General Magic

A documentary about the silicon valley startup General Magic, which spun out of Apple in 1990 to build the precursor to the modern smartphone.

Ahead of Its Time

This film is a study in product design, engineering ambition, and market timing. The engineers at General Magic built hardware, software, touchscreens, and communication protocols that would later become industry standards.

Though the company failed financially, its alumni went on to build the iPhone, Android, and eBay. It is an inspiring lesson that ideas are rarely lost; they just wait for the right technological foundation to thrive.