Macintosh computers are pre-installed with the Mac OS X operating system, a Unix-based system developed by Apple Computer which can only be used on Macintosh computers. The current release of the Macintosh operating system is Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger.

The original Macintosh, the Macintosh 128K, was released on January 24, 1984 with the famous 1984 television commercial aired once at the Superbowl, with a series of other advertisements in an expensive advertising campaign. The Macintosh is regarded as being the first personal computer to popularize the use of the graphical user interface at a time when most computers used an operating system with a command line interface.

Today, Apple differentiates their Macintosh computers from the competition through the use of innovative industrial design and packaging their systems with the easy-to-use Mac OS X. To complement the Macintosh, Apple also develops a series of digital media applications (collectively the iLife suite) and a range of software aimed at the creative professional market including Final Cut Pro.

History
1979 - 1984
Development
The Macintosh project started in early 1979 with Jef Raskin, who envisioned an easy-to-use, low-cost computer for the average consumer. In September 1979, Raskin was given permission to start hiring for the project and was, in particular, looking for an engineer that could put together a prototype. Bill Atkinson, a member of the Lisa team, introduced him to Burrell Smith, a service technician who had been hired earlier that year.

Smith's first Macintosh board design was to Raskin's specifications; it had 64K of RAM, used the slow Motorola 6809E microprocessor, and had a 256 by 256 black and white bitmap display. Bud Tribble, a Macintosh programmer, was interested in running the Lisa's graphical programs on the Macintosh and asked Smith if he could incorporate the Lisa's Motorola 68000 microprocessor into the Macintosh while still keeping the cost down. By December 1980 Smith had succeeded in inventing a board design that not only utilized the 68000, but sped it up from 5 MHz to 8 MHz; it also had a 384 by 256 bitmap display. Smith's design used fewer RAM chips than the Lisa and consequently was much cheaper. [http://www.folklore.org/StoryView.py?story=Five_Different_Macs.txt]

The innovative design caught the attention of Steve Jobs. Realizing that the Macintosh was more marketable than the Lisa, he began focusing his attentions on the project and its members. In January 1981 he completely took over the project, forcing Raskin to take a leave of absence.

Jobs and a number of Apple engineers visited Xerox PARC in December 1979, three months after the Lisa and Macintosh projects had begun. After hearing about the pioneering GUI technology being developed at Xerox PARC from former Xerox employees such as Jef Raskin, Steve Jobs negotiated a visit to see the Xerox Alto computer and Smalltalk development tools in exchange for Apple stock options. There is debate over the degree of impact that this visit had on Apple's products -- Apple's GUIs ended up working and looking differently from the PARC GUIs, and GUIs had been an active area of computing research since the late 1960s -- but it is clear that the Xerox visits were extremely influential on the development of the Lisa and Macintosh. See History of the GUI.

Jobs made another key move in 1981 when he struck a multi-million dollar deal with industrial designer Hartmut Esslinger of frogdesign (now simply frog). Esslinger developed the [http://www.landsnail.com/apple/local/design/design2.html Snow White design language] for Apple products. After an internal power struggle with new CEO John Sculley in the 1980s, Jobs resigned from Apple and went on to found NeXT Inc., and Esslinger followed Jobs to develop the design language for NeXT products.

The Macintosh's predecessor, the Lisa computer, was introduced in January 1983 for a price of $9,995.00 with many of the GUI-related innovations later seen on the Macintosh. It was aimed at business customers but was too much of a hard sell at the time; it was not a success for Apple, and the line was discontinued in 1986.

Introduction
The Macintosh was hinted at on January 22, 1984, with a famous Super Bowl commercial (directed by Ridley Scott) featuring a female athlete throwing a hammer through a giant TV screen image of a dictator ("Large Brother", alluding to the tyrant character of the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, and to the dominant computer maker at that time: IBM, colloquially known in the industry as "Heavy Blue"). The Macintosh was officially introduced and went on sale on January 24, 1984, for a price of $2,495.00.

Like the Lisa, it was powered by a Motorola 68000 processor, running at 8 megahertz, faster than the Lisa's 5 MHz. The Mac was designed to be self-contained, and had far more programming code in ROM than other computers; it had a non-expandable 128 kilobytes of RAM. The computer shipped with two useful programs designed to show off its interface, MacWrite and MacPaint.

Although the Mac garnered an immediate enthusiastic following, it was too radical for some. Because the machine was entirely designed around the GUI, existing text-mode and command-driven programs had to be redesigned and rewritten, a challenging undertaking that many software developers shied away from, which initially led to a lack of software for the new system. Many users, accustomed to the arcane world of command lines, labeled the Mac a "toy computer," an image that put off many potential users.

1985 - 1989
In 1985, the combination of the Mac and its GUI with Aldus Pagemaker and Apple's LaserWriter printer enabled a low-cost solution for designing and previewing printed material, an activity that came to be known as desktop publishing. Interest in the Mac exploded, and it is only recently that it has started to lose its dominance as the standard platform for publishing and printing houses with the introduction of newer DTP software for Windows before Mac OS X (Adobe's InDesign - 2003).

The limitations of the first Mac soon became clear. It had very little memory, even compared to other personal computers in 1984, and could not be expanded easily; it lacked a hard drive or any means to attach one easily. Although by 1985 the Mac's base memory had increased to 512 KB, and it was possible, albeit inconvenient, to expand the memory of a 128 KB Mac, Apple realized that the Mac needed to be improved.

The result was the Macintosh Plus, released in 1986. It offered one megabyte of RAM, expandable to four, and a then-revolutionary SCSI interface, allowing up to seven peripherals, such as hard drives and scanners, to be attached to the machine. Its floppy drive was increased to 800 kilobyte capacity. The Plus was an immediate success and remained in production for four years.

Other issues remained, particularly low processor speed and limited graphics ability, which had hobbled the Mac's ability to make inroads into the business computing market. Updated Motorola CPUs made a faster machine possible. In 1987, Apple introduced the Macintosh II, which utilized a 16-MHz Motorola 68020 processor. It had an open architecture with several expansion slots and it, along with the updated system software, supported color graphics. Along with the Mac II, the Macintosh SE was released, the first compact Mac with an expansion slot; although another 8-MHz 68000 machine it shared some of the II's aesthetics, such as its new ergonomic mouse and keyboard. Later SEs had a 1.44-megabyte floppy disk drive.

With the Motorola 68030 processor came the Macintosh IIx in 1988, essentially an updated II with the new chip, which also ran at 16 MHz but sported some internal improvements including an onboard memory management unit. It was followed by a more compact version with fewer slots, the Macintosh IIcx, and a version of the Mac SE powered by the 16-MHz 68030, the Macintosh SE/30 in 1989, which did not use the -x designation for obvious reasons. At the same time the fastest Mac yet, the Macintosh IIci, running at 25 MHz, was the first Mac to be "32-bit do" and to support the architectural changes in the forthcoming, much-delayed Macintosh System 7. Apple also introduced the much-criticized Macintosh Portable in 1989, a 16-MHz 68000 machine with an active matrix display.

The following year, the 40MHz Macintosh IIfx, costing $13,000, was unveiled. Apart from its fast processor, it had significant internal architectural improvements including faster memory and two CMOS 6502 processors (which had been the CPU in the Apple II) controlling I/O operations.

1990 - 1998
In 1990 the Mac had gained widespread acceptance, but it was widely seen as too expensive, especially with the wide range of PC clones available. The release of Microsoft Windows 3.0 in May 1990 upped the ante; it was seen as the first version of Windows to seriously challenge the Mac.

Apple's response was the brainchild of CEO John Sculley, a range of low-cost Macs, introduced in October 1990. The Macintosh Classic, essentially a cheaper SE, cost $999 in its US base version, the cheapest Mac until the Mac mini. The 68020-powered Macintosh LC, around $1800, in a distinctive "pizza pie pack" case, offered color graphics, and a low-cost 512×384-pixel monitor was launched to accompany it. The Macintosh IIsi, essentially a 20-MHz IIci with only one expansion slot, cost $2500, and was a powerful machine for the price. It was the first Mac with a microphone input. All three machines sold very well, though Apple's profit margin was considerably lower than on earlier machines.

The following year saw the much-anticipated release of System 7, a 32-bit rewrite of the Macintosh operating system that improved its handling of color graphics, memory addressing, networking, and multitasking, and introduced virtual memory. Later that year, Apple introduced the Quadra 700 and 900 computers, the first Macs to employ the faster Motorola 68040 processor. They were joined by improved versions of the previous year's hits, the Macintosh Classic II and Macintosh LC II, powered by a 16MHz 68030. At the same time, the first three models in Apple's enduring PowerBook range were introduced — the 16 MHz 68000-powered PowerBook 100, a miniaturized Macintosh Portable built by Sony; the 16-MHz 68030 PowerBook 140; and the 25-MHz 68030 PowerBook 170. They were the first portable computers with the keyboard behind a palmrest, and with a built-in pointing device (a trackball) below the keyboard. All three had a black-and-white 640×400-pixel display, passive matrix for the 100 and 140, and active matrix for the 170.

In 1992 Apple unveiled an ill-fated plan to sell consumer Macs through non-traditional dealers, the Macintosh Performa series. At Apple dealers, a lower-end version of the Performa series, the Macintosh Centris was brought out, only to be quickly renamed Quadra when buyers became confused by the range of Classics, LCs, IIs, Quadras, Performas, and Centris.

Also in 1992, the miniaturized, PowerBook Duo range was introduced, intended to be docked for desktop-like functionality while at the workplace. The last PowerBook Duo was dropped from the Apple product line in early-1997, possibly because of the difficulties switching to PowerPC processors.

In 1993 the Macintosh TV was introduced, it was Apple's first attempt at computer-television integration. It shared the external appearance of the Macintosh Performa 500 series, but in a black case. It was essentially a Performa 520 which could switch its built-in 14" Sony Trinitron CRT from either existence the computer screen to the cable-quick television: it did non run windowed TV on the computer desktop, though it can capture however frames to PICT documents. It come sustaining the little remote that is besides compatible sustaining Sony televisions. Just 10,000 were manufactured in the model's short instance on the market, & it is nowadays quite uncommon.

Per early 1990s, it was thought by some that RISC-architecture CPUs would soon dramatically outpace a speed increases occurring above a equivalent period within CISC CPUs such as a Macintosh's Motorola 68000 series and Intel's x86 series. A AIM alliance of Apple Computer, IBM, and Motorola was announced around 1991 to create a series of RISC CPUs known as the PowerPC. Existing Macintosh software package that experienced been written for the 68000 series CPUs -- including some big sections of the Mac OS—were mass produced to dog using the software emulator. A foremost PowerPC-based Mackintosh were sold around 1994. A Power Macintosh line proved to become unbelievably successful, using assibilate of these million units sold by late-1994 3 months prior to Apple's of these-annual goal. (Within 2005, Apple announced that it would move from PowerPC to the x86 series; the PowerPC will still become utilized in the Macintosh until 2007, although the architectural rewards & speed differences of RISC versus CISC remain controversial.)

Too within 1994, Apple released a 2nd-generation PowerBook system, a PowerBook 500 series, powered by a version of the 68040. It were the number 1 laptop to feature a trackpad.

Clones
By 1995, Microsoft and Intel were turn up the pressure in Apple by introducing Windows 95, and a Pentium processor, both products significantly enhancing a multimedia system capability of a PC, & quickly began to erode the Mackintosh's market part. Inside response, Apple began a Macintosh clone program in order to regain wasted market part in the desktop computer market. This program was cancelled inside August 1997 when negotiations between Apple & a clone makers to extend a licensing agreement broke down, and Apple repurchase a licenses of Power Computing and other clone marketer.

1999 - Present
Around 1998, a year after Steve Jobs returned to the company, Apple introduced a freshly everthing-inside-1 Macintosh similar to the original Macintosh 128K in aspects of design, known as a iMac. A iMac did non feature a common ports like ADB and SCSI, instead only including 2 USB ports to set newly industrial standards. A newly iMac was non yet a awesome leap within devices however instead enjoyed swell profits because of great marketing & project. the iMac featured a semitransparent disposables pack, originally Bondi blue and white, with numbers of more colors added later on when option to Bondi blue. A iMac placed newly standards for computer project & what is more popularized a utilise of USB. A iMac proved to become phenomenally successful, selling 800,000 units inside 1998, making a company an annual profits of $309 million, making it Apple's number 1 profitable month since Michael Spindler ran the company inside 1995.

In the summertime of 1999, Apple introduced the iBook, a fresh consumer level personal Macintosh that was designed to become similar around appearance to the iMac introduced a year earliest. Six weeks when a iBook's unveiling, to a higher degree 140,000 orders experienced been laid, by October a computer wwhen when successful as a iMac.

Within 2000, the Macintosh mass produced another fundamental vary, this instance around its operating technique, by switching to the Mach and BSD Unix-based Mac OS X, from a original Pascal based Mac OS.

Within recent years Apple has seen a important boost inside sales of Macintoshes primarily due to the profits of the iPod. A iPod digital music players have brought awareness to the Macintosh line which hasn't been seen since after its original release within 1984. Within 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 & 2005 Macintosh sales own been increasing day and night.

Apple announced a Mac mini with a price of Me$499 at Macworld Expo/San Francisco on January 11, 2005. This was a number 1 Macintosh ever freed for to a lesser degree $500.

In June 6, 2005, Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced that the company would start out transitioning the Macintosh line from PowerPC to Intel microprocessors, with a transition required to become complete per prevent of 2007, and demonstrated the versiin of Mackintosh OS X going on the computer powered by an Intel Pentium 4 CPU. These are undecipherable whether the Intel-depending Apple computers may have a Phoenix BIOS (a standard PC BIOS) (which is a BIOS the x86 Creator Transition Formulas utilized), the Intel-created Extensible Firmware Interface, or an additional BIOS (a Open Firmware system that Apple has utilized around its PowerPC-depending computers might Non become used, based on datthe from a PowerPC-to-Intel creator transition document freed by Apple). Intel-powered Mack is respire to do Macintosh package compiled for PowerPC processors using the dynamic translation system known as Rosetta. A understanding for this switch was (based on data from Apple) ascribable problems by owning a power consumption of the IBM G5 processors, coupled with IBM's inability to deliver on the promised roadmap. Apple is potential to transition to Intel Pentium M processors in its Powerbook & iBook lines foremost, by owning a desktop lines as a result late towards a 2nd half of 2007.

A select few, particularly Apple stalwart, stand branded this new Macintosh lineup when Mactel (or MacIntel), the information to the Microsoft Windows-Intel colloquialism Wintel. It has recently been reported [http://news.com.com/2061-10793_3-5746741.html] that Apple has trademarked a word "Mactel," indicating that it can be planning in utilizing that title for a few products. When you took & for a instance fallowing the transition, developers come encouraged to compile & distribute universal binaries, which will dog in each PowerPC and Intel-based Mack.

In October 11, 2005 Apple released their quaternary quarter outcomes, reporting shipment of 1,236,000 Macintoshes, ensuant around 48% incubation inside Mackintosh all over a month-ago quarter.

Architecture
Software
Operating System
A operating technique, originally known as a Models Software package or even further only Patterns, officially became called a Mac OS (Macintosh Operating System), usually when of System 7.6. Inside March 2001, Apple introduced Mac OS X, a modern & extra locate Unix-based successor (applying Darwin, XNU and Mach as foundations), currently at version 10.4 (released on April 29 2005), codenamed Tiger. A next version, Mac OS X v10.5, codenamed "Leopard", is scheduled to be released at the end of 2006, around the same time that Microsoft plans to release Windows Vista.

Software History
Since its introduction a Macintosh has been criticized for the want of software models available for its operating system. Around 1984, it was apparent that a IBM PC had a wider range of package available, because it used a virtually all popular operating technique of the instance, MS-DOS. Apple struggled to encourage package developers to port software package titles to the Macintosh, still Bill Gates at Microsoft realized that the GUI would become an industry-standard, & that his computer software would sell around big quantity whenever it was available for the Macintosh. Within 1984 Microsoft Word and Microsoft MultiPlan were available, and were the big marketing point for the Mack. Nonetheless, it lacked games & business software program. Within 1985, Lotus introduced Lotus Jazz after the profits of Lotus 1-2-3 for the IBM PC, however despite the hopes it was a big flop.

Inside 1987 Apple spun off their software business when Claris. It were given a code & rights to many software online that got been written inside Apple, notably MacWrite, MacPaint and MacProject. In a late 1980s Claris freed a total of revamped software program titles, the symptom was the "Pro" series including MacPaint Pro, MacDraw Pro, MacWrite Pro & FileMaker Pro. Sequentially to provide a complete professional suite it besides purchased the rights to the Informix WingZ spreadsheet on the Mac, re-branding it when Claris Resolve, and added a fresh presentation program Claris Impact. Per early Nineties Claris computer program were transport by using a majority of consumer level Macintoshes, & were pleasantly popular. Within 1991 Claris released ClarisWorks, which soon became their runner-up-selling program.

iApps
Inside 1999 Apple released iMovie, a consumer level streaming videos editor mass produced to function by having a iMac DV. Within 2001 Apple released iTunes, a digital nickelodeon application for Mac OS 9 in addition to the iPod digital music player. In January 7th, 2002 Apple released iPhoto, a loose digital pic organizer. Within 2004 the iLife suite was introduced, combining iTunes, iMovie, iPhoto, iDVD and GarageBand together for US$49. A thus-alleged iApps use at times helped produce a Macintosh other usable away from a pack, significant users don't use to choose Tertiary person software system to produce the Macintosh utile.

Around 2005 Apple released iWork, the suite of applications including a word processing & layout application (Pages), and the presentation pack (Keynote). Apple is presently billing it when "building a successor to AppleWorks", however it doesn't replicate a functionality of AppleWorks' spreadsheet, database, and drawing information. Also, it doesn't compete directly by using a Macintosh version of Microsoft Office.

Hardware
A todays product personal of Macintoshes utilize PowerPC processors, co-developed by Apple, IBM, and Motorola, and presently by IBM or even Freescale (Formerly the section of Motorola.) Completely Macintosh system ship by owning 512 MB RAM standard, and when of October 12, 2005 the iMac G5 ships with a Apple Mighty Mouse. Mack have ATI Radeon or nVidia GeForce series chips for graphics, and include either the Combo Drive or Superdrive. Macintoshes include USB ports, standardized in 1998 with the iMac; and besides Firewire, a less popular port developed by Apple to support further power-demanding hardware.

Processor History
A original Macintosh, freed around 1984, used the Motorola 68000 processor. Apple continued to apply Motorola's 68k range of processors into a 1990s until the introduction of the PowerPC in 1994 with the Power Macintosh.

a original 68000 was a Sixteen-bit processor, & all told desktop systems, ran at Eighter from decatur MHz (the Macintosh Personal ran at Sixteen MHz.) Apple late freed the Macintosh Two featuring a 32-bit Motorola 68020 processor; but a Mac Toolbox ROMs single trend lines Two dozen-bit memory addressing. Machines using this limitation come known as '32-bit grime'. A successor Macintosh IIx introduced a Motorola 68030 processor, which added an onboard MMU. A foremost '32-bit uncontaminating' Macintosh was a Macintosh IIci. Later on Apple freed a 'Wicked Convenient' Macintosh IIfx, which non exclusively contained the 40Mhz 68040, however likewise contained deuce MOS Technology 6502 processors for use when auxiliary controllers. (A irony is that a MOS 6502 was a primary processor in the older Apple II line.) Around 1991, Apple freed a number one computers containing a Motorola 68040 processor, which contained a swimming point unit in the independent processor. These continued to exist as a primary line until a release of the Power Macintosh line in 1994.

Since 1994, Apple has been using a PowerPC line of processors, starting sustaining the PowerPC 601, which were later upgraded to the 603 and 604. Around 1997, Apple introduced their 1st computer according to a significantly upgraded PowerPC G3 processor; and followed it using a PowerPC G4 in 1999. A latest generation of processor inside utilise is the 64-bitPowerPC G5, introduced in 2003. When you took the transition to the PowerPC, Apple wrote a 68030-to-PowerPC translation routine that booted super early in the OS loading. A foremost version of a OS to ship by having the earliest PowerPC systems was judged to exist as running off 95% emulated. Late versions of a operating body increased the percentage of PowerPC indigene code; until OS X brought it to 100% native.

Processor Future
Starting around 2006, Apple will start transitioning a Macintosh line of computers to apply processors from either Intel. This may mark a 2nd major transition of processor technology for Apple. Apple is applying the technology it call for Rosetta to translate PowerPC videos into x86 videos, much as it utilized software program to translate 680x0 videos into PowerPC instructions in the period of their survive transition. Unlike a anterior transition, nonetheless, it appears that a core OS is 100% compiled for the newly architecture upon release.

Market share
Since a introduction of the Macintosh 128K in 1984, Apple have struggled to benefit important pc market part. A original Mack lacked software package, ensuant withinside unsatisfying sales in 1985 when consumers realized the IBM PC had more computer software available. Within 1985 Microsoft introduced the Windows GUI environment for the IBM PC to compete with a Macintosh. This in a end ended by having the example between Apple & Microsoft, by owning Microsoft winning the case. By 1985 only 500,000 Macintoshes had been sold. Steve Jobs, before its introduction, predicted that it would sell both million units by 1985. Originally Jobs predicted it may sell 5 million inside 2 years; sales one of these days crossed them million mark within 1988. It took heptad years for the installed base to email 5 million.

In the early-1990s Apple tried to persuade users to buy the Macintosh instead of an option going the Microsoft operating technique. constitutional the time of this period, many folder & advert were processed stating the benefits of the Macintosh above a PC, like built-in networking & ease-of-utilize.

By 1997 the Macintosh had complete 20 million users. By 2002, a Macintosh installed base was predicted to become 50 million units. When of Q4 2003 Apple got Deuce.06% of the desktop part in the United States, which had increased to Ii.88% by Q4 2004. According to web site cost comparisons, overall Mack installed base is around Four.7%.

Advertising
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Apple spent to a higher degree Me $2.Five million to acquire totally Forty places of advertising within a favorite November 1984 Newsweek magazine to launch the "Test Drive a Macintosh" promotion; expected purchaser sustaining the charge plate can test the Macintosh for 2 dozen-hours & link to it to the dealer later. It began to look rather the profits sustaining 200,000 participants; Advertising Age magazine too known as it in the 10-right promotions of 1984. Still, dealers disliked a promotion & supply of computers was deficient for require. Within 1985, in an attempt to recreate a 1984 commercial for the Macintosh Office, the "Lemmings" commercial message aired at a Superbowl in 1985; Apple went when far as to produce the newspaper ad stating "If you go to the bathroom during the fourth quarter, you'll be sorry". It was a big failure & did non capture a attention that the 1984 commercial message did.

Around 1986 several brochures were created for the Macintosh Plus. In the early to mid 1990s many brochures & television commercial message were created to promote a Macintosh Performa, to make the Mackintosh other popular amongst families & demonstrate a ease-of-have in comparison a average computer heading MS-DOS or Microsoft Windows.

As well in a Nineties, Apple began the "What's on your Powerbook?" campaign, featuring average population around print ads & television commercial message describing how else a PowerBook assists the two in their businesses & each-day experiences. A few of the humans featured in the campaign involved Frances Lear, Tama Janowitz, Greg Ketchum, Michael O'Brien, Todd Rundgren, Art Monk, Martina Navratilova, Barry Ashley and Brian Durkin.

Within 1995 Apple responded to the introduction of Windows 95 with both many print ads & the television commercial message demonstrating it's disadvantages. Usually, around 1 print ad, "Introducing Windows 95. It has a trash can you can open and take things back out of again. Image that.", a feature which the Mac OS had since its introduction 11 years earliest. In the televisiin commercial message, the presentation speaker struggles using his fresh computer heading on Windows 95, sequent in the audience trying to help him, shouting out MS-DOS commands. Yet he is told to purchase the Macintosh.

Towards a late 1990s, Apple published fewer paper advertizing & leaflet & focused extra in TV commercial message. Around 1997 the Think Different campaign was launched, and became Apple's company catchword. Inside 2003 Apple aired a television commercial message for the PowerMac G5, and around 2004 a special ad for the iMac G5 was aired, but Apple has not aired the Macintosh commercial since. It has nonetheless aired several iPod commercials instead.

Effects on the industry
From either its origin, the Macintosh has introduced or even popularized a total of innovations adopted late by more PCs & operating systems. Innovations introduced or even popularized in the field of personal computing by the Macintosh 128K: The graphical user interface (GUI) using the WIMP (computing) model the apply of a mouse as a pointing device A "double click" & "click-and-drag" behaviors to perform actions by using the pointing device WYSIWYG ("what you see is what you get") text & graphics editing Long filename allowing whitespace and not requiring the file extension 3.5" floppy disk as a standard feature 8-bit mono audio as a standard feature, including a built-in speaker and audio-out jack Aesthetic and ergonomic industrial "A lot-inside-Of these" design that reduced clutter Built-in networking Innovations introduced or popularized in the field of personal computing by later Macintosh products: The PostScript laser printer (LaserWriter, 1985) Desktop publishing (1985) User-friendly programming (first through HyperCard, then through AppleScript, and now through Automator) The SCSI interface (Mac Plus, 1986) A single desktop environment that can span multiple monitors Audio input/output as a standard feature (Mac IIsi & Mac LC, 1990) First laptop with keyboard behind a palmrest (PowerBook 100, 140 and 170 1991) First laptop with built-in pointing device (PowerBook 100 series, 1991), a trackball (although the Macintosh Portable, released in 1989, also had a trackball, it was, at 16.8 pounds, not considered a laptop by later standards) A CD-ROM drive as a standard feature (IIvx, 1992) First notebook computer with dock/port replicator (PowerBook Duo, 1992) First true touchpad as a pointing device on a notebook (PowerBook 500, 1994) First notebook with built-in Ethernet support (PowerBook 500, 1994) First notebook with built-in CD-quality stereo sound, both input and output (PowerBook 500, 1994) Flat-panel displays as a standard feature on a desktop (Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh, 1997) The abandonment of the floppy disk (original iMac, 1998) The first notable coloration of computer hardware, in contrast to the ubiquitous beige, gray or black shades that computers had used (including previous Macs), (original iMac, 1998) The first commercially available computer to rely primarily on USB for peripheral connection (original iMac, 1998) FireWire, also known as IEEE 1394 serial bus, an Apple-developed standard also promoted by Sony under the name i.LINK (Blue and White G3, 1999) IEEE 802.11b and IEEE 802.11g wireless networking, branded AirPort and AirPort Extreme by Apple, also monikered as WiFi, (original iBook, 1999, PowerBook G4, 2003, respectively) The first affordable DVD-R drive ("SuperDrive", Power Mac G4, 2001) First full-size notebook computer with widescreen display (PowerBook G4, 2001) First notebook computer with a 17-inch display (PowerBook G4, 2003) First notebook computer to have a keyboard with automatically-adjusted fiber-optic backlight (PowerBook G4, 2003) First wireless base station to have audio delivered to a stereo system or entertainment center using Wi-Fi (AirPort Express, June 2004) First easily affordable 64-bit based personal computer (Power Mac G5 and iMac G5 using the IBM PowerPC 970 processor) First notebook computer to provide dual-link DVI (PowerBook G4, 2005) First operating system to use hardware acceleration (OpenGL) for the graphical user interface, (Quartz-Extreme) (Mac OS 10.3 (Panther), 2003)

Models
(See also List of Macintosh models grouped by CPU) Old World ROM 1984: Macintosh 128K, Macintosh 512K 1986: Macintosh Plus 1987: Macintosh II, Macintosh SE 1988: Macintosh IIx 1989: Macintosh SE/30, Macintosh IIcx, Macintosh IIci, Macintosh Portable 1990: Macintosh IIfx, Macintosh Classic, Macintosh IIsi, Macintosh LC series 1991: Macintosh Quadra, PowerBook 1992: Macintosh IIvx, PowerBook Duo 1993: Macintosh Centris, Macintosh Color Classic, Macintosh Performa, Macintosh TV 1994: Power Macintosh 1997: Power Macintosh G3 (Beige), PowerBook G3, Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh New World ROM 1998: iMac 1999: iBook, Power Macintosh G3 (Blue & White), Power Macintosh G4 2000: Power Mac G4 Cube 2001: PowerBook G4 2002: eMac, iMac G4 2003: Xserve, Power Mac G5 2004: iMac G5 2005: Mac mini