In one fell swoop, a whole paradigm of computer use was pushed aside, and the previously arcane world of the human-computer interface became a simple, friendly place. Groundbreaking in hardware and design, it is nevertheless the graphical user interface (GUI) that built on work at Xerox PARC and Apple's own business-level and largely unsuccessful Lisa, that has had the most significant and lasting impact. Andy Herzfeld (Revolution in the Valley, 2004).Īlthough Apple Computer established itself largely thanks to Steve Wozniak's hardware brilliance and Steve Jobs' clarity of vision with the Apple II line of computers from the late 70s to the early 80s, it is the Macintosh that has become the enduring icon of Apple computing. "The urgency, ambition, passion for excellence, artistic pride, and irreverent humor of the original Macintosh team infused the product and energized a generation of developers and customers with the Macintosh spirit, which continues to inspire more than 20 years later" As Andy Herzfeld (author of much of the original Macintosh ROM) writes: Well that's the myth anyway, but that there is some truth to it is reflected in the "spirit" that pervades the Macintosh experience. In an industry inclined to produce an uninspiring series of drab, grey, impersonal boxes with clunky, amateur interfaces, Apple is seen as aesthetically driven and demanding of excellence. In the world of billion dollar business, Apple is a counter-culture icon. To put it another way, Apple was, and still is, "cool". Īlthough frequently over-priced and sometimes presenting a confused range of products, the design, software, performance and reliability of Macintosh computers has seen Apple Computer remain a very strong presence in the computer arena, despite their long term competition with the giants of IBM and Microsoft and their market leading Windows-PC combination. In the 30 years since the advent of the personal computer, one company has stood out consistently as a symbol of quality in both hardware and software, and that company is Apple Computer. Golden Age | Lost Years | G3 | Peripherals |īooks | Software | Collection Introduction Introduction | Apple | Macintosh | Expandables | Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)Īge is an issue of mind over matter. We turn not older with years, but newer every day. Apple and Macintosh Computer Collection A Little Apple History This Collector's Personal Perspective
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