40 years of Apple Macintosh: 3 lesser-known facts about the ‘icon’ that changed personal computers forever

The Macintosh name is derived from the “McIntosh Apple”

It was Jeff Raskin, an Apple employee, who had the idea for the Macintosh. Raskin wanted to develop an easy-to-use, affordable computer for the average person. He originally wanted to name the computer after his favourite apple, the McIntosh. Apple settled for the name, and initially wanted to call the computer after that type of fruit simply because the team thought the “McIntosh” name would give an impression of a “different kind of computer” they intended to make. However, the plan to name the upcoming affordable computer “McIntosh” was changed after Apple found that the name belonged to a high-end audio New York-based company called McIntosh Laboratory. To avoid legal issues and possible copyright claims, Apple had to change the spelling to “Macintosh.” Because Apple became attached to the name “McIntosh,” Jobs wrote a letter to McIntosh Laboratory’s CEO to use the name “Macintosh,” which sounded similar to McIntosh. Apple later signed a deal with McIntosh Laboratory to use the name “Macintosh” after reaching a financial agreement, making way for the Cupertino company to release the Macintosh computer in 1984. The Macintosh branding is still alive today, albeit in the shortened form “Mac.”

Watch Steve Jobs unveil the original Macintosh here:

The conflict between Jobs and Raskin

Originally, Raskin had the idea of developing a “computer appliance” with the Macintosh, targeting individual users that would cost under $1000. The Macintosh was a small project within Apple but had been making slow progress. Raskin’s aim with the Macintosh was to keep the price low, as the device was meant to introduce basic computing features. Although Jobs was passionate about the Macintosh project, he strongly disagreed with Raskin on keeping the Mac’s computing capabilities low. Raskin had chosen a weaker Motorola 6809e processor to keep costs down. This chip was not powerful enough to support a high-resolution screen designed for graphics or the use of a mouse.

Jobs wanted to create an “insanely great” product, not a compromised computer. This was when Jobs brought in a young engineer, Burrell Smith, to incorporate a faster chip – the Motorola 68000 – without increasing the overall cost of the computer. After months of work, Smith succeeded, pushing Raskin into a corner. Later, Apple’s Macintosh team grew, and Jobs became integral to the development of the original Mac. The attention to detail that Jobs paid to the design actually made the Macintosh accessible and attractive to consumers. No wonder Jobs shares the design patent on the case with two other Apple employees. It was Jobs’s vision for the Macintosh, along with the hardware of the team, that helped humanize the experience of using a personal computer, which was missing from the competitors’ products at that time. The original Macintosh was the first personal computer with a graphical user interface, mouse, and software that we associate with computers.

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The iconic Super Bowl Macintosh commercial was inspired by George Orwell’s novel 1984

Directed by filmmaker Ridley Scott, “1984” was the Apple commercial that introduced the world to the Macintosh computer for the first time. It remains Apple’s most famous ad to date. The commercial, which aired during the Super Bowl, was based on George Orwell’s dystopian novel, 1984. That one-minute spot was so effective, a first of its kind, that it sparked curiosity for the Macintosh days before the release of the computer.

The ad featured a female runner in bright orange shorts and a white top holding a sledgehammer and sprinting toward the auditorium, with a message scrolling upwards saying, “On January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you’ll see why 1984 won’t be like ‘1984.’ Even though the commercial didn’t reveal the features or specs of the computer; the messaging was meant to signify that the Macintosh would bring freedom rather than control. That message was simple and effective, and it worked wonders for Apple, making the Macintosh 128K instantly recognisable among the public. At that time, Apple’s board of directors hated the ad, but no one could stop Cupertino from making history. Years later, Apple’s “1984” commercial for the Macintosh is a master class in advertising.