Apple Lisa

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Overview

Introduced in January 1983 and shipped that June, only 11,000 original Lisas were sold. It was replaced by the Lisa 2 in January 1984 (the same month the Macintosh was introduced) - and Apple even offered a free upgrade to owners of the original Lisa.

A year after it was introduced, the Lisa 2 was renamed the Macintosh XL as some software changes were made to make the Lisa compatible with the Mac OS.

Details

announced 1983.01.19 for May delivery at $9,995 with 5 MB Apple ProFile hard drive; also available with 10 MB hard drive; discontinued 1984.01
requires Lisa OS
CPU: 5 MHz 68000
ROM: 16 KB
RAM: 1 MB, expandable to 2 MB
12" b&w screen, 720 x 360 rectangular pixels
keyboard attached via coiled telephone-like cable
mouse attached via DB-9 connector
two DB-9 serial ports
parallel printer port
three expansion slots
floppies: two 5.25" 860 KB ultra-thin Twiggy drives
sound: beeps
size (HxWxD): 15.2" x 18.7" x 13.8"
weight: 48 lb.
Gestalt ID: 2
upgrade path: Lisa 2/Macintosh XL

Online Resources

Lisa's DNA is all over modern computing, Ray Arachelian, Apple Seeds, 2007.06.06. Those who label Apple's Lisa a failure are ignoring the computer's legacy that shows up in every personal computer sold today.
Using Apple's Lisa for real work, Ted Hodges, Vintage Mac Living, 2007.04.02. The Lisa Office System has some advantages of modern computers for word processing and other production work.
Bringing my Apple Lisa back to life, Ted Hodges, Vintage Mac Living, 2007.03.26. The floppy drive wasn't working the keyboard was rough. Some homebrew fixes got everything working again.
Lisa emulator released, allows OS X and Windows users to experience Apple's Lisa, Ted Hodges, Vintage Mac Living, 2007.02.27. Nearly a decade in the making, the Lisa Emulator Project now has a working Lisa emulator for Windows PCs and OS X Macs.
Interview with Ray Arachelian, creator of the Lisa emulator, Ted Hodges, Vintage Mac Living, 2007.03.13. Ray Arachelian spent most of a decade creating the world's first working Lisa emulator. Why he did it and some of the obstacles he had to overcome.
A history of Apple's Lisa, 1979-1986, Tom Hormby, Orchard, 2005.10.05. Originally envisioned as a business computer to replace the Apple II, the Lisa brought the mouse and GUI to the computer market - only to be felled by the less costly Macintosh.
The Lisa legacy, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2003.01.20. On the Lisa's 20th anniversary, we should remember how Apple's innovation paved the way for all future computers.
The innovative Lisa, Dan Knight, Online Tech Journal, 2001.05.31. Perhaps the most innovative computer before the Macintosh, Lisa paved the way for a GUI future.
The History of Human Computer Interaction, Gerhard Erich Mischitz, 2001.01.23. Human computer interaction from the first computers through Windows 1.
Tales from Tessler: History of the Lisa Computer, Larry Tesler, 2000.11.28
What ever happened to Lisa?, John C. Dvorak, Computer Shopper (republished by Jags House)
Apple's Twiggy Disks, Eric, Retro Computing, 1996-99
20 Spectacular Failures, Byte, 1995.11. One paragraph on the Lisa - and one on the ill-fated Apple ///.
Heart of the Apple Lisa, Jordin Kare, 1995
The Legacy of the Lisa, David T. Craig, 1993.02.16
Lisa Emulator Project. A work in progress.
Apple Lisa, Obsolete Computer Museum
Apple Lisa Tribute, Simon White
Apple Lisa 1 and 2 XL, DigiBarn Computer Museum
Apple Lisa: The First Affordable GUI, Apple Museum
The Lisa Computer System, Gregg Williams, reprinted from Byte, 1983.02
An Interview with Wayne Rosing, Bruce Daniels, and Larry Tesler, Chris Morgan, Gregg Williams, and Phil Lenunons, reprinted from Byte 1983.02

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