The iconic Apple Macintosh turns 30

Thirty years ago today, Steve Jobs presented the new Macintosh personal computer. The machine has maintained its impact upon the world ever since.

Steve Jobs introduced the Macintosh 128K on January 24, 1984. It was the first mass-market personal computer that featured a graphical user interface and mouse.

Following the 128, Apple updated many models of Macintosh based on the Motorola 68000 processors.

Over a course of time, customers started preferring IBM’s computers over Apple’s. However, Mac was still used in education and desktop publishing.

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This helped Apple to be the second biggest computer manufacturers until 1994. That year Compaq sold more computers than Apple. And more companies started taking the lead thereafter.

In the 90s decade, Windows 3.0 was introduced that impacted sales of Macs. Intel came up with better chips and eroded the advantage of Motorola’s chip. Apple’s user base saw the biggest decline when Microsoft released Windows 95.

In 1998, Apple consolidated its multiple consumer-level desktop models into the all-in-one iMac G3, which became a commercial success and revitalised the brand, according to Wikipedia.

It further adds; since their transition to Intel processors in 2006, the complete lineup is entirely based on said processors and associated systems.

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The project to develop Macintosh started in 1979. An Apple employe, Jef Raskin, wanted to make a computer for average customer, which is easy-to-use and affordable.

Raskin wanted to name the computer after his favourite type of Apple - the McIntosh. An audio equipment manufacturer, McIntosh, then used the name. Jobs bought the rights to use the name.

Let's take a look at Macintosh in pictures.

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The logo for the original 128K Macintosh computer is displayed at the Vintage Mac Museum in Malden.

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Curator Adam Rosen types using version 1 of MacWrite on an original 128K Macintosh computer at the VintageMacMuseum in Malden.

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The first 128K Macintosh computer sits alongside some of its predecessors at the Vintage Mac Museum in Malden.

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The motherboard of the Apple Macintosh Classic is seen during the "History of Computers" exhibition in Sarajevo.

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An Apple II computer logic board is seen at B&R Computer Service shop in San Diego.

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An Apple II computer is seen at B&R Computer Service shop in San Diego.

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An Apple II computer screen is seen at B&R Computer Service shop in San Diego.

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An Apple II computer logo is seen at B&R Computer Service shop in San Diego.

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An Apple Macintosh SE computer logic board is seen at B&R Computer Service shop in San Diego.

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Computer technician Ron Reff, who specialises in repairing vintage and early model Apple and Macintosh computers, works on an old Apple computer at his shop in San Diego.

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Computer technician Ron Reff works on an old Apple computer at his shop.

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Computer technician Ron Reff poses in his repair shop.

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A working Apple Macintosh computer from 1984 is seen at B&R Computer Service shop.