Happy Birthday Macintosh!
20 years of Macintosh and how it changed my life.
Today, 24th January 2004 we celebrate the 20 anniversary of Apple Macintosh computers. Now at the age of 28 1/2 years I look back on how Apple and its products influenced my life. I can’t say that the Macintosh changed my life because it’s been part of it since my earliest childhood. I can’t imagine what life would have been without the Mac.
I remember that the very first computer I touched was an Apple Lisa in late 1983. My dad took our family to one of the Belgian Apple dealerships. I think there were only 2 or 3 dealers here for Apple products. I was fascinated by the mouse and how I could move the pointer across the screen. Of course my dad was not so much fascinated by the mouse but rather by the possibilities these computers offered for his job. At the time he was a successful salesman for quality kitchens from a German manufacturer. The ever increasing number of clients required him to automate his business communications and to plan new kitchens digitally.
Only after the Mac was introduced in Belgium our family started its computerized life. In summer 1984, my dad brought home a Mac for a month. It was Apple’s „Test driving a Mac“ program which allowed potential clients to try out a Mac during a month.
During that time, my brother and myself were only allowed to use the computer once in a while. Our dad spend most of his holidays sitting in the basement typing away. We used to computer mostly to learn how to operate the mouse and the keyboard and especially creating nice images in MacPaint to print them out on the Imagewriter.
The first mac went by the name Philippe and from that day on it was part of the family…
More of my personal Mac history will follow later…
