Johannesburg, 18 Feb 2004
Apple Computer`s Macintosh, the groundbreaking computer which revolutionised the industry with the first widespread use of a graphical user interface and mouse, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
The first Macintosh computers which rolled off the assembly line at Apple`s California manufacturing plant in 1984 did not look like any other computer. At the time, only a few outside research institutions had even seen a mouse or used a graphical user interface.
Regardless, the Macintosh transformed the industry with its user-friendly mouse and point and click interface that eliminated the need to learn obscure commands to work with computer files. Dragging a picture, called an icon, onto another icon of a trashcan resulted in the file being deleted. It was a revolution.
"In 20 years we have come a long way," says the Core Group`s Greg Hill.
"However, two things remain. The first is that we always push the outside of the technology envelope. The second is that we are still being copied."
Two days before the Macintosh was released in the US, Apple released what is one of the most memorable television commercials ever produced. Entitled "1984", the commercial was aired just once during the Super Bowl of that year and featured drab, grey workers passively transfixed by the totalitarian lines spewed out by a big brother figure projected on an enormous screen. "Today we celebrate the first, glorious anniversary of the Information Purification Directive," big brother informs his subjects. Meanwhile, a "rebellious" woman runs past the drone-like humans wielding a large hammer and a Macintosh logo. She launches the hammer at big brother`s screen, which explodes into white light. The commercial ends with the statement "1984 won`t be like 1984". A "new" version of the advertisement is available for viewing at http://www.apple.com/hardware/ads/1984/ - only this time, the rebel runs down the same corridor listening to iPod - Apple`s groundbreaking digital music player.
"We`ve been breaking the mould of how people view computers ever since," says Hill. "Apple`s Macintosh became the critical tool to launch the desktop publishing boom in the same decade of its release. Again in the 1990s, we reinvented the computer with the iMac. Those grey Orwellian figures depicted in the 1984 advertisement were all over the place - computer boxes knew only one colour and performed mundane routine applications day after day. The iMac was striking, colourful, powerful and easy to use. No surprise it was a huge success around the world.
"Today, the latest range of iMac is worlds away from the first 233MHz machines. The new iMac is designed to be the digital centrepiece of your home or office, is the fastest way to the Internet, and comes with a choice of three flat-panel displays, including a new 20-inch widescreen display that can show more than two full pages of text and graphics side by side. The new iMac offers fast G4 processors, speedy 333MHz DDR memory, blazing 3D graphics, FireWire 400 and high-speed USB 2.0. Plus the latest in wireless communications with support for AirPort Extreme and optional built-in Bluetooth," he says.
"The greatest step Apple have taken since the launch of the first iMac has got to be OS X. It`s another revolution, an operating system with legendary Apple design and ease of use bolted on top of the bullet-proof strength of Unix. The latest version, dubbed Panther, gives you everything you need to live in the digital age. The entire system and its applications are designed to work well with each other and suit your individual computing style. iLife software, which comes as standard with Panther, lets you organise and create digital media with elegant simplicity. A complete suite of Internet software offers you intuitive communications capabilities. Built-in tools let you be productive immediately.
"Panther provides a luscious, liquid interface, called Aqua, across every application and the utilities you need to control and customise your Mac. Plus, you can easily connect your Mac to any network - whether wired or wireless, Mac-, Unix- or Windows-based. If you`re a programmer or scripter, Panther gives you world class development tools in the box. Best of all, it just works," he says.
Again last year, Apple broke the mould by launching the first 64-bit processor in its PowerMac G5 desktop. With 64-bit power and high-bandwidth architecture, this groundbreaking new system alleviates the limitations and bottlenecks of the traditional PC - opening up a wealth of possibilities for 2D and 3D designers, video and audio producers, scientists, researchers and game developers and players. The industry`s fastest frontside bus, an advanced system controller and high-speed, high-capacity memory combine to make the Power Mac G5 one of the fastest PCs ever built.
"With the super-stable OS X range of operating systems and digital video editing software, FinalCut Pro, we are currently revolutionising yet another business environment. It used to be necessary to edit motion pictures on hugely expensive editing suites. But now with the stability of OS X running on a G5 PowerMac or even a G4 PowerBook laptop, industry professionals are able to create anywhere, any time. The proprietary technology which is used in video editing can cost anywhere from R300 000 up to R1 000 000 and over for a single unit. A fully kitted out editing studio using Apple technology costs just a fraction of that. Again, as in the desktop publishing boom, the balance of power is moving in favour of the creative. The emphasis now is on how good the editor is, not on how many hours it takes to cut a film using an expensive piece of equipment," says Hill.
"Apple`s innovation both from a design and technological perspective is due largely to the developers of 20 years ago," says Hill. "They took a chance with what seemed to be outlandish developments such as the mouse. No doubt, Apple will continue to break new ground. And I`m sure we will still be copied."
Share