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20 years ago today:

CUPERTINO, Calif., January 24, 1984--Apple Computer today unveiled its much-anticipated Macintosh computer, a sophisticated, affordably priced personal computer designed for business people, professionals and students in a broad range of fields. Macintosh is available in all dealerships now. Based on the advanced, 32-bit architecture developed for Apple's Lisa computer, Macintosh combines extraordinary computing power with exceptional ease of use--in a unit that is smaller and lighter than most transportable computers. The suggested retail price for Macintosh is $2,495, which during the introductory period also includes a word-processing program and graphics package.

Macintosh, along with three powerful new Lisa 2 computers, forms the basis of the Apple 32 SuperMicro family of computers. All systems in the family run Macintosh software.

Like Apple's ground-breaking Lisa computer, Macintosh uses its built-in user-interface software and high-resolution display to simulate the actual desk-top working environment--complete with built-in notepads, file folders, a calculator and other office tools. Every Macintosh computer contains 64 kilobytes of read-only memory (ROM), built-in Lisa Technology and 128 kilobytes of random-access memory (RAM) that support these desk-top tools.

Users tell Macintosh what to do simply by moving a "mouse"--a small pointing device--to select among functions listed in menus and represented by pictorial symbols on the screen. Users are no longer forced to memorize the numerous and confusing keyboard commands of conventional computers. The result is radical ease of use and a significant reduction in learning time. In effect, the Macintosh is a desk-top appliance offering users increased utility and creativity with simplicity.

"We believe that Lisa Technology represents the future direction of all personal computers," said Steven P. Jobs, Chairman of the Board of Apple. "Macintosh makes this technology available for the first time to a broad audience--at a price and size unavailable from any other manufacturer. By virtue of the large amount of software written for them, the Apple II and the IBM PC became the personal-computer industry's first two standards. We expect Macintosh to become the third industry standard."


Here's a link to Apple's famous 1984 commercial that ran during the Super Bowl. Often discussed as one of the best commercials of all time, whatever that means. Definitely worth a look. That is the only time it ever ran (well, it did run late one night once in some small market just so it could qualify for an award, but let's not get too picky.) Supposedly the Apple board was seriously divided on whether to run it or not, even though they had already spent all the money for the Super Bowl spot. Jobs showed it to Wozniak who freaked out and offered to pay *half* the money out of his own pocket just so they could run it.

For the 20th anniversary the ad is also featured on Apple's site, exactly the same, except they have digitally inserted a different girl wearing an iPod. Very hard to see the differences.

For the even more obsessed widget : widget has released Magnum Opus, a set of 270 icons representing (supposedly) every Apple product from the Apple I to the iPod mini.

There are rumors of a 20th Anniversary Mac product to be released tomorrow. They did this already in 1996 for the 20th anniversary of Apple Computer (founded April 1, 1976) but who knows whether that makes this more or less likely.

Anyway, happy birthday Mac.
- jim 1-24-2004 11:41 pm [link] [1 ref] [add a comment]

We were talking last night about recording (from LP) onto a computer. Here are a couple links to what I was saying. If you don't care too much about quality, there is a cheap solution for the mac: Griffin's iMic ($40.) If you do care about sound, then the Tascam US122 is probably your best bet ($199.) Note that the Tascam also gives you 2 line outs, so it will make playing MP3s from your computer over your stereo sound much better than using the headphone jack.
- jim 1-23-2004 6:39 pm [link] [16 comments]

Guy with too much time, a car, and a Mac. Best mod evar?
- jim 1-23-2004 5:16 pm [link] [add a comment]

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