Apple’s Mac turns 30
Apple marked the 30th anniversary of the Macintosh personal computer Friday, dedicating its homepage to the birthday and launching a timeline that showcased the influence of the computing innovation.
The Macintosh was launched on January 24, 1984, as the first mass market computer to integrate the graphical user interface and mouse.
Previous personal computers had been controlled through complex code that users had to input in text. The Macintosh introduced users to the desktop, organized information into folders and provided users a trash can icon for deleting files.
Though Apple’s main profit now comes from iPhones and iPads, the company insists that the same spirit of innovation survives.
“Every company that made computers when we started the Mac, they’re all gone,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, in an interview with Macworld.
“We’re the only one left. We’re still doing it, and growing faster than the rest of the PC industry because of that willingness to reinvent ourselves over and over.”
The launch of the original Macintosh marked a seminal moment in marketing, with Apple’s Orwellian, 1984-themed commercial during the US Super Bowl positioning the Mac as a revolutionary device.
Apple reports its earnings next week. Its stock is currently trading at around 550 dollars, down from a high above 700 dollars in September 2012, as investors fret over the lack of a breakthrough product that can mimic the success of the iPhone, iPad or Macintosh.
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