Happy 22nd Birthday, Apple Macintosh!
- From: Oxford <colalovesosx@xxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 17:44:14 -0700
The Mac is 22 years old today, Congrats!
On January 22, 1984 during the Super Bowl, Apple ran their famous
"1984" commercial. The voice-over intoned:
Today, we celebrate the first glorious anniversary of the Information
Purification Directives. We have created, for the first time in all
history, a garden of pure ideology. Where each worker may bloom secure
from the pests of contradictory and confusing truths. Our Unification of
Thoughts is more powerful a weapon than any fleet or army on earth. We
are one people, with one will, one resolve, one cause. Our enemies shall
talk themselves to death and we will bury them with their own confusion.
We shall prevail!
At that moment, the shocked masses saw the hammer fly through the
screen. Then millions saw these words and heard them spoken aloud:
On January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you'll see
why 1984 won't be like "1984."
The original press release:
Apple Introduces Macintosh Advanced Personal Computer
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."
A wide range of software applications will be supplied by leading
independent software companies. Currently, more than 100 companies are
developing software and hardware peripheral devices for Macintosh. The
popular Lotus 1-2-3 integrated business package will be available in a
Macintosh version, and Microsoft's Multiplan financial-planning
application is available immediately.
Two Macintosh application programs--one for word processing and one for
graphics--also are available from Apple immediately and will be offered
at no charge to anyone purchasing Macintosh during the first 100 days
after introduction. These software packages will be followed by
communications software, business productivity tools and programming
languages that will allow Macintosh to gain access to data from large
mainframe computers.
Twenty-four of the nation's leading universities, such as Harvard,
Princeton, Stanford and Yale, have joined forces with Apple to plan and
implement personal-computer applications over the next few years. (See
accompanying Apple University Consortium press release.) Under terms of
the new Apple University Consortium, each member expects to purchase
more than $2 million of Apple products (mostly Macintosh computers) over
the next three years for use by faculty and students. Members of the
consortium may share courseware (educational software) and application
developments with one another in accordance with the agreement.
The prestigious accounting firm of Peat, Marwick Mitchell and Co. has
ordered more than 2,000 Macintosh computers to be delivered in 1984.
Based on these commitments, Apple expects demand to exceed supply for
several months.
Apple is manufacturing the new computers in a recently opened, highly
automated factory in Fremont, California, which is capable of producing
one system every 27 seconds and therefore meeting what is expected to be
a large demand.
.
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