The Mac @ 25
After a quarter of a century, the Macintosh continues to be Apple’s prize possession: the beating heart that wires all of Apple’s products together in perfect harmony. Turning 33 on April 1st, Apple, Inc. is a brand that is known throughout the world. The company has given us the iPod, the only portable music player anyone really uses, the iPhone, the smartest phone on the market, iTunes, the largest collection of media available for purchase, and above all, Apple gave us the Mac. The Mac is where it all started, and today the computer remains to be the epicenter of Apple’s world, the place where all of these amazing products fuse together in one unstoppable machine. Mactribe's Assistant Editor, Lynette Toomey, takes us through the years...
THE START
Steve Jobs was just a 21-year-old college dropout when he teamed up with Steven Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. Together they created Apple Computers on April 1st, 1976. The first version of Apple’s computer was hand built by Wozniak, called “Apple I”. Really a motherboard in today’s standards, Apple I sold for $666.66. Its recognition caught the attention of businessman Mike Markkula who contributed $250,000 and aided in the incorporation of Apple Computers on January 3rd, 1977. The company was well on its way and continued to release advanced versions of their products with “Apple II” proving that Apple Computers, Inc. was a definite contender with Microsoft and IBM in the world of computing machines.
Jobs’ next project was “Apple Lisa” in his attempt to incorporate a GUI (graphical user interface), which he believed to be the missing component that would change computers forever. He was eventually let go of the team because of his hothead (perhaps an early insight to what would become of him in later years…). Instead, Steve Jobs teamed up with Apple employee Jef Raskin who was working on making a low cost computer alternative for the average consumer. He had named it after his favorite apple, McIntosh, but because of copyright issues, the name became Macintosh.
THE MACINTOSH IS BORN
The public was first introduced to the Mac during a commercial break of the third quarter of Superbowl XVIII. Still one of the most remembered commercials in history, the ad, directed by Ridley Scott, depicted a conformist society disrupted by the throwing of a sledgehammer. It announced that Apple Computers would be releasing the Macintosh on January 24, 1984, stating “and you’ll see why 1984 won’t be like ‘1984’”. This advertisement became the godfather of the famous Apple ad campaigns to follow, but more importantly, it really put Apple in the public spotlight for the first time.
The Macintosh computer was the first of its kind to offer a GUI with icons and folders at a somewhat everyday-consumer affordable price of $2495. Apple Computers seemed to be doing better than ever with its stock and sales, however, merely a year after the Macintosh hit the scene, Jobs was fired by then CEO John Sculley (former Pepsi President) and the rest of the board of directors due to his unlikeable behavior.
JOBS IS OUT
During Jobs’ 12-year hiatus, Apple released their first version of the laptop with Macintosh Portable in ’89 later replaced by the easier ergonomically functioning PowerBook in 1991. The Apple II line (at that time Apple IIe) was also done away with in order to focus on the better-selling Macintosh. A series of lawsuits arose as Apple sued Microsoft for using the GUI similar to the Apple Lisa. The failed lawsuit coupled with a decline in Apple’s reputation resulted in the dismissal of John Sculley, replaced by Michael Spindler in ’93.
The major thing that happened during Spindler’s reign as CEO was the integration of IBM’s PowerPC chip to Apple’s “Power Macintosh” later known as “Power Mac” in a line that continued until 2006. The chip came as a result of the “AIM alliance” which tied Apple to Motorola and IBM. In 1996 Michael Spindler was replaced by Gil Amelio, bringing Apple one-step closer to getting back founder Steve Jobs. Amelio ended up buying the operating systems that Jobs had been working on, thus bringing the creator back to his fortress. It took Jobs less that a year to reclaim his position as CEO, and from that day (July 9, 1997) Apple has been unstoppable.
REBIRTH
In the first year of his return Jobs made his first appearance at the Macworld Expo, at which (up until this year) he has given the keynote ever since, always delivering huge news of Apple new releases. In his first keynote, Jobs announced “Microsoft Office” for the Macintosh, which is still used today. This product meant a lot in the Apple community because not only did it show that Jobs was willing to work with competitors to make better products, but the software itself created an opportunity for PC to Mac crossover for those people scared of using a new system. Microsoft Office, along with the Apple Store, also released in 1997, were the beginning glimpses of the user-friendly world that represents what Apple is today.
It seemed that everything at Apple was turned upside-down once Jobs reentered the scene. In August of 1998, the iMac was released, quickly becoming the best selling personal computer in America, selling over 800,000 units in its first five months finally giving Apple profit after its negative growth for five years prior. Apple also made their own version of “Microsoft Office” that grew into a suite consisting of “Pages”, “Numbers”, “Garageband”, “iWeb”, etc., that is still known today as “iLife” and continues to exceed our expectations with the newest release of iLife ’09.
In my opinion, the biggest year to this day for Apple has been 2001. So many groundbreaking products were released to the public including the Mac OS X operating system in March which was deemed “virtually crash-proof”, still another one of the major selling points in Mac’s today. The first Apple retail stores also opened in this year giving the public a hands-on experience to the world of Apple. But most exciting of all, was that on October 23, 2001, Apple released the iPod.
Big Apple Years:
1976: Apple Computers created April 1st
Apple I, 1st computer model, July 1st
1977: Company is Incorporated Jan. 3rd
1983: Apple Lisa, 1st personal computer, Jan. 1st
1984: Macintosh 128K, Jan. 24th HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
1985: Steve Jobs is fired
1989: Macintosh Portable, Sept. 20th
1991: Power Book, sets standard of laptop, Oct. 21
1994: Power Macintosh, 1st to use PowerPC Processor, March 14th
1997: Steve Jobs becomes Apple’s CEO
Apple Stores are announced, Nov. 10th
1998: iMac, Aug. 15th
1999: iBook, July 21st
2001: MAC OS X, March 24th
1st Apple Retail Stores Open, May 19th
iPod, Oct. 23rd
2003: iTunes music store, April 28th
2005: Mac Mini: Jan. 11th
2006: MacBook Pro, Sept. 14th
MacBook, May 16th
Mac Pro, Aug. 7th
2007: Company Becomes “Apple, Inc.”, iPhone announced, Apple TV announced, Jan. 9th
2008: MacBook Air, May 15th
2009: Happy Birthday Macintosh!
THE DAWNING OF THE iPOD
Some say that the iPod is what made Apple what it is today. It is by far the number one selling portable digital music player around and it makes up a huge portion of Apple’s profit margin. Although the iPod didn’t receive real consumer recognition until 2004, once people actually realized what the iPod could do, everyone had to get their hands on one. Coupled with the easy-to-use iTunes store (released in ’03), the iPod got consumers into Apple stores both online and in person finally giving the company the recognition it deserved. Every time a person walks into an Apple store they are surrounded by beautiful Macintosh computers and that alone could make anyone want to buy one.
In years to follow, Jobs capitalized on his success with the iPod and continued to further development in other Apple products, specifically with the Mac. In 2006 all Mac computers switched to using Intel chips resulting in the new Macintosh product line: iMac, Mac Mini, MacBook, MacBook Pro, and Mac Pro. Obviously the addition of this line was effective because it has stayed ever since with the addition of the MacBook Air in ’08.
ITS HIP TO BE APPLE
Apple Computers, Inc. became Apple, Inc. in ’07 keeping up with the company’s new nonchalant hipster vibe brought on by the iPod. Apple had always been known to have a “cult”-like following and it was especially evident in the lines of people waiting for the release of the iPhone on June 29, 2007, which made headlines across America.
We are now well into ’09 and for a company that has always been slightly off the radar when put up against the PC, Apple is officially on the map, and it’s become the “cool” computer to have. Apple has made it clear that they know they are cool in their advertisements of “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” portraying the easy-going Mac guy and the nerdy PC guy. (no offence PC) PC users don’t understand what makes Mac’s so great. It’s simple. They are crash-proof, so easy to use, come with an incredible software package, not to mention they are also a lot prettier to look at than the other guys. The Mac allows one to seamlessly connect all aspects of technical devices into one, insanely easy to use computer. I understand that it’s more expensive to buy a Mac and that it may be scary to the person who doesn’t like to try something new, but most of us Mac users were also once PC users, and as we all know, once you go Mac, you never go back.
The Mac represents a lesson that we are all taught in our youth. Just like the little engine that could, the Mac thought it could, and it did. Characteristically like it’s co-founder and current CEO Steve Jobs, the Macintosh computer as well as the company it came from continues to prevail in a market that at one point had no room for change, let alone a change that would take computers as we know them from techie to trendy.
WHAT’S NEXT?
In today’s Internet obsessed on-the-go community, the Macintosh is the bridge to the gap between your personal life and the technical world. Apple has been on a roll since Steve Jobs reentered the scene. However, with the latest news of Jobs’ illness taking him on a 6-month leave of absence after already passing his annual Macworld Expo keynote down to Philip Schiller (after announcing that this was the last year at the tradeshow), many Mac users are speculating about what’s to come to Apple’s winning streak. Steve Jobs certainly helped Apple become what it is today but it is the users that have made it become brand that we know and love. Apple’s future is in our hands, and I’m certainly more than willing to take on that responsibility. And so we say, Happy Birthday Mac… and may there be many more to come.
Photos © soschoenbistdu - Fotolia
All Apple Images used courtesy of Apple Inc.
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