On January 24th 1984, Apple released the original Macintosh computer. That was 35 years ago today and, surprisingly, I’ve seen very little discussion about this online beyond where you would usually expect to see it – some hardcore fan discussion, a tweet from Apple CEO Tim Cook, and a few news pieces, certainly, but nothing major.
Surprising, to me, considering both the prominence, especially in my digital life, of the retro-computing scene, a group that certainly can appreciate the historical significance of the Macintosh, but also the public at large which still, on a whole, has a love affair with Apple. Maybe at this stage it’s all about iPhones and iPads more than the actual “real” computers they produce, but still, I figured there would be a bit more of a party around this.
Ah well, here at Xadara we appreciate all old computers for what they were in their time and what they mean in the history of technology. The Macintosh 128K in and of itself was, in a way, a failure, but what it put in place in the public consciousness and the legacy it had ironically make it one of the most important machines in all of computer history!
I won’t go into that here though. Oh no, many another person has spoken about the history of the Macintosh, where it succeeded, where it failed.
What I’d rather do is share, over the next few days and maybe week or two, media related to the Macintosh launch, and those first 100 days — those magic 3 months that make or break such a product.
Let’s note right now I’m not one of those “Apple fans” like some others — I’m a fan of technology, of business personalities like that of Steve Jobs, of creatives like Steve Wozniak (the man behind the Apple II) and, as funny as it sounds, MacOS in and of itself, both in “classic” and OS X forms. My point is my perspective on these events will be a bit more unique, and I’d like to share those where they are worthwhile. What’s a blog for, if not that, after all?
So, expect more to come soon, and do enjoy!
One more time, Happy Birthday Macintosh!