Apple’s First Macintosh: Celebrating 40 Years of Democratizing Computing

Apple’s first Macintosh computer, launched on January 24, 1984, is celebrating its 40th anniversary. The Macintosh was a compact computer with a screen and floppy disk drive that democratized computing with its user-friendly interface. With the ability to click on icons with a mouse, the Macintosh made computers accessible to the masses.

Before the Macintosh, only experts had access to computers that required complicated command lines. The first Macintosh was launched with great fanfare, with an iconic advertisement directed by Ridley Scott that aired during the Super Bowl in 1984. The Macintosh was initially priced at $2,495 but later dropped to $2,195. Apple expected to sell 250,000 Macintoshes in 1984 but ended up selling 372,000 in the first year.

Despite its limitations – including a small screen of just 9 inches and only 128 kB of RAM – the first Macintosh was a revolutionary product that helped bring computing to the masses. Today, Apple sells millions of Mac computers every year, but the original Macintosh remains a sought-after collectible for its compact size and innovative design.

The success of the first Macintosh paved the way for modern computers and has cemented Apple’s position as one of the world’s leading technology companies. As we celebrate this milestone anniversary, it’s worth reflecting on how far we’ve come since those early days and how much technology has evolved over time.