Apple's Macintosh Turns 25 Years Old Today

[MacRumors]

Twenty-five years ago today, Steve Jobs introduced the Macintosh at an event in the Flint Center for the Performing Arts to an audience of about 3000 people (YouTube video).

"There wasn't a person in the room who didn't think this was history happening," recalled Richard Doherty, analyst with the Envisioneering Group, who was there.

Computerworld recaps some of the history surrounding the original Mac project which was originally considered just a "research project":

After the failure of the Apple III, the Apple board had reservations about allowing Jobs to manage another high-profile project. When Jobs asked to take over the Mac project, the board allowed him to do so, feeling that the relatively unknown project wasn't critical to Apple's wellbeing.
....
The result was a resolution by Jobs and his Mac team not only to make a "baby Lisa" but also to turn the Mac into a product that could advance the computing industry as much as or more than the Apple II had done -- or, as Jobs has been quoted as saying, to "put a dent in the universe."

The introduction of the Macintosh was also marked by the broadcast of Apple's famous 1984 commercial (YouTube Video) during that year's Super Bowl.

Readers interested in more of the history of the original Mac should visit Folklore.org which has collected anecdotes about the original Macintosh project and the people who created it. Meanwhile, Mac512.com has posted video from a 1984 VHS tape produced by Apple to showcase the Macintosh as well as the new Mouse/Desktop interface.

Article Link: Apple's Macintosh Turns 25 Years Old Today

[macduke]

Long live the Mac! Long live the Steve!

I used my first mac in Kindergarten. We used Apple II's to play Oregon Trail. I remember how fun it was to load the 5 1/4" floppy disks and push the power button on the back of the computer.

I was briefly able to use a G3's and eMac's in Middle School. Then in high school I used G4's to edit video in FCP for broadcast on Comcast 15 in KC.

When I first started college we had G5's, then I was out of college a few years. Since I've been back we've gone from dual core Mac Pros to double 2.8GHz quad core Xeon babies. I was also finally able to afford a mac of my own, my 2.4ghz MBP friend that I bought last March.

I've grown up Mac!! Thank you Steve and Apple. Your computer systems sparked my imagination and have shaped my career path, positively influencing my life and the lives of my loved ones. I couldn't be happier.

Best wishes on this incredible anniversary.

[Macminiintel]

Lol maybe its just coincidence, but I emailed them saying it should be posted on the homepage and someone must of listened lol

forever, been using macs for almost 11 years now first mac I ever used was a Performa 5200 in 96/97, then my parents got an iMac G3 in 1998. I wonder what the next 25 years will bring

[arn]

I was an Apple II guy growing up. Apple //c, Apple //gs. Apple discontinued the Apple II line (to my dismay at the time), so I got a Mac IIsi for college. Later upgraded to a PowerMac 7500. PowerMac G3, I think next. PowerMac G4 Dual 800. Now on a Mac Pro 2.6GHz Dual Xeon.

figured I'd share.

arn

[doubleohseven]

Happy Birthday to Mac, happy birthday to Mac, happy birthday dear Maaaaac, Happy birthday to you!

Hip-Hip?

[brop52]

Originally Posted by arn

I was an Apple II guy growing up. Apple //c, Apple //gs. Apple discontinued the Apple II line (to my dismay at the time), so I got a Mac IIsi for college. Later upgraded to a PowerMac 7500. PowerMac G3, I think next. PowerMac G4 Dual 800. Now on a Mac Pro 2.6GHz Dual Xeon.

figured I'd share.

arn

When I was about 8 I would sneak down stairs in the middle of the night to read my IIsi and OS 7 manuals.

[Watabou]

Originally Posted by doubleohseven

Hip-Hip?

Horray!

So glad I switched over to the Mac albeit just recently. I regret not switching over earlier so I could have participated in the rumor round-up before each Macworlds and WWDCs. I didn't even care about the iPhone until I saw it in person and used it for five minutes before loving every single thing about it.

It was then my attention was turned to OS X. I read really, the best reviews for OS X around the internet and folks I know who use a mac. I knew then that I had to get a mac and I did. I got a Macbook Pro for college and I love it. Just love Mac OS X so much. Here's to 25 more!

[Josso]

Happy birthday Macintosh!

[Stuart in Oz]

Happy Birthday all things Mac!

But really, where's the special 25th anniversary Mac?

[Pooshka]

Vivat SJ!















Vivat !

[SydneyDev]

Originally Posted by Stuart in Oz

But really, where's the special 25th anniversary Mac?

An OS 1.0 "skin" for OS X would be fun.

[PhilaScott]

... watching that YouTube video of Steve Jobs and seeing that pic brings back such fond memories of my first Apple Mac! I bought it in college in July of 84... sweet.

[Lone Deranger]

Happy Birthday Macintosh! And what an amazing journey it's been thus far!

[PeterQC]

The first to turn this new on debate is heartless!

I'm a new user, having Windows "in my life" for 17 years. Never through of switching until my old computer wasn't able to hold unto the relatively simple graphical work I was doing at the time, mostly photoshopping. Getting a new computer for my studies was an awesome thing to me. I was thinking of building myself a cheap tower and just crack Adobe suite and be all right for my 3 years. I spoke to some of the students that we already in their first year and that was enough for me, I would be getting a Mac no matter what. I have to say that the 4 months wait for the new Aluminum Macbook was cruel, but now I know it was well worth it. I love my computer, and more then happy to have joined this awesome community.

I've got a 2.4GHz Al. Macbook, and I'm looking forward to get mores in the coming years, the first thing being an maxed Mac Pro or an iPhone, once I'm a full time graphic designer.

Happy birthday and long life Mac.

[xUKHCx]

Originally Posted by arn

figured I'd share.

arn

Newbie here, Windows 98 SE 500MHz -> iMac G5 bought on release day -> iMac Core 2 Duo and then about a year or so later added a Macbook 2.2 C2D.

So I joined Mac at around 10.3.5 seems so long ago but in terms of the companies history it is a small fleck in their timescale.

[WildCowboy]

My family didn't have a computer when I was growing up, but I certainly used various flavors of Apple //s in elementary and middle school, and spent a good bit of time on my friend's Performa. Didn't get my first computer until I was heading off to college, and I bought a PC because, well, it was the summer of '96 and Steve hadn't yet arrived back on the scene to pull Apple back from the brink.

My first Mac was a May 2001 iBook 500 MHz Dual USB, and I'm now running a January 2005 15" PowerBook, which is starting to get a bit long in the tooth.

[CyberBob859]

Originally Posted by Stuart in Oz

Happy Birthday all things Mac!

But really, where's the special 25th anniversary Mac?

Or just any mention of the anniversary on Apple's website. Fans are making a bigger deal of this than Apple.

[costabunny]

Happy Birthday MacBaby

I kinda still miss that klunky keyboard - huge travel and a satisfying Kerlunk ... ahhh happy days

[Marvy]

Originally Posted by arn

I was an Apple II guy growing up. Apple //c, Apple //gs. Apple discontinued the Apple II line (to my dismay at the time), so I got a Mac IIsi for college. Later upgraded to a PowerMac 7500. PowerMac G3, I think next. PowerMac G4 Dual 800. Now on a Mac Pro 2.6GHz Dual Xeon.

figured I'd share.

arn

Similar here, though used the Apple II's in school. My very first Mac of my own was a IIsi. Years later upgraded to a Power Performa 6400, and then to my first mobile Mac, the iBook G3 (2x USB). That was my last PPC before making the switch to the iMac Core Duo, which I have to this very day (along with a used MacBook I bought a few months ago). It's been a long time..

[Marvy]

Originally Posted by CyberBob859

Or just any mention of the anniversary on Apple's website. Fans are making a bigger deal of this than Apple.

...which is absolutely normal. Welcome to the world of Apple

[MatthewCobb]

I've been Mac for quite some time, too, but 'only' since the Plus. This BBC web page about the 25th birthday includes a video of a UK MSN employee testing the original Mac against her modern Windows PC. There's a lot of toasting involved in running the Mac!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7846575.stm

[La Porta]

My Dad purchased our Mac Plus back in 1988, when I was 4 years old. I have been hooked ever since. I remember starting elementary school around 1990, and they had Apple IIs there. Not knowing the history or evolution of Apple, I was confused as to why they used them to teach us, they did not have mice, and why all of the graphics looked like crap!

[richard.mac]

Originally Posted by arn

I was an Apple II guy growing up. Apple //c, Apple //gs. Apple discontinued the Apple II line (to my dismay at the time), so I got a Mac IIsi for college. Later upgraded to a PowerMac 7500. PowerMac G3, I think next. PowerMac G4 Dual 800. Now on a Mac Pro 2.6GHz Dual Xeon.

figured I'd share.

arn

i only ever used PCs and Windows growing up (post internets era) and got a MacBook Pro 2 years ago .

[nick9191]

Were they always that beige or is that one nicotine stained.

[Babybandit]

I'm a new user! Fairly new.

I've been a Hardcore Windows user because I'm a gamer. Because of School, I started using Macintosh' Jan 08. I bought myself a MacBook Pro and never looked back.

Before the MBP, I used a PowerBook because of Garage Band from my uncle which I gotten for free.

To another 25 years of Macintosh!