graphics display. Ralf's speech synthesis capabilities are also displayed in several episodes. Prior to the premiere episode, DeGuere described the technology behind Ralf's speech capabilities, saying "Ralf has a Votrax voice synthesizer chip. When it 'talks', it's really a computer, not an actor's voice that viewers will hear." Activities engaged in by the teenagers on the series include war dialing, editing hexadecimal machine code in a hex editor, brute force password cracking, denial-of-service attacks, facial recognition, speech recognition and speech synthesis, image enhancement, social engineering, and even computer dating. The series prominently features a variety of computer equipment from the 1970s and 1980s that act as props in the show. Some of these machines include, a Gavilan portable computer, a Heath Hero robot kit, an Apple II, an Apple IIe, a Dynalogic Hyperion, an IMSAI PCS 80/30, an Enigma Machine, Commodore "PET" series (in a classroom of the kids' school), an IBM 3279 terminal painted in black (pilot episode) and a TRS-80 Model 100. Several pioneer companies of the personal computer industry were listed in the credits as providing technical support. Some are still around (as of 2010) but many have disappeared. They include, Apple Computer, Autodesk, Bytec Comterm, Inc., Computer Components Unlimited, Commodore Business Machines, Heath/Zenith Data Systems, CTT Data Systems, Heath Co., Dale Wilson / Code Right, GRiD Systems Corporation, Hitachi America, Inc., Interlisp, Microbot, Inc., Magnavox Co., Mattel Electronics, Photonics Technology, RadioShack, Action Computer Enterprise, Televideo Systems, Inc., Atari home computer division (makers of Atari 8-bit family), Paul Lutus, Proton Corporation, Tycom Corporation, Office Systems by Xerox Corp and Xerox Electro-Optical Company. Music While electronic musical pieces make up most of the background music for the show, a number of riffs are based on classical music. The main theme is an arrangement of the first movement of Mozart's Piano Concerto #21 in C Major, and excerpts play throughout the series. Rossini's overture from the Barber of Seville is also used repeatedly. Tschaikovsky's 'Love Theme' from Romeo and Juliet is used in one episode to cue Richie's romantic involvements. US television ratings Episodes Reception Critical reception The pilot received mixed to negative reviews, with most critics acknowledging that younger viewers would probably like the show, but expressing concern regarding the example(s) set for them. Chicago Tribune critic Marilynn Preson wrote, "Mostly it will be children and teens and young adults who may come to love this series [and]