The Mac at 40

Forty years ago, Apple launched the Macintosh. Let's use the categories from the Upgrade podcast to look back and consider this break-through technology product:

First Mac Owned: (1986) MacPlus

It used to travel to work in an enormous squarish, dark-blue backpack, and also played a lot of Dark Castle.

Favorite or Best Mac: (2001) Power G4 "titanium"

It represented a huge design shift, the transition from a 4:3 to a 3:2 'wide' screen (Steve Jobs intro).

Favorite or Best Mac Software Ever: (1987) Hypercard and (1997) Riven

Hypercard was a creation tool for the early Mac that provided a platform for immersive games like Myst, and thus laid the foundation for its stunning sequel Riven.

Favorite or Best Mac Accessory: (2001) iPod (original) and (2005) iPod nano

The breakout device that took Apple to the next level (Steve Jobs intro); just a few years later the 'nano' was super tiny and portable (Steve Jobs intro).

Hall of Shame (worst accessory or Mac): (2001) iPod Earbuds

They had awful fit and came with little foam covers that held dirt and got lost, and yet somehow became iconic – did not like them (ended up with so many pairs that were never used).

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A list of all my Macintosh-related (Apple) products through the years – updated from a decade ago, the same as two years ago:

> MacPlus (4MB RAM, 20MB HD, MacPack)

> ImageWriter (wide carriage)

> Outbound System Notebook (loaner)

> Mac IIci

> Mac Quadra 650 (w Radius VideoVision)

> PowerBook 170

> Newton Message Pad (original)

> PowerBook 180c

> Newton Message Pad 120

> Pippin (developer edition)

> PowerBook 3400c

> eMate 300

> Twentieth Anniversary Mac

> PowerBook G3 Series

> iBook (Tangerine)

> PowerMac G4 (w Cinema Display)

> PowerBook G3 (Pismo)

> PowerBook G4

> PowerBook G4 (DVI)

> iPod (original)

> iPod nano (gen 1)

> PowerBook G4-15 (Al)

> iPod shuffle (gen 1)

> iPod video (black)

> MacBook (polycarbonate, black)

> AppleTV (original)

> iPhone 3GS (black)

> AppleTV (black)

> MacBook Pro 15 (unibody)

> iPad (original)

> iPhone 4S (black)

> MacBook Air

> iPad (retina, black)

> MacBook Pro 15 (retina)

> iPad mini (black)

> iPhone 5S (black)

> MacBook (Al, 2nd gen, m7/8GB/512GB)

> iPhone 6S (Product Red)

> Apple Watch Series 2 (42mm, stainless)

> iPad Pro 9.7

> Apple Pencil (1st gen)

> BeatsX (White)

> iMac 5K

> iPad Pro 11 (A12X/256GB, grey) *

Apple Pencil (2nd gen)

Apple Watch Series 5 (44mm, stainless)

> iPhone 11 (256/Product RED)

Beats Fit Pro (Sage Gray)

MacBook Pro 14 (M1 Pro/16/512GB, grey)

iPad Pro 11 (A12X/256, new-old stock) *

iPhone 15 Pro Max (A17Pro/512/Blue Ti)

> retired, no longer possessed

* replacement unit, same spec