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Jan 19, 2024 · As the Apple Macintosh turns 40, what began as Apple prioritizing the squishy concept of “user experience” in its 1984 flagship product is, today, clearly vindicated by its blockbuster ...
Mac, short for Macintosh (its official name until 1999), is a family of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple. The name Macintosh is a reference to a type of apple called McIntosh. The product lineup includes the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops, and the iMac, Mac Mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro desktops.
Jan 24, 2019 · Yet, that original model did succeed in forever changing computing not just for its fans, but for the entire world. "You've just seen some pictures of Macintosh," said Steve Jobs at the official ...
Jan 24, 2023 · By Alan Truly January 24, 2023. Nearly 40 years ago, the Apple Macintosh computer came out — a revolutionary machine that changed computing forever. Now’s as good a time as any to look back at ...
- Overview
- 1984 − All-in-one beginnings
- 1985 − Office hits the Mac
- 1986 − SCSI is key
- 1987 − Business is targeted
- 1988 − CD-ROM points the way
- 1989 − The first Mac laptop
- 1990 − Mass market computing
- 1991 − Performance is the key
- 1992 − Apple hits the buffers
News
By Dan Grabham, Matt Hanson
published 24 January 2019
From the original Macintosh, IIci, Quadra and iMac to the MacBook Air and Mac mini and iMac Pro
Today marks the 35th anniversary of the original Apple Macintosh − the computer that kick-started the PC revolution as we've known it.
Since its release on January 24 1984, the Apple Macintosh – and the Macs that followed it – have had a huge impact on the PCs and laptops we all use.
On January 24, Apple CEO Steve Jobs reveals the first Mac to the world − an 8MHz 68k all-in-one with a 9-inch display, 3.5-inch floppy drive and 128k of RAM. Its biggest selling point is its graphic user interface - including elements from legendary Palo Alto research company Xerox Parc - that can be controlled with a mouse. The first Mac even packs in two then-revolutionary applications: MacPaint and the MacWrite word processor.
It retailed for $2,495, was 14 inches tall and weighed 16.5 pounds (around 7.5Kg), but when placed in its optional carrying case, the system weighed about 22 pounds (around 10kg).
It's a common myth that Microsoft is an enemy of the Mac. However, it was actually one of its first major partners, a year after the Mac launched. Microsoft delivered two exclusive apps (that you might have heard of) called Word and Excel. At this time, Microsoft also bought PowerPoint from a company called Forefront.
In addition, 1985 saw the arrival of the first Apple laser printer and the Aldus PageMaker desktop publishing program − two developments that kick-start the desktop publishing revolution that Macs were so famous for. By the end of 1985, co-founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak both left Apple, while Microsoft unleashed Windows 1.0 − a move that proved to be a key milestone in the evolution of the personal computer.
The Mac gets a major upgrade in the form of the Macintosh Plus. It now sports 1MB of RAM and SCSI: a new peripheral connection standard that enables devices such as printers and external hard drives to be daisy chained together. The Mac operating system reaches version 3.0 and includes such enhancements as the ability to nest folders inside one ano...
The Macintosh Plus makes way for two new Macs: The Macintosh SE offers a choice of two floppy drives or an internal hard disk, while the Macintosh II is aimed at business users. The Mac II has a 256-colour 13-inch display, a 16MHz processor and can be specced with up to 128MB of RAM. Mac OS, meanwhile, has reached the lofty heights of version 5.1 and enables background printing.
•9 half-baked Apple products that went sour
Next Apple introduces the System 6.0-powered Macintosh IIx: one of the first personal computers to sport a CD-ROM drive. At the same time, Steve Jobs reveals the first fruits of his new computer company, NeXT. It's an all-in-one box called the NeXT Cube that ships with a magneto-optical drive (instead of a floppy) and has a 17-inch monitor as stand...
Apple introduces three new Macs − the SE/30, Mac IIc and Mac IIci. Of these, the Mac IIci is the most interesting. It's a modular Mac with a separate colour monitor and a more compact desktop case, but ships with a 25MHz 68k processor − making it the speediest Mac made to date.
Apple also introduces its first laptop − the 7.25kg Mac Portable in September. It cost $6,500. At NeXT, Steve Jobs reveals NeXTstep: a new Unix-based OS that has a big bearing on the future direction of latter-day Macs.
Apple introduces its fastest computer yet − the 40MHz Macintosh IIfx. It's designed to combat the perception that PCs running DOS are much faster than their GUI-wielding Mac rivals. Microsoft Windows 3.0 makes its debut in the same year at a time when Apple has 20% of the total computing market.
Apple ups the ante on the PC, launching six new Macs, including two high-end Quadras − desktop tower PCs with Motorola 68040 CPUs up to 2.5 times faster than their predecessors. Apple also introduces a new range of Mac portables called PowerBooks: the first laptops to have keyboards at the back and the trackpad at the front. Mac OS reaches System 7...
The wheels start to come off the Apple bus. Firstly, it ships a range of underpowered consumer Macs called Performas. Then Microsoft teams up with Intel to deliver better-performing x486 PCs running the increasingly-popular Windows 3.1. Things are going better at NeXT, with version 3.0 of the NeXTstep OS transitioning from Motorola 68K to Intel CPU...
Jan 24, 2024 · The 40-year history of Macintosh computers is a roller coaster of ages golden and dark. Anything that lasts so long in the forefront of technology has to change to stay relevant. This once-plucky ...
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Jan 23, 2024 · It took until 1988 before Apple had sold enough Macintosh devices, including various subsequent iterations of the original Macintosh, to finally eclipse sales of the Apple II, which had come out ...
