National Macintosh Computer Day (January 24)
Check out the weird holiday National Macintosh Computer Day on January 24. Learn the history of macs, and get ideas on how to celebrate.
One weird holiday on January 24 is National Macintosh Computer Day. Check out the other weird January holidays!
History of National Macintosh Computer Day
The first Macintosh computer was introduced to the world on January 24, 1984, when it was advertised during a commercial break at the 1984 Super Bowl. That ad was directed by Ridley Scott and was inspired by George Orwell’s novel 1984.
Prior to the invention of the Macintosh, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak had developed the Apple Computer I, which wa an 8-bit desktop computer built in 1976. That was replaced the following year with the Apple II. Even before that was the Apple computer “Lisa,” which was named after Steve Jobs’ daughter.
The idea of the Macintosh first began when an Apple employee by the name of Jef Raskin proposed a personal computer for the average person. The McIntosh was his favorite type of apple, but the name had to be changed for legal reasons. In September of 1979, he was allowed to begin hiring for the project and brough Steve Jobs on as project lead.
In 1981, Steve Wozniak left Apple temporarily because he’d been through a traumatic plane crash, and Jobs took over Wozniak’s duties.
When the Macintosh was first released in 1984, every single original 128k model was released with signatures from everyone on the Apple team. Apple became a 300 million dollar company almost overnight, causing it to be the fastest-growing company in the history of hte United States.
Over 50 companies wanted to participate in the Macintosh development, but IBM was by far the lead contender. This began one of the most ferocious rivalries in corporate history, and IBM was almost the winner. One of the biggest comebacks in the history of any industry occurred when Apple introduced the iPhones and iMacs, leaving IBM behind in the dust.
In 1985, Steve Jobs was kicked so he formed the company NeXT. Apple later purchased the company in 1997, and Jobs was brought back into Apple to eventually become its CEO. He was responsible for reviving Apple, which was on the verge of bankruptcy.
New Motorola technology was released in 1987 which allowed for a faster machine. This led to the creation of the Macintosh II, which was released for $5,500.
In 2013, Steve Wozniak gave an interview where he implied that he had led the initial Macintosh design and development and that when Jobs replaced him, the project “failed.” It was only when Jobs left, claimed Wozniak, that it began to succeed because John Sculley took over.
Macintosh Computers paved the way for everything “Apple” – iPhones, iMacs, iTunes, iPods, and even the Mac operating system. This has completely changed life as we know it today.
Ideas for National Macintosh Computer Day
Other than purchasing a Macintosh computer, here are some ideas for celebrating.
The Computer Museum Of America: Digital Fun For All In Roswell, GA
Today is National Macintosh Computer Day! Take the time to go check out the Computer Museum of America to learn more about the Apple computer.
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