Macintosh Turns 35

[G5isAlive]

On the same day it was announced by Steve in CA, it was shown in numerous other locations, including 11 'consortium' universities (Apple was big into grade school education with the Apple 2 series and was trying to break into universities with the Mac). I saw it that day, at Rice university. Apple came on to campus and was given a small conference room, and announced three separate showings of 'something new from Apple.' Not many cared, only a handful showed up for the first showing. Then word started to spread. I made the second showing with about 30 others. A table with a white cloth over it, a bulge in then middle. I hear you couldn't get in the room on the last showing.

The thing I won't forget is the Motorola 68000 was the same chip being used in high end graphics stations (Evans and Sutherland) that cost over 100 k.

I owned one a few months later, still expensive even with the university discount. Wrote my PhD thesis on it. Back then if you wanted fancy formatting the Mac was the only game in town. Prior to that I actually learned the printing language Postscript so I could format things on traditional computers. insane.

All this nostalgia for the good ole days leaves out how lean and hard those days were for the Mac. You went to User Groups to learn things. People were saying 'never fired for buying blue (IBM)'. Mac users were looked at with suspicion, cult members. I much prefer today. Wait.. today I am looked on with suspicion for being an iSheep and derided in this forum for liking Apple products. Oh well LOL.

Anyway, my first computer was the original 128 Mac. I have never owned a PC. Once I changed jobs to a small company that was all PC... and thought they would make me change over. Instead they let me keep my Mac because they wanted to learn how to use it. When I left the company they were all Mac.

Same with my family. My parents actually worked for Intel at one point.. became Apple fans as well.

 

[msama]

That explains it, things in life don't go as smooth after 32 without more effort. =)

 

[G5isAlive]

Well, if you have to ask that question, then one thing is obvious: You had not been around back in the day when the Mac was introduced. Yeah, the LISA was a first nice try, but outrageously expensive - and also quite slow and only had a rather limited software portfolio. The original plan with the Mac was to sell it for a lot less than 2,000 bucks, but then Sculley talked Jobs into selling it at a higher price -- resulting in extremely slow sales, basically turning the Mac into a gigantic economic flop, especially when you compare the Mac to the massive success that the Apple II series was. According to Andy Hertzfeld, one of the original Mac engineers, everybody of the Mac team felt betrayed by the company's decision to sell the Mac at high margins; they had always been told that the Mac was supposed to be an affordable tool for everybody. Once their work was done, that ideal was thrown out of the window.

What made the Mac special was that it came with a graphical user interface, that it was created for regular people who did not need to know anything about programming or electronic engineering in order to use it and that it came bundled with a WYSWIG word processing software AND a paint program. With those two applications and the fact the machine could be used with a mouse instead of having to learn a lot of "magical incantations" that needed to be typed on a keyboard, the Mac attracted a completely different audience than ANY other computer before it.

The Apple II was a machine for geeks and the early generation of hobby programmers and what would nowadays be called "makers". But the Mac wasn't a computer a like that, it was a creativity tool - the first one of its kind.

Since the Mac was too expensive for most people, the Atari ST, the Commodore Amiga and later the Windows PC made good on the promise that Apple had made with the Mac, but wouldn't keep because of their corporate greed: Making computers easy to use for everybody and bringing the graphical user interface to the masses.

Back in the day, Atari Germany ran a marketing campaign with the slogan "Wir machen Spitzentechnologie preiswert". And that was exactly what the Atari ST did: Unlike the Apple Mac, the Atari ST "made high-end technology affordable". Those machines, and then the Commodore Amiga, sold like hotcakes. They even had graphics and sound capabilities that were much superior to what the Mac had. Apple may have created the first usable graphical user interface, but the competition had an edge when it came to raw hardware power AND pricing. And not to mention: Atari and Commode had GAMES. LOTS of them. Steve Jobs never wanted to associate the Mac with gaming. From a marketing and sales perspective, that was a gigantic and unforgivable mistake.

And then came Microsoft with their Windows user interface, which finally became usable with version 3.0 and which could turn every "boring" IBM or IBM compatible business PC into some kind of Mac, too.

As they say, the rest is history. And today, the Mac is an afterthought and only there to launch Xcode and write software for the iPhone and iPad. Which, funny enough, is similar to the cycle the Mac orginally went through: If you wanted to write software for the Mac, in the beginning you had to buy a LISA to do so. It took a while for the Mac to become "self hosting". The amazing thing is that Apple has not managed to make iOS self hosting. But the day that happens, you can bet that the Mac will be removed from Apple's product portfolio for good.

I am not sure what your source of information is that led you to this bias about Apple greed in 1984... but you are wrong. For one, I will point out that Apple survived whereas your seemingly beloved Amiga and Commodore died with their low prices and, according to you, better hardware. As an owner of all three computers at the time, they are different beasts entirely... comparing apples to oranges. yes the other two were cheaper, but even then the Apple experience was much more unified and seamless. worth the price premium even then to some.

Also your claim that the development team had no idea that they were building an expensive computer is wrong. The moment the decision was made to the go the Motorola 68000 they knew it was going to be expensive. Andy Hertzfeld wanted that chip to drive his graphics. At that point the 68000 was being used in expensive graphics work stations form Evans and Sutherland that cost $100,000. So yeah, they may be have started with the idea of being a cheap machine, but they realized to meet their performance dreams it was going to cost money. We can debate about a price difference of $2000 and $2500, but neither is cheap on one hand, on the other, compared to the 10,000 Lisa, they were a bargain.

Your contention that the Mac today is an afterthought is also colored by your opinion, a lot of people, myself included use only Macs for work purposes. I don't need an update every year because it just works. Eventually the Mac will be replaced, but 35 years is a really good run.

 

[VulchR]

That 1984 big brother ad is hilarious. It's exactly what Apple has become.

Didn't Apple used to fly a pirate flag outside its HQ? If so, can't imagine that's still there.

 

[CrystalQuest76]

I remember my first computer purchase was a Mac Classic with 40MB Hard drive along with an Imagewriter. That printer could output in seven colors when i used the multicolor ribbon. I bought it because it could run CAD applications on it for much lower cost than was possible with a DOS.

Macs are still great machines. However, Tim Cook and his money focused executives have really cut the features and ports out of the machines in the past two years. The prices are still high and there are fewer parts in the devices that should have dropped manufacturing costs.

How abaout at least a special edition Mac to celebrate this kind of milestone?

Read about the last time Apple attempted to issue a Mac Special Edition. Interestingly many of the features in it can be seen in the iMacs (that had CD-Roms).
[doublepost=1548353056][/doublepost]

Didn't Apple used to fly a pirate flag outside its HQ? If so, can't imagine that's still there.

The Mac team was in their own building which had its own flag pole with the jolly rodger. It was Jobs' attempt to create an adversarial, aggressive, and combative atmosphere that he thought would encourage the development of the new product.
Check out the documentary "Accidental Empires" produced by PBS.

 

[G5isAlive]

Didn't Apple used to fly a pirate flag outside its HQ? If so, can't imagine that's still there.

The pirate flag was not flown over the HQ, but over the small division that Steve Jobs had been relegated to that eventually created the Mac. Steve was not making friends even then. The flag signified how they were raiding all the good ideas to make something completely different. At the time people thought they should be building new and improved Apple 2's.

 

[scottinlexky]

yep, 28 years in the Mac camp. And now under my desk is a PC.

 

[VulchR]

yep, 28 years in the Mac camp. And now under my desk is a PC.

PC's do make nice footrests.

 

[YaBe]

I remember my first computer purchase was a Mac Classic with 40MB Hard drive along with an Imagewriter. That printer could output in seven colors when i used the multicolor ribbon. I bought it because it could run CAD applications on it for much lower cost than was possible with a DOS.

Macs are still great machines. However, Tim Cook and his money focused executives have really cut the features and ports out of the machines in the past two years. The prices are still high and there are fewer parts in the devices that should have dropped manufacturing costs.


Read about the last time Apple attempted to issue a Mac Special Edition. Interestingly many of the features in it can be seen in the iMacs (that had CD-Roms).
[doublepost=1548353056][/doublepost]
The Mac team was in their own building which had its own flag pole with the jolly rodger. It was Jobs' attempt to create an adversarial, aggressive, and combative atmosphere that he thought would encourage the development of the new product.
Check out the documentary "Accidental Empires" produced by PBS.

I don’t mean a special Mac, but like just a special version of one, no need to reinvent the wheel....I mean a Red iMac with better specs and voila

 

[Mr. Dee]

One of the changes in the Mac user base over the years is the eagerness to upgrade early. One of the traits I use to see and admire among your traditional Mac user was how long they kept their Mac. These days, it’s about having the latest and greatest. We need to go back to that era where a Printshop kept using the same Mac for 10 years without worrying about needing the latest.

 

[jscooper22]

The first time I sat down at one I remember playing for a bit, and thinking "this is very cool, but how do you turn this 'Finder' program off so I can access the command line and actually do stuff?" I was 13 and I assumed there was something like a ] > or * prompt "behind" the gui.

 

[dezeinstein]

Would Steve Jobs have dined with a dictator at Davos?

https://appleinsider.com/articles/1...-bolsonaro-microsofts-nadella-others-at-davos

(No - Steve WAS the dictator!)

 

[Gogeta-Blue]

Cook living off of Jobs’ success

apple is living off their previously build good reputation

 

[Mac 128]

I want the physical, actual hardware experience too. Inserting the floppy to boot up, seeing it boot up, just testing how far we have come in terms of the overall user experience 9 inches of screen to now 27 inches.

Well then you definitely want an original 128K or 512K. There's nothing like that original 400K variable speed PWM disk drive that sings its little melodies as it reads and writes data, nor the soft glow of the red LEDs from within the drive mechanism ...

 

[9081094]

Completely agree, Apple's just turning into a fashion company that's more focused on selling itself than anything else. Over two decade's with the Mac, yet today I wont entertain a single computer from Apple's line up. For the first time ever I'm in the field (engineering) and both my systems are Windows.

The negativity, the exodus of many long-term professional Mac users firmly lies with Apple nobody else. I can honestly say I've never seen so many abandon the platform and with good reason...

Q-6

I just watched the lesser-known movie where Steve Jobs introduced the Macintosh. He told more than 70% used Apple II in education. Compare that with today’s numbers and ad the creative industry with that and its obvious in what a miserable state it is in today.

Some are using the excuse that all efforts has been brought to the iPhone because that’s 70% of Apple’s income today. But seeing the slow advancements there I really wonder what’s going on there.

With the billions of profits each quarter they and 100 times the size it was 35 years ago it should be able to be at the top in each category they’re in. It’s not that they have an huge arsenal of products. So they should be able to focus and bring the best to the consumer again to justify the “Apple tax”.

2019 will be a turning point... but to be honest, I’ve little confidence they’ll succeed in turning to a positive again. I think they will go slowly downhill at first, and accelerate that trend in the not so distant future.

Happy funeral Mac
[doublepost=1548357234][/doublepost]

What game-changers on the order of iPod/iPhone do you have mind? Feel free to come with a couple of your own...

And...what iPhone/iPod-level game changers have Dell, Acer, HP, Lenovo, Microsoft, Sony, Samsung, LG (and on and on), come up with in the last 9 years?

They all came out with MacBook Pro looking laptops with better processors, graphics, screens, storage at a fraction of the cost.

 

[kemal]

Apple. You won't let Nvidia drivers through for 10.14 so I'm trying to eBay a seven year old video card just to test the new OS. This is "Say goodby to Macintosh." And Tim Cook.

 

[9081094]

Apple. You won't let Nvidia drivers through for 10.14 so I'm trying to eBay a seven year old video card just to test the new OS. This is "Say goodby to Macintosh." And Tim Cook.

So sad to know you’re not alone in this. Apple has transformed itself into an expensive fashion brand without the seasonal fashion to show

iPhone is sadly following the Mac.

 

[npmacuser5]

No question the Mac had a significant positive impact on computing.

Steve Jobs vision made the Internet infrastructure work because of Next. Secondly out of Next came the concepts for Lisa and from their came the Mac. The Next Company was an often overlooked part of Steve Jobs Success.

CNET quote:
“Jobs starts NeXT Computer (which later becomes NeXT Software), funded by selling $70 million of his Apple stock. An "interpersonal" NeXT workstation, sporting a built-in Ethernet port, is used by Tim Berners-Lee at CERN to become the first server of the World Wide Web.”

Next really was the foundation of Apple’s success.

 

[9081094]

yep, 28 years in the Mac camp. And now under my desk is a PC.

It’s sad to read. But I totally understand. From a hardware point of view there isn’t a good reason to stay on Mac and Windows is getting better. 2019 has to be special or I’m too celebrating my Macs funeral

 

[Queen6]

I just watched the lesser-known movie where Steve Jobs introduced the Macintosh. He told more than 70% used Apple II in education. Compare that with today’s numbers and ad the creative industry with that and its obvious in what a miserable state it is in today.

Some are using the excuse that all efforts has been brought to the iPhone because that’s 70% of Apple’s income today. But seeing the slow advancements there I really wonder what’s going on there.

With the billions of profits each quarter they and 100 times the size it was 35 years ago it should be able to be at the top in each category they’re in. It’s not that they have an huge arsenal of products. So they should be able to focus and bring the best to the consumer again to justify the “Apple tax”.

2019 will be a turning point... but to be honest, I’ve little confidence they’ll succeed in turning to a positive again. I think they will go slowly downhill at first, and accelerate that trend in the not so distant future.

Happy funeral Mac
[doublepost=1548357234][/doublepost]
They all came out with MacBook Pro looking laptops with better processors, graphics, screens, storage at a fraction of the cost.

Personally I have no confidence, hence why this brought to you via W10. Truly a sad state of affairs, Apple is seemingly incapable, worse still I don't really care anymore

Q-6
[doublepost=1548358508][/doublepost]

yep, 28 years in the Mac camp. And now under my desk is a PC.

Speaks volumes...

Q-6

 

[9081094]

I know this is out of topic but I just want to try... can’t we all send an email Tim Cook in asking to celebrate the 35 anniversary of the Mac instead of its funeral?

I mean... come on... there must be a way to get them invest some of those billions instead of giving it to it’s shareholders?

tcook@apple.com

 

[dogslobber]

The early Macs were a bit of a joke as you never had a hard disk. Apple Macs never really got good until the iMac in 1998 as the market was flooded with clones which were better than the real thing. It wasn't until around 2007 that you'd recommend a Mac to your parents. That's the pivot point when Mac Classic OS was finally dead (good riddance) and OS X was actually stable enough to have your mother in law use with you propping the computer up.

 

[citysnaps]

[doublepost=1548357234][/doublepost]
They all came out with MacBook Pro looking laptops with better processors, graphics, screens, storage at a fraction of the cost.

Nope. That's funny. Hardly game-changers at the iPod/iPhone level. Not even close.

 

[9081094]

Nope. That's funny. Hardly game-changers at the iPod/iPhone level. Not even close.

That’s more than a decade ago. Sure those products were great and are part of the reason for Apple’s growth. Fast forward today it’s sad to see that almost everyone has not only copied Apple’s succes, but leapfrogged it as well.

 

[Steve121178]

So should they price it for $6000, the equivalent of the original Macintosh?

No, just realistically and competativly.