Forty years ago, on January 24, 1984, Apple launched the first Macintosh. This compact computer with a screen and floppy disk drive democratized computing with its user interface that allowed users to click on icons with a mouse. Before the Mac, only experts had access to computers that required complicated command lines.
The first Macintosh was launched with great fanfare, including an iconic commercial directed by Ridley Scott that aired during the Super Bowl in 1984. The Macintosh was a luxury product, originally priced at $2,495 but later dropped to $2,195. Despite its high cost, Apple expected to sell only 250,000 Macintosh models in 1984 but ended up selling an impressive 372,000 in the first year.
Although small by modern standards, the first Macintosh had a 9-inch screen and just 128 kB of RAM – a fraction of what modern computers have today. Still, it was revolutionary and helped bring computing to the masses. Today, Apple sells millions of Mac computers each year but the original Macintosh remains a sought-after collector’s item due to its compact size and innovative design. It will always hold a special place in computing history as it paved the way for modern computers and made computing more accessible to everyone.