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Happy 40th Birthday, Macintosh

In 1984, Apple introduced the Macintosh, the world's first truly user friendly computer. With a unique and novel graphical interface, icons, and a mouse - the Mac revolutionized mass-market computing, earning the Macintosh a dedicated following. It also laid the foundation for Apple's enduring commitment to elegant design, innovation, effective marketing, and cutting-edge engineering, values that continue to define the company four decades later.

Over the past 40 years Apple developed and launched hundreds of products in and supporting the Macintosh line - culminating in 2024 with the latest range of M3 powered desktops and laptops which are technological marvels of speed, power management and design.

To celebrate this milestone, mac40th.com showcases every Macintosh desktop and portable Apple has ever made with hundreds of the photos taken as part of the work creating the coffee table book ICONIC: A Photographic Tribute to Apple Innovation (3rd edition now available up to date as of the end of 2023). The site also includes photos taken by Kevin Taylor, Forest McMullin, Carl Berkeley, and others (including video) that I've collected over the past 14 years.

The site is easy to use: you'll see a continuous stream of random Macs - just keep clicking 'Show me more Macs' and that's what you'll get. If you're a hard core Mac fan, this site should keep you busy for a very long time. If you see any mislabelled products, don't be shy.

Steve Jobs famously said that Apple's mission was "to make products we are proud to sell and recommend to our family and friends". People create stories and it's our friends and family that usually play a big part in those stories - nearly everyone reading this has a story about a Mac making an appearance at some point in their life. I hope these pictures bring back fond memories of your own personal experiences with the Macintosh over the past 40 years. If you have a personal story you'd like to share, please get in touch.

Enjoy!

--- Jonathan Zufi (@shrineofapple), January 2024

mac40th.com - iMac G3 (1998)
iMac G3 (1998)
mac40th.com - PowerBook G4 Oveview (2003)
PowerBook G4 Oveview (2003)
mac40th.com - Macintosh LC III (1993)
Macintosh LC III (1993)
mac40th.com - Mac Studio (2022)
Mac Studio (2022)
mac40th.com - iMac G4 (2002)
iMac G4 (2002)
mac40th.com - Macintosh Performa 600 (1992)
Macintosh Performa 600 (1992)
mac40th.com - Macintosh Classic II (1991)
Macintosh Classic II (1991)