![]() My personal computing history began with the Dick Smith System 80 (a Z80 based TRS-80 clone), but the large-scale adoption of Apple equipment by the high-school and university education sectors in Australia ensured that much of my formative computer experience was intimately connected to Apples of one sort or another. (A quick count finds me with 33 complete and working Apple computers at this moment, 17 of which are in "active service". In the vintage mac community, a collection of 10 machines barely raises an eyebrow, 20 machines is still quite common, and some individuals have more than 100, fully functional, Apple and Macintosh computers. ![]() Although unsure myself, I have no doubt that friends and family would rank me amongst their number without hesitation! Mac Fanatics frequently have more computers than places to put them. Mac Fanatics are individuals that are fiercely proud of the Macintosh computer, and have a strange fascination with all aspects of the machine, and the company and individuals who have contributed to its unique nature. The above situation has led to the emergence of what has become known as the "Mac Fanatic". This was the vision of Jef Raskin and the Mac team, and was made a reality by the determination and single-mindedness of the enigmatic Steve Jobs. Thus the personal computer started along the road from hobbyist plaything to ubiquitous appliance. In one fell swoop, a whole paradigm of computer use was pushed aside, and the previously arcane world of the human-computer interface became a simple, friendly place. Groundbreaking in hardware and design, it is nevertheless the graphical user interface (GUI) that built on work at Xerox PARC and Apple's own business-level and largely unsuccessful Lisa, that has had the most significant and lasting impact. Andy Herzfeld (Revolution in the Valley, 2004).Īlthough Apple Computer established itself largely thanks to Steve Wozniak's hardware brilliance and Steve Jobs' clarity of vision with the Apple II line of computers from the late 70s to the early 80s, it is the Macintosh that has become the enduring icon of Apple computing. "The urgency, ambition, passion for excellence, artistic pride, and irreverent humor of the original Macintosh team infused the product and energized a generation of developers and customers with the Macintosh spirit, which continues to inspire more than 20 years later" As Andy Herzfeld (author of much of the original Macintosh ROM) writes: Well that's the myth anyway, but that there is some truth to it is reflected in the "spirit" that pervades the Macintosh experience. In an industry inclined to produce an uninspiring series of drab, grey, impersonal boxes with clunky, amateur interfaces, Apple is seen as aesthetically driven and demanding of excellence. In the world of billion dollar business, Apple is a counter-culture icon. To put it another way, Apple was, and still is, "cool". Īlthough frequently over-priced and sometimes presenting a confused range of products, the design, software, performance and reliability of Macintosh computers has seen Apple Computer remain a very strong presence in the computer arena, despite their long term competition with the giants of IBM and Microsoft and their market leading Windows-PC combination. ![]() In the 30 years since the advent of the personal computer, one company has stood out consistently as a symbol of quality in both hardware and software, and that company is Apple Computer. Golden Age | Lost Years | G3 | Peripherals |īooks | Software | Collection Introduction ![]() Introduction | Apple | Macintosh | Expandables | Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)Īge is an issue of mind over matter. We turn not older with years, but newer every day. Apple and Macintosh Computer Collection A Little Apple History This Collector's Personal Perspective ![]()
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