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30 Years of Mac: 10 Iconic Apple Macintosh Computers

By David Sim David Sim
Published 24 January 2014, 7:00 AM GMT
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1984 - Macintosh 128k
1984: The Macintosh 128k was the first computer to use the Mac name. The original Macintosh was first teased during the third quarter ad-break of the 1984 Super Bowl with a one-minute Orwellian ad directed by Ridley Scott with the catchline "Why 1984 won't be like '1984'." Apple sold 70,000 units of the $2,495 Macintosh. Wikimedia Commons
1989 - Macintosh Portable
The company's first truly portable computer arrived in 1989. The Macintosh Portable was a flop - hardly surprising, considering it cost $6,500 and weighed 16lb (7.2kg) Wikimedia Commons
macintosh classic
The Macintosh Classic, introduced in 1990, was the first Mac to sell for under $1,000. The monochrome display and sluggish processor meant it was mainly used in offices and educational institutions for word processing and spreadsheets, rather than in the growing desktop publishing market. Wikimedia Commons
Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh
Built to celebrate Apple's 20th anniversary in 1997, the limited-edition TAM was lavishly appointed, with Bose speakers, remote control, TV tuner, and a keyboard with leather palm rests. It went on sale for $7,500, before falling to $3,500 and then $1,995, before being discontinued in March 1998. Wikimedia Commons
iMac G3
1998's iMac G3 revolutionised both computer design and Apple's fortunes. The first Apple product launched by the recently-returned CEO Steve Jobs, it looked more like a television than a computer with its brightly coloured semi-transparent plastic shell. Priced at $1,300, the iMac was the first Apple product to carry the 'i' prefix, commonly believed to stand for internet. Wikimedia Commons
iBook
Jonathan Ive's bold design and transparent colours were used on the iMac's portable sibling, 1999's iBook G3, affectionately known as the Clamshell. The $1,599 iBook proved popular, and was available in Tangerine or Blueberry (and later Indigo, Graphite, and Key Lime). Wikimedia Commons
Power Mac G4
The Power Mac G4, launched in 1999, was the first personal supercomputer, according to Apple. The $2,499 machine, code name "Yikes!", featured DVD-ROM drives as standard. Wikimedia Commons
Mac Mini
The Mac Mini started at $500 when it went on sale in January 2005. Sold without a screen, mouse or keyboard, the Mini was aimed at PC users who were curious about moving to Mac. In the nine years since it launched, the Mini has proved to be a versatile machine; used by some as a multimedia computer. Wikimedia Commons
macbook air
The 13.3" MacBook Air was launched in 2008 was promoted as the world's thinnest notebook, at just 19mm thick. A smaller 11.6" model was added in 2010. Wikimedia Commons
Mac pro
The Mac Pro finally got a major revamp in late 2013. Aimed at professional video, photo and audio editors, it resembles a waste paper bin. Costing from £2,500 to £7,800 in the UK (without a screen, keyboard or mouse), the Mac Pro boasts the ability to run three 4K (Ultra HD) displays simultaneously. Wikimedia Commons
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