(Credit: Apple/Eric Griffith)
This week marks the 40th anniversary of Steve Jobs unveiling the first Mac. In a note on its website during the 30th anniversary a decade ago, Apple said that Mac "was designed to be so easy to use that people could actually use it." That sounds obvious, but back in 1984, personal computing wasn't very intuitive.
The first Mac "came with a promise—that the power of technology taken from a few and put in the hands of everyone, could change the world," Apple said then. "That promise has been kept. Today we create, connect, share, and learn in ways that were unimaginable."
"Imagine what we can accomplish in the next 30 years," Apple concluded, pointing visitors to a video that highlights the "generation of innovators" who have embraced the Mac.
Internal specs aren't the only thing that's changed with the Mac over the years; nowadays, it's much more aesthetically pleasing. Look below at the Mac’s history in pictures.
1. 128K Macintosh
After selling the forward-looking but way overpriced Lisa, Apple unveils the 128K Macintosh in 1984—first via an unforgettable Super Bowl ad evoking George Orwell, and insinuating IBM as Big Brother, and then two days later with a formal introduction on stage in Cupertino.
2. Macintosh 512K
The Macintosh 512K, or "Fat Mac" as it was affectionately known, debuted in Sept. 1984, and included upgraded memory and internals.
3. Macintosh Plus
The Macintosh Plus arrived in 1986, and stuck around for four years until it was discontinued in 1990.
4. Macintosh SE
The Macintosh SE arrived in 1987. In 1989, the supercharged SE/30 lands with a faster 32-bit 68030 CPU. Both find homes in professional desktop publishing.
5. Mac IIsi
By 1990, Apple started to expand its Mac lineup in earnest, introducing the budget-priced LC, the midrange staple IIci and lower-end color desktop IIsi.
6. Mac Centris 650
The early 1990s brought us the higher-end, 68040-powered Centris 650 ...
7. Mac Quadra
... and Quadra machines. More and more Mac models begin to look like proper desktop or tower PCs with separate displays.
8. Mac Performa 5200
The mid 1990s saw a succession of confusingly named models in multiple product lines. One of the better standouts were Performa all-in-ones like this PowerPC-equipped 5200.
9. PowerBook
The PowerBook line was available from 1991 to 2006. Shown here is the PowerBook Duo 210; introduced in 1992, it was a subnotebook that fit into a specially made accessory dock for desktop use with an external monitor.
10. Bondi Blue iMac G3
Introduced in August 1998, it's the first real example of an Apple product once again with Steve Jobs's blessing, and it's widely considered a return to form. Designed by Jony Ive, it distills the essence of the Mac in a single, self-contained enclosure, much in the same vein as the original Macintosh, while ditching the 3.5-inch floppy drive—considered a bold move ahead of its time, especially since Apple was instrumental in bringing that format to the public consciousness in the first place.
11. iBook
Later, candy-colored versions of the iMac with faster 333MHz processors followed, along with similarly designed iBook laptops that came with a compelling new feature called 802.11b Wi-Fi.
12. Power Mac G4
Apple introduced a brand new, clear and gray G4 tower in September 1999 to considerable fanfare. This is right around when Apple began selling 15-inch flat-panel LCD monitors instead of CRTs (and at high prices).
13. Power Mac G4 Cube
One of Apple’s bigger swings was the design of the G4 Cube, sticking the cubic PC inside a rectangle of clear acrylic. There was a CD-ROM slot right at the top. It was a bomb.
14. iMac G4
Apple redefined style with the mod 2002 iMac G4, with its desk-lamp-like design that hid all the components in the rounded base of the computer.
15. eMac
The same year, Apple also unveiled the eMac, a desktop line designed specifically for education, featuring a 17-inch flat CRT and 700 MHz PowerPC G4 processor. By 2006, the 17-inch iMac for education replaced the eMac.
16. Mac mini
The smallest desktop Mac debuted in 2005 and still exists in a form today, having gone from a PowerPC G4 based unit today’s M2 Pro powered version.
17. Mac Pro (Cylinder)
The 2013 cylindrical Mac Pro was something even Apple admitted later was probably a mistake, but it did look cool even if it resembled a trash can.
Recommended by Our Editors
18. Apple MacBook Pro
By the 30th anniversary in 2014, the lineup of Apple Macs included the MacBook Pro ...
19. MacBook Air
... the slimmer and lighter MacBook Air ...
20. Apple iMac
... and the 21.5- and 27-inch iMac desktops. The latter had the 5K Retina display.
21. iMac Pro
In 2017, Apple went all in on an all-in-one called the iMac Pro, which we called a “beautiful ode to creative professionals,” again with 5K resolution on the 27-inch display.
22. Mac Pro 2019
Apple dumped the cylinder and went back to a tower with a lattice design for airflow to create what’s probably the most powerful Mac of all time. It was at the time the only Mac made in America, and the last model to use Intel chips. The current version appears much the same but contains M2 chips.
23. Mac Studio
Since the start of the 2020s (and the coming of Apple’s own silicon chips to power Macs) Apple hasn’t made too many radical design changes. The exception may be the Mac Studio, which is like the Double Stuf [one F!] to the Mac mini’s Oreo.
24. MacBook Air 15-Inch (2023)
The current lineup of Macs for 2024 includes some stunning Macs including the above MacBook Air 15-inch model running the latest M2 chip.
25. MacBook Pros (14- and 16-inch) (2023)
The current MacBook Pros also have M2 chips; the models look almost exactly like they did in 2021 (running the M1). See how they compare.
26. iMac 24-Inch (2023)
Finally, Apple’s only current all-in-one is just called the iMac. It only comes with 24-inch screen, replacing the previous models with 21- and 27-inch options. It also has the latest/greatest M3 chip and comes in seven different colors, much like the iPhone's rainbow of choices. Our review called it “the best iMac yet.”
Chandra Steele and Eric Griffith contributed to this artlcle
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