The Seattle Times Looks Back At 20 Years Of Macintosh

by , 5:00 PM EST, January 22nd, 2004

This Saturday will mark twenty years of Macintosh. The Seattle Times is marking this anniversary by looking back at the beginnings of the Macintosh, and the Apple Computer of the era. The article covers many topics, from the legendary "1984" Super Bowl ad, the introduction of the original Macintosh and Steve Jobs' departure to form NeXT, to the 1997 Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh (which actually commemorated Apple Computer's twentieth anniversary), and Apple's purchase of NeXT in 1997. From The Seattle Times:

In 1997, Apple Computer tried to celebrate its 20th anniversary by releasing a limited edition 20th-anniversary computer.

But the machine arrived a year after the actual anniversary of the first Apple computer's release, and it cost $10,000, which included its delivery by limousine and a personal technician who set the thing up.

Add to that the sour note of the occasion coming at a time Apple had suffered a billion-dollar loss and years of straying from its innovative roots.

Today, as Apple celebrates another 20-year milestone, the Cupertino, Calif., company has come full circle, with regular profits, the leading online music store and player, and piles of cash on hand.

You can read the full article at The Seattle Times' Web site.

The Mac Observer Spin:

While some may (rightfully) say that the Mac of today bears little resemblance to the Macintosh of 1984, if it weren't for that small, vaguely toaster-shaped computer twenty years ago, the computer that you're sitting in front of right now, be it a Macintosh or a Windows PC, might be vastly different.

The Seattle Times