Happy 25th birthday, Mac!
Saturday, January 24th, 2009
Do you remember the dark days before desktop icons and the mouse? I sure do. Back then, a c prompt was all we had, and we liked it; we loved it!
Okay no. I personally hated it, but even after the Macintosh burst onto the scene on January 24th, 1984, I wasn’t about to wheedle $2500 out of my Dad for a computer. (Jewelry maybe.)
Most now acknowledge that the design is ultimately the father of the modern computer, though the truth is that the system initially struggled to gain acceptance. Besides a high price well beyond the pure cost, many weren’t ready to embrace the notion of a mouse-driven control scheme. The visual interface was not only a radical break that was deemed too simple but was considered a large barrier to developing software. And while Apple co-founder Steve Jobs is often credited with helping guide the original design and backing it as the future of the company he helped create, his increasing conflicts with then-CEO John Sculley forced him out in 1985.
Now it seems his health has succeeded where Sculley failed. Meanwhile, Apple is one of the only companies still making money in this economy.
Here’s a little taste of the olden days in the form of the commercial that blew the doors off the industry.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/v/OYecfV3ubP8&w=430]
For those of you employed in more gainful pursuits, here’s a little taste of the Banana Junior 6000.
