computer, and what she went through to acquire it- I would have expected it to get a mention.