Macintosh
Apple’s computer of 1984 with mouse and graphical interface – the computer meant to be usable without reading the manual.
The Macintosh was launched in January 1984 with a commercial shown during the Super Bowl. The graphical interface with windows, icons and mouse had been developed at Xerox, but Apple made it cheap enough for homes and schools.
Susan Kare’s icons and typefaces gave the computer a friendly face. The form with the screen above the computer influenced personal computers for a decade.
Materials: Plastic (ABS), electronics, cathode-ray tube
Manufacture: Assembled at Apple’s factory in Fremont, California.
A tall beige case with a built-in black-and-white screen.
A slot for 3.5-inch floppy disks below the screen.
A one-button mouse; the inside of the case carries the team’s moulded signatures.