Here’s everything you should read about the Mac’s 40th birthday

Chance Miller | Jan 24 2024 - 11:10 am PT

Today marks the 40th birthday for the Mac, and there’s a lot of reading out there for Mac fans looking to celebrate. Here’s a roundup of some of the best things I’ve come across today.

Apple CEO Tim Cook commemorated the Mac’s birthday in a post on social media: “Mac changed everything when it was introduced 40 years ago, and through the years it has done so again and again and again. Today’s Mac lineup is the best in the history of the personal computer, and it’s built on decades of revolutionary innovation. Happy birthday Mac!”

Tim also shared this very cool graphic celebrating the Mac:

Around the web:

Writing at Six Colors, Jason Snell has a great look back at the different “eras” of the Mac over the last 40 years.
For The Verge, Jason Snell (busy guy!) had the chance to talk to Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, about the Mac.
Writing at Fast Company, Harry McCracken writes that “40 years later, the original Mac is more amazing than ever.”
For Macworld, Dan Moren writes that “in a world where many devices seem to evaporate after only a matter of months, the Mac endures.”
iJustine took her original 1984 Mac up the coast of California to Apple Park, and recapped the journey in a thread on social media.
On Relay FM’s Upgrade podcast this week, Jason Snell (again!) and Myke Hurley were joined by Dan Moren, John Gruber, John Siracusa, Shelly Brisbin, and Stephen Hackett to “pick the best Macs, Mac software, and Mac accessories, as well as induct a few events or devices into the Mac Hall of Shame.”
Jonathan Zufi has put together an entire website dedicated to celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Mac. It features “over 1,000 photos covering every Macintosh desktop and portable made by Apple since the original 128K M0001 was released in 1984.”
Steven Levy at WIRED talked to five Apple executives on the past, present, and the future of the Mac.
At 512 Pixels, Stephen Hackett dug up the first issue of Macworld from April 1984, with Steve Jobs on the cover: “An Exclusive Look Inside the Macintosh.” Also, some “word processing tips for Mac writers.”
Wes Davis at The Verge has an in-depth look at Mac design over the last 40 years.

Here at 9to5Mac:

What was your first Mac? Mine was a black MacBook from 2006. Let me know down in the comments! Anything else I should add to this round up? Don’t hesitate to reach out.

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