Apple Macintosh
An all-in-one personal computer with a graphical interface and a mouse, launched in January 1984.
Apple introduced the Macintosh on January 24, 1984, two days after a television commercial aired during the Super Bowl. The advertisement was directed by Ridley Scott. The computer had a 9-inch black-and-white screen, a Motorola 68000 processor at 8 megahertz, 128 kilobytes of memory and a 3.5-inch floppy disk drive. It cost $2,495.
The Macintosh used windows, icons and a mouse, ideas developed at Xerox PARC and Stanford. Apple's Lisa of 1983 had paved the way but cost more. The Macintosh drew a loyal following in publishing and design, helped by the LaserWriter printer and desktop publishing software.
Why it matters
The Macintosh brought the graphical interface to a mass audience and made typefaces, layout and graphics part of ordinary computing.
Key facts
- Introduced January 24, 1984.
- Motorola 68000 processor at 8 MHz.
- 128 KB of memory.
- Priced at $2,495.
Sources
- Campbell-Kelly, Martin, and William Aspray, et al. Computer: A History of the Information Machine. 3rd ed. Westview Press, 2013.
- Hertzfeld, Andy. Revolution in the Valley. O'Reilly, 2004.
- Levy, Steven. Insanely Great: The Life and Times of Macintosh. Viking, 1994.