Apple Donates MacPaint Source Code to Computer History Museum

[MacRumors]

Businessweek reports that Apple has donated the original source code for MacPaint to the Computer History Museum.

Released in 1984 with the Mac, it is fondly remembered not only by those who used it, but also by computer scientists for numerous first-of-a-kind innovations. Those who spend a lot of time using Adobe Photoshop constantly use such features as the lasso tool for selecting non-rectangular shapes, and the paint bucket for filling closed areas with a pattern, and later, color. Both first appeared in MacPaint. The program was unique at the time for its ability to create graphics that could then be used in other applications.

MacPaint was part of the original Macintosh launch back in 1984 and was featured prominently in its advertising. The screenshot above was from an 18 page advertising brochure that was circulated with Time and Newsweek in December, 1983. The ad introduced the concept of using a mouse to click on the screen, and MacPaint was featured as an example application utilize the windows/mouse interface.

The MacPaint source code is now available and clocks in at 5,822 lines of Pascal and 3,583 lines of 68000 assembly. Apple's early QuickDraw library was also released
as 17,101 lines of 68000 assembly.



Article Link: Apple Donates MacPaint Source Code to Computer History Museum

 

[iBookG4user]

This is very cool. It's always nifty seeing old software once again

 

[quatermass]

Using MacPaint for the first time was when the light when on... you can use a computer for doing graphics, and you don't have to be a programmer or a complete tech nerd to use it... and I haven't looked back since. Life changing? Certainly, and boy am I glad it was!

 

[res1233]

That's a nice gesture. MacPaint was great in its day. Hell, you could probably still use it for basic graphics editing.

 

[tooz]

It truly is amazing how far we have come

 

[tmt345]

Cool, I sold this software with the box on ebay a month ago.

 

[firestarter]

Great! Probably more correct to refer to 68000 assembler or 68000 assembly language. Just 'assembly' by itself isn't in wide use.

 

[Graeme43]

The only thing missing from OS X if you ask me is a handy paint program There is probably some good ones out there but I just install photoshop anyway

MacPaint ftw I found MacPaint X on the net

 

[sawkind]

A Critical Point

This is news actual history. Not MacRumors. I enjoy the diligent reporting and even reading the threads generated by them. Or I would not be even making this post. MacRumors has been posting more and more updates like the itunes release yesterday. Perhaps its time for a non rumor page "page 3" or "updates". At the very least there would be more ad space and dollars.

Love the site my favorite, thank you for all the hard work helping my day go by just a bit faster.



This being said loved using mac paint years ago fostered my love of drawing and led me to become an Architect.

 

[fobfob]

Check out the borders between the toolbars. Wow. Were they floating? If not it seems such a waste of restricted real estate.

 

[res1233]

Check out the borders between the toolbars. Wow. Were they floating? If not it seems such a waste of restricted real estate.

Yah, they are floating, that was probably new at the time too, not sure...

 

[wjlafrance]

This is news actual history. Not MacRumors. I enjoy the diligent reporting and even reading the threads generated by them. Or I would not be even making this post. MacRumors has been posting more and more updates like the itunes release yesterday. Perhaps its time for a non rumor page "page 3" or "updates". At the very least there would be more ad space and dollars.

Love the site my favorite, thank you for all the hard work helping my day go by just a bit faster.



This being said loved using mac paint years ago fostered my love of drawing and led me to become an Architect.

Maybe I'm up a bit too late, but I can't quite tell if you're glad this was posted or not.

As for myself, I am. I'll be browsing the source code (what, I'm a nerd). This is amazing news, just giving us a glimpse back into the day. I wonder how long this would take to compile on my Mac Plus. Any seasoned (very seasoned) programmers want to put together a guide?

 

[res1233]

Why is there a negative already? How is this story negative? Some people might not really care that apple released the source code, but how is this negative? Trolls? I think so.

 

[Streethawk]

Pascal... that was a LONG time ago. Wrote my first code in Pascal.

 

[adrian.oconnor]

Deluxe Paint for Amiga was far better

 

[ellsworth]

This gradually became Claris Works.... one of the most ultimate paint apps in it's time

 

[Winni]

Pascal... that was a LONG time ago. Wrote my first code in Pascal.

They should have kept it as their default programming language. Pascal is so much more elegant than this ugly Objective-C line noise.

 

[0098386]

Deluxe Paint for Amiga was far better

Oh my yes! But wasn't that released much later? I only used DP III and IV from '93 onwards.

 

[ChrisGonzales90]

Why is there a negative already? How is this story negative? Some people might not really care that apple released the source code, but how is this negative? Trolls? I think so.

Kids who don't like nonstanglic stuff. Sad really. Many don't know where the stuff they take for granted today originated from

 

[rmwebs]

Lol Pascal....y first programming language

I had to make a billing/invoicing system at college in Pascal years ago!

Glad to see this being made opensource....not enough old / out-of-sale software is going opensource so its great to see Apple doing this.

(on a side note: Woo Hoo! A non-iPhone story!)

 

[kernkraft]

Pascal... that was a LONG time ago. Wrote my first code in Pascal.

Turbo Pascal...

good old days, when even I could experience the the limits of graphic applications. Now it's just confusion and too many choices at an extortionate price (unless I go for Elements or Pixelmator).

I tell you what I don't miss - dBase III Plus (I think that's what it was called on PCs).

 

[sillypooh]

When thinking about MacPaint, MacPaint II and MacDraw II, my heart skips a beat and my eyes get wet...

The most fun feature: the brush mirrors. Anyone remembers?

Smiling uncontrollably.

 

[ksgant]

Why is there a negative already? How is this story negative? Some people might not really care that apple released the source code, but how is this negative? Trolls? I think so.

There is not one story here on the entire MacRumors site that doesn't have a few negative votes. No matter WHAT the story is, there will be people who vote it negatively. Yes, its people that are Apple haters mainly that go out of their way to do this....like it has some impact on the article.

My advice to MacRumors: just take out the positive/negative voting. It serves no purpose and as you can see, is invalid anyway.

 

[davidChief]

I have a few old Macs. Mac Plus / Mac SE / Mac Classic etc. They were truly ground breaking machines and changed the face of computing forever.

 

[Roller]

And MacPaint (and MacWrite) ran on a computer with only 128K of RAM and a 400K floppy drive.