Low End Mac Reader Specials
TypeStyler For Mac OS X is Now Shipping! Download The Free Fully Functional 60 Day Tryout at www.typestyler.com
Don't install Parallels to play poker online! Poker Mac will show you how
to download and install a native Mac poker application such as Full
Tilt Poker Mac.
Laptop Hardware Provided by TechRestore - Overnight Mac & iPod Repairs.
Compare products like desktop computers, apple laptops, apple macs, and LCD Monitors side by side! All the information and reviews to make the best purchasing decision for new mobile phones, sat nav systems, or MP3 players. The Ciao online shopping community makes searching products easy for you.
Mac Musings
Happy Birthday, Macintosh
Dan Knight - 2009.01.02 - Tip Jar
Follow Low End Mac on Twitter. Also follow our blogs: LEMblog and Low End Mac Services.
Popularity: 
Happy birthday, Macintosh!
The Macintosh officially turns 25 on January 24, 2009, the
anniversary of Apple's announcement of the original Macintosh.
Here at Low End Mac, we'll be celebrating 25 years of Macintosh with 25
Days of Macintosh - starting on Monday, January 12, we'll look at
Macintosh history on a year-by-year basis.
Before that, we're going to spend a week preparing for that with a look at Apple from 1976 through 1983 - the original Apple computer, the Apple II family, the ill-fated Apple III and Lisa - as well as the broader personal computing context of the early 1980s.
Rather than choose the 25 most important Macs or the 25 most important events in Mac history, we've posed a different question to our staff: What were the most significant Mac-related events of each year?
I'm sure we'll each bring a different perspective to that, as we look at hardware, operating systems, software, networking, and who knows what else.
Here's what's planned for Jan. 5-9:
Jan. 5 - Apple origins
- Origin of the Apple I and Apple II computers, Tom Hormby, Orchard. From the first behemoth computers to the Apple II+, the computer that drove the personal computer revolution.
- Apple Has Always Been a Niche Player, Dan Knight, Mac Musings. "Despite the myths, Apple has never been a dominant player in the personal computer industry."
- Personal Computer History: The First 25 Years, Dan Knight, Low End PC. A brief history of personal computing.
Jan. 6 - The Apple II family
- VisiCalc and the rise of the Apple II, Tom Hormby. "VisiCalc was first released for the Apple II, which quickly became an invaluable tool for businesspeople - at least until IBM moved into the 'personal computing' market in 1981."
- Interview with Dan Bricklin, inventor of the electronic spreadsheet, Joshua Coventry, Cortland,. Until 1979, a spreadsheet was something you did by hand. VisiCalc changed all that and gave personal computers the first 'killer app'.
- Apple IIe nostalgia: A reunion 15 years in the making, Tommy Thomas. Sometimes nostalgia is all you remembered, like when you get to recreate your first computing experience from the Apple II era.
- Apples from other orchards: Apple II clones, Joshua Coventry. Before the IBM PC spawned compatibles, companies around the world cloned the Apple II - some with more success than others.
Jan. 7 - The Apple ///
- The Ill-Fated Apple III, Jason Walsh, Apple Before the Mac, 2005.01.05. "...not only was the Apple III mind crunchingly expensive, it was made with none of the passion of the Apple II or Macintosh."
- Apple III Chaos: Apple's First Failure, Joshua Coventry, Cortland, 2006.09.01. Apple had known nothing but success with its Apple II product line, but when it tried to enter the business world with the Apple III, the learned the cost of failure.
- 2 Apple Failures: Apple III and Lisa, Tom Hormby, Orchard, 2005.05.16. Apple's two not-so-great product lines between the Apple II line and the Macintosh.
- Apple's Worst Business Decisions: Another Perspective, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2006.10.03. Apple's poor business decisions predate the Macintosh. Let's hope they learn from their mistakes.
Jan. 8 - Lisa
- 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 innovative Lisa, Dan Knight, Online Tech Journal, 2001.05.31. Apple's Lisa and how it paved the way for the Macintosh.
- The Lisa legacy, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2003.01.20. We should always remember how Apple's innovation paved the way for all future computers.
- 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.
Jan. 9 - IBM joins the personal computing world
- Thanks for the IBM PC, Dad, L. Victor Marks, My First Mac, 2001.08.30. Dad, thanks for bringing home that first IBM PC way back in 1981.
- What a legacy: The origin of the IBM PC, Tom Hormby, Orchard, 2006.08.11. IBM introduced its PC on August 12, 1981, shaking up the entire personal computer industry. Today even Apple makes its computers IBM compatible.
- Our debt to the IBM PC, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2001.08.13. A Mac user looks at the legacy of the IBM PC.
We hope you'll join use for our six-week look at Apple history.
Dan Knight has been using Macs since 1986, sold Macs for several years, supported them for many more years, and has been publishing Low End Mac since April 1997. If you find Dan's articles helpful, please consider making a donation to his tip jar.
Recent Mac Musings
- MacBook Pro a Revelation, 02.08. After using G4 Macs for over a decade, spending a weekend prepping a first generation MacBook Pro was a real eye opener.
- Is the iPad Apple's True Successor to the 12" PowerBook?, 02.02. The iPad has the same 1024 x 768 display as generations of G3 PowerBooks, iBooks, and the 12" PowerBook G4 - but it offers a whole lot more than any laptop ever has.
- iPad priced from $499, 01.27. The 9.7" iPad has a custom 1 GHz Apple CPU, runs iPhone apps, ships in 60 days, and defines a whole new category of products.
- Record Mac Sales Culminate Five Years of Growth, 01.26. Mac unit sales have tripled since 2005, led by MacBooks - but don't count out desktops just yet.
- More in the Mac Musings index.
Links for the Day
- Mac of the Day: 'WallStreet' PowerBook G3, May 1998 - WallStreet offered 3 screen sizes and CPU speeds from 233 to 292 MHz.
- Group of the Day: Mac UK is for Mac users in the United Kingdom.
- February 9 in LEM history: 00: Think choices - Promoting the Macintosh - 01: Apple vs. Mac clones - 05: Apple and the $100 laptop - Yojimbo - Core Duo vs. G5 - 07: The story behind After Dark - Microsoft Office 2007
- Support Low End Mac
Recent Content on Low End Mac
- Do We Really Need Another Mac Email Client?, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 02.08. Mac users have a host of free and low-cost email clients to choose from. Does Brent Simmons' 'Letters' project make any sense at all?
- 42 Reasons a Netbooks Is Better than an iPad, Hard Drive Upgrade Value, Faster Netbooks, and More, The 'Book Review, 02.05. Also why the iPad can't compete with netbooks, 802.11n WiFi card for older Intel MacBooks and Mac minis, and a DJ keyboard cover for MacBooks.
- iPad Perfect for Handheld Computing, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 02.05. You can hold the iPad in one hand and operate it with the other, giving it real advantages over a laptop computer.
- iPad Targets Netbook Users, iPad 'Flaws' Don't Matter, In-page Search for iPhone Safari, and More, iNews Review, 02.05. Also FSF considers iPad 'iBad' for freedom, Touch Mouse app turns iPhone into wireless keyboard and trackpad, privacy screen for iPhone, and more.
- Touch Shifts the Apple Empire, Tim Nash, Taking Back the Market, 02.05. Apple dominates mobile computing, and it will be difficult for competitors to match the value of the iPad.
- 90% of Premium PCs Are Macs, OS and Browser Market Share, Chrome Browser to Dominate, and More, Mac News Review, 02.05. Also 27" iMac too popular for supply, eco-friendly 2 TB hard drive, Puppy Linux for PowerPC Macs, 6-core Mac Pro rumored, and more.
- iPad Should Support a Stylus, CoolBook Quiets MacBooks, Puppy Linux for PowerPC Macs, and More, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 02.03. Also the iPad as a genie in a bottle, Eudora Classic 6.2, notebook battery life, and more uses for 'obsolete' technology.
- More links in our archive.
Recent Deals
- Best 15" MacBook Pro Deals, 02.02. Used 2 GHz, $700; 2.4, $999; refurb 2.53, $1,449; 2.8, $1,699; 3.06, $2,199; new 2.53, $1,610; 2.66, $1,839; 2.8, $2,109; 3.06, $2,550; more.
- Best G3 iMac Deals, 02.02. 500 MHz CD-ROM, $40; 450 MHz DVD-ROM, $60; 600 MHz CD-ROM, $230 shipped; 700 MHz CD-RW, $300 shipped.
- Best eMac Deals, 02.02. 1 GHz SuperDrive, $269; 1.25 Combo, $100; SD, $360; 1.42 GHz Combo, $299; SD, $439.
- Best Mac mini Deals, 02.01. Used 1.25 GHz G4 Combo, $369; 1.5, $399; Core Solo, $399; 1.83 GHz Core Duo SD, $439; new 2.26 GHz nVidia, $580; 2.53 GHz, $759; Server, $985.
- Best iBook G4 Deals, 02.01. 12" 1.07 GHz Combo, $200; 1.33 GHz, $259; 14" 1.42 GHz SuperDrive, $399.
- Best Titanium PowerBook G4 Deals, 02.01. 800 MHz Combo, $285; 867 MHz SuperDrive, $400; 1 GHz Combo, $549.
- Best 13" MacBook & MacBook Pro Deals, 01.29. Used 1.83 GHz, $570; 2.0, $599; 2.4 GHz, $800; 2.26 MB, $849; new, $925 after rebate; Pro, $1,108, 2.53, $1,399 a/r.
- Best Power Mac G5 Deals, 01.29. 1.8 GHz single, $399; dual, $479; 2.0, $549; 2.5, $609; 2.7, $799; 2.3 GHz dual-core, $709; 2.5 GHz Quad, $939.
- Best Mac OS X 10.0-10.3 Deals, 01.29. Mac OS X 10.0, $30; 10.1, $20; 10.2, $50; 10.3, $50; 10.3 Server, unlimited users, $130.
- More deals in our archive.
About LEM | Support | Usage | Privacy | Contacts
Navigation
Used Mac Dealers
Apple History
Video Cards
Email Lists
Favorite Sites
MacSurfer
MacMinute
MacInTouch
MyAppleMenu
InfoMac
Macs Only!
The Mac Observer
Accelerate Your Mac
RetroMacCast
PB Central
MacWindows
The Vintage Mac
Museum
DealMac
DealsOnTheWeb
Mac2Sell
ramseeker
Mac Driver Museum
JAG's House
System
6 Heaven
System 7 Today
the pickle's Low-End
Mac FAQ
Abandonware
Petition
Mac vs. PC Info
Affiliates
The Apple
Store
Mac
Connection
B&H
MacMall
TechRestore
ExperCom
Crucial
Memory
batteries.com
MacMinute
MacInTouch
MyAppleMenu
InfoMac
Macs Only!
The Mac Observer
Accelerate Your Mac
RetroMacCast
PB Central
MacWindows
The Vintage Mac
Museum
DealMac
DealsOnTheWeb
Mac2Sell
ramseeker
Mac Driver Museum
JAG's House
System 6 Heaven
System 7 Today
the pickle's Low-End
Mac FAQ
Abandonware
Petition
Mac vs. PC Info
Mac Connection
B&H
MacMall
TechRestore
ExperCom
Crucial Memory
batteries.com
Advertise
