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.<\/p>\n
The Macintosh was launched on January 24, 1984, as the first mass market computer to integrate the graphical user interface and mouse.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Though Apple’s main profit now comes from iPhones and iPads, the company insists that the same spirit of innovation survives.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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