PC (PC) and Mac (Macintosh) are the main differences between the two systems. PC (PC) and Mac (Macintosh) - the main differences between the two systems New Macintosh

10.08.2020

“Whoever wants to do his job better must first put his tool in order.”
Confucius

Impressions from work with Mac computers and the Mac OS X operating system, as set out below, are in the nature of “user notes” and do not pretend to be anything more except to talk about some distinctive features of this platform in relation to the tasks and needs of simple Russian user, if this user has $1000 and is ready to spend this amount on a reliable, functional, “branded” PC of foreign manufacture (Apple, Dell, Sony, HP, and so on).

To begin with, let’s immediately make a reservation that we will not consider the option of working on a Macintosh in Windows environment XP. As you probably already know, all models produced today are capable of this. Apple computers– from the smallest Mac mini to the most powerful professional Mac Pro workstations. However, in our opinion, to work on a Windows machine, it is not at all necessary to overpay for the Mac OS X operating system, as well as iLife and other programs designed to work in the Mac OS environment, which come bundled with every IntelMac.

You also need to understand that when you buy such a computer, you do not get a “Wintel machine” in the full sense of the word, on which you can also run Mac OS. On the contrary, you have in your hands a product designed to slowly but surely lead you to a complete abandonment of the “windows” in favor of the “apple”. In this regard, many of the operations that you will carry out on such a computer in Windows XP (or Vista) will not be as familiar as on your PC. You will definitely encounter various inconveniences - both when installing the system and while working with it, ranging from problems with the keyboard layout to restrictions on the size of the Windows partition hard drive(in the case of a “direct” installation option using the program Boot Camp from Apple).

Therefore, in what follows we will only talk about specific features Mac OS X systems, and we will also touch a little on the hardware problems of all Macintoshes. Of course, at the end we will tell you about the advantages of this platform.

System interface

Let's start with perhaps the most insidious problem that awaits an inexperienced user who has bought into a beautiful picture and is (still in absentia) quietly delighted with Mac OS X screenshots in various magazines, advertising brochures and the Internet. Namely, because of the inconvenience of working with the system’s colorful, cartoon-aluminum interface. Looking at the “watery” Mac OS X shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow is yes, it’s nice, especially at first, but working in this system is not easy. Many of its objects are too clumsy, flashy, overwhelming with their brightness the drawings and documents that you are viewing or editing. Blurry, fuzzy font, which supposedly makes the eyes less tired, in practice causes a lot of inconvenience - even when performing the simplest actions like reading Email. You will be constantly “pressured” by a strip running along the top of the screen (Menu Bar), and there will be no way to remove or move it (like the Taskbar in Windows). If you want to change the skin of some Apple program or, God forbid, the color scheme of the entire system, then it will be quite difficult to do this on your own (provided, of course, that you do not speak Unix). So just little things: buttons, labels, background and icons in Finder (analogous to Explorer in Windows). Third-party developers, of course, also do not always pamper Mac users with a variety of “skins” for their programs.

Some things in the system are implemented frankly inconveniently. Moreover, this often concerns some basic, basic capabilities. So, for example, in order to scroll through pictures on the screen using standard means operating system, you must first select all (or only the ones you are interested in) images, if possible without interfering with other files located in the folder, then click to open Preview, remove (or, conversely, push out) the Drawer, if it interferes, manually adjust the window size to the largest image (if you want to view it in Actual size) and only after that proceed directly to viewing. Alternatively, you can use the slide show mode, which removes these restrictions, but almost half of the image will be covered by large translucent arrows. Of course, no one forbids you to install some third-party viewer program, but if you are looking for an alternative to every simple utility included with the system, then think about whether you need such a system at all?

Software

It is obvious that, for all its versatility, the software included with the system will never be able to fully satisfy the needs of the average user, so sooner or later you will have to use third-party programs. And in this aspect, the lack of software familiar to Windows would not be a disadvantage if there was a real opportunity to find a worthy alternative for each of the programs you use on the PC. Alas, with all the seemingly variety of programs (both share and freeware) produced for this platform, finding the software you need can sometimes be quite difficult. We will deliberately not touch upon the problem of using unlicensed software here, which is, perhaps, even more acute for the Mac than for the PC. Let's just say that on a new, “just from the store” Macintosh, you are unlikely to want to install broken software, surf the Internet in search of serial numbers and do other unsightly things. It's a different matter if you decide to buy a Mac secondhand. Then, most likely, all the programs you need (and don’t need) will already be installed on it, and a good half of them (if not all) will be classified as pirated products. However, here the choice is entirely yours.

No matter in what capacity you will use your new computer Whether as a work machine, a creative tool, or a home entertainment center (or maybe all three at once), you probably plan to watch movies and listen to music with it at least occasionally. However, even having installed seemingly all the necessary codecs and all conceivable and inconceivable media players, you still will not be able to play some audio and video files on a Mac that can be read without problems only on a PC. Moreover, in this case we are not talking about some exotic formats - for example, ordinary avi’s can screw you over at the most inopportune moment. Additionally, you won't be able to play games on your Mac. Not exactly, but in 95% of cases the game you are interested in will not be ported to the Mac. Some of our readers may even consider this a plus of the system, since the lack of choice will allow them to quickly and painlessly wean themselves from this useless pastime, but for many users Windows given the circumstance will be depressing.

Let's look at one slightly funny, but at the same time very illustrative example. Not more than 3 years ago, one fine day, the entire progressive “Mac” community trembled with enthusiasm: “Wow! Now Safari (the browser included with the system) can save web pages!!!” However, this is not the funniest thing at all. And the fact that Safari to this day does not know how to save them so that pictures do not disappear from the document and formatting is not lost! Until now, many Internet pages on the Macintosh, regardless of the browser used, are displayed incorrectly. Various forms, questionnaires, applications, online calculators may not work, network games may not be supported, payment systems, file servers - in general, a lot of things that work with a bang and without any delays under Windows. We gave this simple example only to illustrate one general pattern characteristic of the “Apple” world: most software and hardware solutions, as well as working methods, which have long become standard for Windows users around the world, become available to fans of the bitten apple only after a certain (often quite long) period of time. And sometimes they even pass by them...

Hardware

Today, among modern computers, you are unlikely to find a model that would be distinguished by pronounced hardware and interface incompatibility with various peripheral devices. Contrary to expectations, the Macintosh is not an exception here at all - the number and variety of I/O ports even on the younger Mac mini can be envied by another “branded” PC, and the problems with rejection of peripherals and components at the hardware level have long been resolved by engineers. However, the inability of the Macintosh to interact normally with many modern digital devices(CPC, mobile phones, portable and stationary audio video players, auxiliary computer equipment, and so on), which continues to this day, has a very simple explanation: the lack of drivers. Don’t forget that Apple’s share of the computer market is only about 5% (and even in the USA, here this figure is even lower), so not all manufacturers peripheral equipment are concerned about supporting this platform. And some companies (for example, Sony), for which Apple is a direct competitor in the digital industry, seem to have no plans at all to make their devices compatible with Macintoshes - for purely marketing reasons.

A few words must be said about the external “hardware” component, because, not least of all, it is the unusual, “futuristic” design of these computers that explains the increased interest of users in the platform as a whole. So, imagine, the design of Macintoshes is not the height of perfection (no matter how it may seem to you now). For comparison, look, for example, at Silverstone desktop cases or Sony VAIO laptops. The same can be said with complete confidence about the build quality. For reference: without exception, all Apple products currently sold in Russia are manufactured in China.

Apple MacBook Pro

Silverstone Temjin

The following circumstance cannot be ignored, since many of our fellow citizens look very funny and absurd when they buy Macs in order to stand out, so that they are “not like everyone else.” In fairness, it must be said that in fact it was so. Even 5-7 years ago, when the Russian Apple representative office was sluggish, sales were not established, Macs were not promoted. There were few of them back then, and they were perceived as quite exotic. Now a person with an “apple”, trying to stand out, only causes a smile - another victim of Apple advertising.

Windows compatibility

However, even if you haven’t seen Apple’s commercials, you’ve probably heard the statement that you can start working on a Mac (unlike a PC) literally right after you unpack it and take it out of the box. Without going into too much detail, we will try to list the actions that you will have to perform before you begin, for example, full editing of documents, tables and figures created by you on a PC using package programs Microsoft Office for Windows. So, let’s say you’ve at least gotten used to the Apple keyboard layout, or you’ve made an unambiguous feat by installing a Windows layout on your Mac. But don’t forget also that you will also have to:

a) import standard Windows fonts (for working with texts created on a PC not only in MS Office, but also in any other “office” programs);
b) long and painfully select (you think - what?) some text editor, which would correctly display your Word documents while preserving all the styles, pictures, tables, diagrams (unfortunately, even the second “native child” of the developers, Microsoft Word for Mac, cannot boast of this);
c) look even longer for a normal alternative to Excel that understands the Cyrillic alphabet and allows you to edit spreadsheet documents without any delays;
d) you can add PowerPoint to the same list, which many people have to use at work and at home...

In cases where the capabilities of the Mac platform software are still not enough for you (see point 3), you will have to use one of the currently existing Windows emulators. The most common among them is a product called Virtual PC from Microsoft. Having launched it on your computer, you will encounter another problem - the low performance of a virtual PC machine under Mac OS. And as a result - slow operation of Windows applications, the inability to run some programs normally, watch multimedia discs, and so on. All of the above, of course, applies only to Macintosh computers equipped with previous generation PowerPC G5 and G4 processors. On the new IntelMacs you can run Windows XP and even Vista almost “directly”, without any loss in performance. Another thing is that within $1000 (and according to the conditions of our task, this is exactly the amount the user has at his disposal), the choice among new Macs is very limited. Therefore, most likely, you will have to be content with the capabilities of Virtual PC or... save money for Intel.

Positive sides

Of course, after listing the most obvious of all existing disadvantages of this platform, it would be at least incorrect not to mention its advantages.

Unfortunately, the Macintosh does not have many truly objective advantages (compared to Wintel systems). And to be completely precise, for the average user there is only one advantage - the ability to fearlessly access the Internet from under Mac OS without using antivirus programs and without even thinking about the fact that some kind of infection even exists on the Internet. However, in our opinion, this phenomenon is temporary, and the culprit is Apple’s transition to Intel processors. As mentioned above, on modern Macs, after simple manipulations, you can safely run Windows XP (or Vista), the number of harmful programs for which is incalculable. And from here, quite obviously, there is literally one step left before the appearance of a large number of viruses targeting the Mac OS X system.

conclusions

Modern Personal Computer– it is accurate, convenient and multifunctional tool, which allows you to solve problems of any complexity and is designed to be your indispensable assistant in work and leisure, learning and creativity. Regardless of what task is your priority, in any case you have the right to demand from it reliability, attractiveness, ease of use and functionality.

And if in the first two points (design and build quality) Apple computers can compete on equal terms with branded PCs for space on your desktop, then it will be quite difficult to call them universal systems that are equally suitable for any user. The situation today is such that an “intuitive” and “user-friendly” Macintosh can be anything - a wonderful toy, a good gift, a second (third, fourth...) computer in the house - but not a fully functional system , which you would like to see, having paid a lot of money, in general.

In any case, the choice is yours.

Macintosh celebrates 30th anniversary. On January 24, 1984, Apple founder Steve Jobs presented to the public a personal computer in which a graphical interface was commercially implemented for the first time.

And although it was not invented at Apple (the first developments were shown by the “father of the computer mouse” Douglas Engelbart back in 1968, and then finalized in the Xerox Park laboratory, where they were observed and then reworked by Steve Jobs), it was the implementation of the system in the Macintosh laid the foundation for the emergence of modern computers and mobile devices: GUI is a part of all operating systems today. Hitech.vesti proposed to trace how Apple personal computers have changed over the past 30 years.

Macintosh 128K (1984)

The first Mac in history, the Macintosh 128K, introduced in January 1984, was a candy bar - a black-and-white monitor with a diagonal of 9 inches (like not the largest modern tablet) and a resolution of 512 by 342 pixels coexisted in one case, as well as motherboard with Motorola 68000 processor with a frequency of 8 MHz and 128 kilobytes random access memory. The computer cost $2,495.

The only storage medium for the operating system was a 3.5-inch floppy disk with 400 kilobytes. To write data from an application to another disk, it could be removed and replaced with another floppy disk. There were no arrows on the keyboard - this is how Apple wanted to emphasize the differences between the new product and the “old” IBM PC and force developers to write applications for Mac “from scratch”. Arrows returned to the standard Mac keyboard only two years later.

As it turned out, 128 kilobytes of memory was not enough for many multimedia applications, so in the same 1984 the Macintosh 512 model was released with quadruple RAM capacity for $2,795.

Macintosh Plus (1986)

One of the main complaints about the first Macintosh was limited opportunities extensions. In the model introduced in January 1986, the standard amount of RAM (1 megabyte) could already be increased to 4. A SCSI port was provided to connect a wide variety of peripherals. Could work through this interface external drives, film storage systems, printers and even monitors. The black and white monitor and 8 MHz processor remained the same as in the 1984 model.

The Macintosh Plus, like previous models, came with standard MacPaint and MacWrite applications. But by that time the choice of third-party software was already very wide - MacDraw, Microsoft Word, Excel, PageMaker. It is curious that the first version of Word with a mouse-oriented interface was created specifically for Macs, while Excel and PowerPoint were originally created as programs for Mac.

Although more advanced Macs were introduced a year later, the Macintosh Plus remained in production until almost the end of 1990 - that is, more than 4 years - as Apple's most affordable personal computer model. Initially, the computer, however, cost more than the first Mac – $2,599.

Macintosh SE (1987)

Introduced in March 1987, the Macintosh SE shared the design of previous Macs, the same display and processor, but boasted greater flexibility. This is the first Mac to include space for an additional 20 or 40 megabyte hard drive, or a second floppy drive for floppy disks. Perhaps most revolutionary for the Macintosh line was the addition of an expansion slot to the design. By installing a card in it, including from third party manufacturers, it was possible to expand the functionality of the computer (by adding, for example, a network card).

In addition, the Macintosh SE featured a fan for the first time. Its absence in previous models, which relied on natural convection for cooling, was attributed to frequent breakdowns expensive components. A computer with two floppy drives cost $2,900, and a computer with one floppy drive and a 20-megabyte hard drive cost $3,900.

Macintosh II (1987)

Nowadays, the model introduced at the same time as the Macintosh SE would probably be called “Macintosh Pro”. Externally, the first Mac with color image support looked much more like IBM PC architecture computers without a built-in monitor, took up a lot of space on the table and was not portable. But inside there were six ports for expansion cards, including Apple video cards with support for 256 colors at a resolution of 640 by 480 pixels. The IBM VGA standard, which appeared around the same time, supported 256 colors at a resolution of 320 by 240 or 16 colors at a resolution of 640 by 480.

If desired, it was possible to install six video cards in the computer and display the image on six monitors. To cope with graphic applications Mac II received a 16-MHz processor and 2 MB of RAM in the basic configuration; its volume could be expanded up to 8 MB, and later, with updated software and a number of modifications, up to 68 MB. Even without expansion cards, the computer was very expensive - $5,500, and with a color monitor, a graphics card and a capacious hard drive, the price could go beyond $10,000.

Macintosh Portable (1989)

Somewhat reminiscent of modern laptops, the Macintosh Portable was the first Mac with a battery and an LCD display. The display was black and white, and the computer itself was rather weak, and due to the high cost, the price was also high - $6,500. The only way to upgrade this 7-kilogram “laptop” was to increase RAM. The batteries used acid and lead, like car batteries.

The built-in trackball was used to control the cursor. If desired, left-handers could swap it and the keyboard module. One of the main drawbacks was the inability to operate the Macintosh Portable even when connected to the network when the battery was completely discharged. In addition, in the original model the screen matrix was devoid of backlighting, which made it difficult to work in dimly lit rooms. Then they added backlighting to the computer, the use of which cut the battery life in half.

The IT press and consumers considered the computer a failure, and as a result it sold poorly.

Macintosh LC and Macintosh Classic (1990)

In the early 90s, the line of Mac computers began to become wider, the company tried to be present in all sectors of the market. An attempt to interest ordinary users in a color computer was the Macintosh LC released in 1990, which cost the same as the first Macs - $2,400.

The computer case itself was very thin and was nicknamed “pizza box”. The computer supported color image output at a resolution of up to 640 by 480 (4-bit) and had 2 MB of RAM. The processor, unlike those used in more expensive models, was deprived of a floating point calculation unit. It could be added by occupying the only PDS expansion slot. Subsequently, the LC series turned out to be quite popular, Apple developed it until the mid-90s. For example, the Macintosh LC 475 pictured above was so popular as a home computer that it was sold not only through dealers, but also in “mass” electronics stores.

At the same time, Apple continued to meet the demand for more affordable computers with black and white screens. The Macintosh Classic, introduced in October 1990, had, as its name suggests, the same chassis as its 1984 predecessor and the same slow processor. The main advantage of the computer was the price - the version without a hard drive and with 1 MB of RAM was sold for “only” $999, which made the computer accessible to a much larger number of users than before. It was the first Mac under $1,000. However, as the press wrote then, it could only be normally used for typing texts, as well as working with tables and databases.

PowerBook and Quadra (1991)

Apple learned from the failures of the Macintosh Portable and introduced the PowerBook line in 1991. Model entry level The PowerBook 100 sold for $2,300 and had a 9-inch monochrome LCD display with a resolution of 640 by 400 pixels. The younger PowerBook did not have a built-in disk drive, and the trackball was placed in front of the keyboard, which made the laptop very compact for that time. It worked on battery power for more than 3 hours.

The PowerBook line was extremely successful, generating more than a billion dollars in sales in its first year. It is interesting that the Japanese Sony took part in the development of the PowerBook 100 and was involved in its production. In 2005, Mobile PC magazine named the PowerBook 100 “ the best gadget of all times."

That same year, Apple released the Quadra line of high-performance PCs in which the company pioneered the use of tower cases. They became the prototype of future MacPros. The most affordable Quadra 700 model with a 25 MHz processor and 4 MB of RAM cost $6,000. The maximum capacity of a hard drive could be 400 megabytes, huge for those times.

Macintosh TV (1993)

In the early 90s, Apple “lost focus” – it produced great amount models of several lines with different characteristics. Among them were some very strange solutions, for example Macintosh TV. The device was a fairly advanced Mac (32 MHz processor, 4 MB of RAM, 160 MB hard drive), combined with a 14-inch color monitor and a TV tuner compatible with cable TV.

The computer was the first of the few Macs to be housed in a black case. The device was not popular. In just a few months from October 1993 to February 1994, 10,000 of these computers were produced, after which production ceased. However, TV tuners have become a popular option for other Macs.

Power Macintosh (1994)

In March 1994, Apple introduced a new line of Power Macintosh workstations that used PowerPC RISC processors, joint development IBM and Motorola. These chips were extremely advanced for that time, operating at frequencies starting from 60 MHz. Later, the Power Macintosh line began to use advanced solutions for video and audio processing, which made the computer popular among professionals working with multimedia.

Competition from the IBM PC platform was already extremely strong at that moment; Microsoft released quite successful Windows versions 3.X with a graphical user interface, which forced Apple to lower the prices of its computers. The base model Power Macintosh 6100, for example, cost $1,700 at launch.

20th Anniversary Macintosh (1997)

Dedicated to the 20th anniversary Apple model The Macintosh went on sale only in the late spring of 1997, that is, a year after the significant date. The computer had advanced characteristics, a fantastic appearance and an equally fantastic price - $10,000. The price included delivery by limousine and installation by an engineer dressed in a tuxedo.

The frequency of processors in the 90s grew faster than in the 80s, and memory prices fell: the “anniversary” Mac had a 250 MHz processor and 32 megabytes of RAM. In addition, the computer was equipped with a 12-inch LCD monitor capable of displaying millions of colors, a built-in 2 gigabyte hard drive and a 4-speed optical drive. The unique computer was equipped with a radio and TV tuner, and integrated speakers were developed by Bose.

A year later, the futuristic “Poppy,” which was not in demand, had to be discounted to $2,000, but this did not help its sales.

iMac G3 and iBook (1998-1999)

In 1997, Steve Jobs, who left in 1985, returned to Apple. The first large-scale project the company undertook after his return was the iMac all-in-one computer. The 15-inch diagonal monitor and electronic components were partially enclosed transparent case made of colored and white plastic. The computer came with a matching keyboard and mouse. The iMac G3 was the first Apple computer designed by British designer Jonathan Ive.

The computer used a 233 MHz Power PC 750 G3 processor, which was not the fastest at that time, and could have up to 256 MB of RAM. The computer had built-in small speakers and a modem, which made it possible “out of the box” to start using it to access the Internet. The first iMac cost $1,300.

A year later, Apple released the “mass” iBook laptop, externally made in the same rounded plastic style as the iMac.

PowerMac Cube (2000)

Apple tried to do powerful computer ultra-compact, but in 2000 it was much more difficult to do this than in 2013 with new Macs Pro. The PowerMac Cube was housed in a not-quite-cube case measuring 20 by 20 by 25 cm. It had no expansion slots, and the audio interface was located outside the case. The price of the basic model was $1,799, and the advanced model was sold only in stores Apple Store– $2,299. According to many, Apple was in vain to make the Cube a “luxury” computer - the market actually needed a simple iMac without a monitor. As a result, less than a year later, production was discontinued.

PowerBook G4 (2001)

The “great-grandfather” of the current MacBook, the PowerBook G4 was announced in January 2001. The new product had a widescreen display with a resolution of 1152 by 768 pixels and a titanium case with a thickness of only 2.5 cm - a record of elegance for laptops of that time. The base model with a 400 MHz processor, 128 MB of RAM and a 10 GB hard drive cost $2,599. The older one was already worth $3499.

iMac G4 (2002)

In 2002, Apple completely changed the design of the iMac for the first time. The use of an LCD display, which was no longer a luxury by that time, made it possible to make the computer look like a table lamp with a hemispherical base that hid the electronic filling and a display mounted on an adjustable rod. Announcing new iMac, Steve Jobs announced that CRT monitors are now “officially dead.” The basic model of the computer cost the same as its “pot-bellied” predecessor four years earlier – $1,299. Top model with CD-ROM drive sold for 1,799.

PowerMac G5 (2003)

Aluminum has replaced plastic in professional Apple computers. The fifth-generation Power PC processor in this computer was produced by IBM - Motorola, a long-time partner of Apple, still could not begin their mass production. The PowerMac G5 was the first mainstream consumer solution to feature a 64-bit processor architecture. The base model ($1,999) used a 1.6 GHz chip, while the highest ($2,999) had two 2 GHz processors. To cool powerful processors, it was necessary to develop a complex cooling system that divided the case into four temperature zones.

iMac G5 (2004)

The third generation of all-in-one iMacs received the same powerful chip as professional PowerMac workstations a year earlier. This Mac model was the first to place all the electronics behind the monitor, and the stand underneath it looked almost the same as the current iMac. However, white plastic was still used as the body material. But the size of the computer has grown - the younger model had a display diagonal of 17 inches, and the older one, which cost from $1,899, had a 20-inch display. A year later, the iMac debuted the iSight webcam.

Mac mini (2005)

Having long experienced failure with the PowerMac Cube, by the mid-2000s Apple finally decided to release an affordable computer without a monitor. At that time, the computer was extremely compact, but had everything necessary for ordinary users, including an optical drive with support DVD reader and CD recording, graphics accelerator ATI Radeon 9200 4X supported Full HD image output, a modem and a 100-megabit network card. The main thing was the price: $499 for the base model. It allowed the PC owner to buy a Mac without spending money on purchasing a new monitor and other peripherals. The top model with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules cost $699.

MacBook and MacBook Pro (2006)

The year 2006 was marked for Apple by the transition to processors manufactured by Intel. The first mobile product with new chips were laptops, the line of which was reformed. It was decided to abandon the PowerBook and iBook brands, and instead they were replaced by the more advanced MacBook Pro (in January 2006) and the “mass” MacBook (announced in May).

One of the MacBook models was black, but later this color never took root in the line of Apple laptops - the era of aluminum was coming. However, it was the MacBook computers that were destined to become the best-selling Macs in history.

iMac (2007)

In 2007, Apple enclosed the iMac in an aluminum case, shaped like the one presented in the same year iPhone, and the diagonal of the computer display has grown to 20 inches for the younger model and 24 inches for the older model. The computers used dual-core Intel processors with frequencies starting from 2 GHz; the low-end configuration cost $1,199. It was with these aimacs that the ultra-thin aluminum keyboard was first supplied.

MacBook Pro Unibody (2008)

In 2008, the aluminum cases of the “professional” line of Apple laptops received new design. The case was turned by special machines from a single piece of aluminum, which made it extremely durable, and, moreover, helped to better remove heat from the processor and video card. The computers had a new glass-covered trackpad, and the entire display was covered in glass, including its black border. These laptops used a tiny Mini Display Port instead of the larger DVI ports on previous models.

MacBook Air (2008)

New technology for the production of aluminum unibody cases has made it possible to reduce the thickness of the laptop to a record low 19 mm (and at the thinnest point - 4 mm). The first ultra-thin MacBook was the MacBook Air, introduced in January 2008. When developing it, Apple had to make a lot of compromises; as a result, the device had low performance, and the RAM (2GB) could not be increased at all.

But for the first time, solid-state (SSD) storage was available as an option instead of a traditional hard drive, which significantly increased the speed of loading the system and launching programs. Over the course of several years, the MacBook Air has gotten rid of most of the shortcomings of the first model and has essentially become the standard laptop for users who do not require “professional” performance.

MacBook Air 2010 11″ and 13″ (2010)

In the fall of 2010, the thinnest MacBooks continued to evolve, simultaneously decreasing in size. The 11-inch version of the MacBook Air turned out to be the lightest (1.04 kg) computer in Apple history. The new product, like its more expensive counterpart with a 13-inch screen, was equipped solid state drive with a capacity of 64 GB. The basic version cost significantly less than the first, still imperfect MacBook Air model: $999 versus $1,799.

MacBook Pro with Retina display (2012)

In the last 5 years, the frequency of appearance of new models has decreased. Perhaps the most advanced among Apple laptops today is the MacBook Pro with a Retina display, first introduced in 2012. The computer's dimensions are close to ultrabooks, but it has an ultra-high-resolution screen, the pixels on which are almost invisible.

Mac Pro (2013)

The main “Mac” of 2013 was, of course, the Mac Pro with a new design and fundamentally new characteristics. The computer is housed in a relatively small, glossy black cylindrical case and starts at $2,999. High-end configurations that can simultaneously process multiple 4K video streams can lighten the pockets of video editing or audio professionals to the tune of $10,000 or more.

Let's start with the fact that it all began in early 1984, when Steve Jobs released his first PC, on which a graphical interface was first demonstrated. The exact date of the first Macintosh computer: January 24, 1984.

The very beginning of development did not start with Apple. The first steps were taken by Douglas Engelbart in mid-1986. Next, the computer was developed by a company called Xerox Park, and then Steve Jobs noticed it and brought it to fruition. It was with the Macintosh that the development of modern computers began; they laid the foundation that provided the first road into the world of modern technology. The first graphical interface changed the entire computer and mobile industry, because what is an operating system today without graphics. Now we will look at each computer that, over time, created a revolution in the world of computer technology.

Macintosh 128K computer (released 1984)

The Macintosh 128K was the very first computer that came out in early 1984. It was the first monoblock of its kind, which had a black and white monitor and a 9-inch diagonal. Of course, he did not have any “super powers” that could surprise a modern user, but at that time, such computers could only be dreamed of in dreams. The computer contained a Motorola 68000 processor, which had 128 kB of RAM and a frequency of 8 MHz. The price of the computer was equal to $2,495. The entire operating system was stored on a classic floppy disk, 400 kb in size. In order to transfer application data, it was necessary to replace the floppy disk. Even then, Steve Jobs tried to make the computer unique; he completely abandoned the arrow keys on the keyboard, so as not to create another IBM PC. Apple thus forced developers to write applications from scratch. However, arrows still appeared on the Macintosh, but much later.

It also later became noticeable that most applications were not enough for such a small RAM. In this regard, the next model with more capacious RAM was released in the same year. Its price was already equal to $2,795, and the model was called Macintosh 512.

Macintosh Plus (1986)

At first, the Macintosh had a significant disadvantage - its RAM could not be expanded. At the time of the release of this model, the RAM was 1 megabyte, but now it could be increased to four. To connect various devices A SCSI connector was added. Through this innovation various external drives, film systems, as well as monitors and printers. The screen and processor of the Macintosh Plus remain exactly the same. Along with this computer appeared standard applications, among which graphics editor MacPrint and the MacWrite printing platform. In addition, the range of third-party developments expanded, among them Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PageMarker. It's worth noting that programs in today's Microsoft Office were originally developed for Mac, not Windows.

The Macintosh Plus computer was produced until 1990. At that time it was the most affordable model. The Macintosh Plus price was $2,599.

Macintosh SE (1987)

Then the Macintosh SE was released, this development was presented in the spring of 1987. The design and internals remained largely the same. However, this time Mac computers made another revolution; these devices could safely boast of their new capabilities. The Macintosh SE had a special slot for a hard drive, which could be 20/40 megabytes. Alternatively, you could select a second floppy drive. But the most revolutionary thing about the Macintosh was the addition of a new expansion slot. With this new product, users could add new functions to the computer, such as LAN card. Imagine, such difficult goals were already achieved at that time!

Initially we said that the insides remained the same - not quite. The new Macintosh SE received the first fan, which significantly improved the quality of the computer. It was previously noticed a large number of cases where expensive parts simply burned out, but with a new fan, these nuances were almost destroyed. Since the computer already had two configurations, the prices were different. For example, a Macintosh SE with two disk drives cost about $2,900, and the package with hard drive already cost $3,900.

Macintosh II (1987)

It was the first Mac to support color images. The computer did not have a built-in monitor and was not portable, if you can call it that. The number of ports for expanding functionality increased sharply from one to six, and latest video card from Apple, which supported 256 colors and the first minimum resolution standard of 640 by 480. Almost at the same moment, VGA standards appeared with support for 256 colors (320x240) or 16 (640x480).

Inside the computer there was a processor with two megabytes of memory (the volume could be increased to 6 MB, and a little later to 68 MB). In the Macintosh II, it was possible to connect 6 video cards at once in order to display images simultaneously on six screens. The computer at that time was very expensive and its price was as much as $5,500, and a complete set with a color monitor, video card and other add-ons could reach up to $10,000. Horrible prices, isn't it?

Macintosh Portable (1989)

And here we have another example of a revolution in the world of computers from Macintosh. This computer somewhat reminiscent of a laptop. The Macintosh Portable could operate without a power source and on battery power, in addition, it was the first computer with an LCD display. The display itself was black and white, and its characteristics left much to be desired even at that time. The cost of the Macintosh Portable was very high, hence the price of $6,500. The computer weighed as much as 7 kilograms, and the only thing that could be expanded in it was the RAM. The batteries were also unusual; they could be compared to automobile batteries, since they used lead and acid.

The Macintosh Portable was the first to use a trackball. This technology controlled the cursor, it seems that from that moment the idea of a touchpad began. The computer also had a significant disadvantage: if the battery was completely discharged, then the Macintosh Portable could not be operated even from the mains. And that's not all: the computer was not equipped with a backlight, and this was very noticeable when working in poorly lit areas. A little later, of course, the problem with the backlight was eliminated, but the battery remained the same weak point.

Despite the fact that this computer was indeed revolutionary in some way, it remained an unsuccessful product and its sales did not achieve the expected demand.

Macintosh LC and Macintosh Classic (1990)

The time has come for the nineties. Mac computers gradually expanded and grew significantly in the market. The company increasingly covered various categories and areas. Now Apple interested users with its color screen using the Macintosh LC computer, and its price was only $2,400, the same as the old Macintoshes.

The body of this computer has become tens of times smaller and thinner. Now it will probably remind you of a Mac mini. The Macintosh LC could display 640 by 480 images, which was an excellent performance at the time. The computer supported 2 megabytes of memory. One computing system was excluded from it. However, the Macintosh LC has become a great solution for home computer. Sales grew before the company's eyes, the line of these computers expanded and was modernized over time. Sales were carried out not only through official stores, but wherever possible. These models were even sold in regular electronics stores.

However, no one forgot about the lower-end Macintosh Classic computers, which covered the budget side of the market. This model had exactly the same body and had 1 megabyte of RAM. The price of this computer was only $999. It was the first Macintosh that cost less than $1,000. And of course, its functionality corresponded to the price. Macintosh Classic could be used exclusively for working with texts and tables.

PowerBook and Quadra (1991)

PowerBook is a new Apple computer in which all the shortcomings and errors of the previous Macintosh Portable model 10 years ago were eliminated. The simplest configuration of the PowerBook 100 cost $2,300. It had a 9-inch LCD display with a resolution of 640x480, no disk drive, and its new trackball was located next to the front frame. The laptop turned out to be quite compact, and its built-in battery lasted more than 3 hours.

PowerBook computers have become a very successful product, gaining more than a billion dollars in a year, and this is a very strong result. But even more amazing is that even in 2005, Mobile PC magazine published an article where the PowerBook 100 was called The best device of all times.

In addition to the PowerBook, Apple released a very powerful computer at that time - Quadra. It had a new unusual case, had a 25 MHz processor and 4 megabytes of RAM, and its hard drive capacity was as much as 400 megabytes, and at that time this was simply a huge amount.

Macintosh TV (1993)

Next company Apple started get a little lost in the market and release some strange products. For example, in 1993, Macintosh TV was born. This computer had enough high performance: had a 32 MHz processor and 4 MB of RAM with a 160 megabyte hard drive. The size of the monitor has increased significantly, already as much as 14 inches, and naturally it was color. The only inexplicable thing that came out of the name was cable support and a TV tuner. Why was it needed in a computer, why were such excesses needed? – Everyone will find it difficult to answer.

The computer itself was very similar to a regular TV and was produced in a rare black body color. Naturally, this computer was a failure for Apple; only ten thousand devices were sold in six months.

Power Macintosh (1994)

The Power Macintosh was another breakthrough in computer power. These PCs had a processor with a frequency of 60 MHz. Over time, this line of computers gradually developed and gained momentum. A little later they appeared additional features for processing multimedia resources, namely audio and video. Computers gained great popularity among those people who created new elements of graphics.

However, competition between Apple and Microsoft began to emerge precisely in those years, because the second company had already managed to create Windows 3.X with its graphical interface and other functions. Apple was forced to lower prices due to Microsoft releases. The basic assembly of the Power Macintosh 6100 was equivalent to $1,700.

20th Anniversary Macintosh (1997)

The mind-blowing moments don't end there. In 1997, Apple released a computer in honor of its twentieth anniversary. The price of the computer was equal to 10 thousand dollars. For this price, the computer was delivered by an engineer in a tuxedo in a limousine.

Processors developed at a significant rate in the nineties. This computer model had a 250 MHz processor and as much as 32 MB of RAM. In addition, Apple added a 12-inch LCD screen to the computer, which supported millions of colors and shades. The computer had a 2 gigabyte hard drive and 4 optical drives. The computer simply blew up all competitors with the last point, since such volumes could only be dreamed of. The computer also had a radio and TV. In addition, Bose made special speakers that came with the new Macintosh.

Throughout the year, Apple tried to distribute as many of these models as possible. However, nothing came of it, and even a significant price drop to $2,000 could not save the computer.

iMac G3 and iBook (1998-1999)

As is already known, Steve Jobs himself left Apple back in 1985, but the moment finally came when he returned in 1997, 12 years later. Jobs returned, as always, with a new idea that was supposed to turn the whole world upside down. This idea was the new all-in-one iMac, which had a 15-inch diagonal monitor. The body was translucent with a piece of blue on the sides. The computer included a similar design computer keyboard and a mouse. The case design was developed by Jonathan Ive, this was his first work.

The iMac G3 had an average 233 MHz processor with up to 256 megabytes of RAM. The monoblock had a built-in Internet modem and speakers. The first iMac cost $1,300.

A little later, Apple decided to release the same internals in the form of a laptop with a similar design.

PowerMac Cube (2000)

It was already the 21st century and at this moment Apple decided to make the computer powerful and compact. Now, of course, it’s not a problem to imagine a thin and light computer, but implementing such a development in 2000 was not even easy. The PowerMac Cube case had dimensions of 20-20-25.

This computer did not have slots for expanding functionality. The minimum configuration of PowerMac cost $1,799, and the higher one was equivalent to $2,999 and was sold exclusively in official stores Apple Store.

PowerBook G4 (2001)

This model laptop appeared at the very beginning of 2001. The display of this computer had the latest high resolution of 1152-768. The computer itself had a titanium case, and its thickness did not exceed two and a half centimeters.

The base model had a 400 MHz processor, 128 megabytes of RAM and a 10 gigabyte hard drive. The price of this product was $2599, the most powerful configuration was $3499.

iMac G4 (2002)

When 2002 arrived, Apple decided to completely redesign the iMac. Using a thin LCD display allowed designers to turn the computer into a convenient platform that looked like a desk lamp.
It was from here that the corporate design of the apple company began to emerge. All the sweet filling was hidden under the thin edges of the candy bar. The minimum configuration cost $1,299, and the maximum with CD-ROM cost $1,799. The difference wasn't that big.

PowerMac G5 (2003)

Finally, the case of Apple computers became aluminum. The 64-bit processor of the new Power PC was from Motorola. It used chips from 1.6 GHz to 2 GHz. The cost ranges from $1,999 to $2,999. This computer became the first affordable solution for mid-level consumers.

iMac G5 (2004)

We are presented with the third generation of iMac all-in-one PCs. This computer still has the same powerful hardware as the previous PowerMac, but its appearance got an incredibly practical and high-quality look. All technical part was hidden on the back of the screen, and the stand became several times smaller and thinner.
This iMac used plastic, but few people cared about it at the time. The iMac G5 has several configurations: 17 inches for $1,499 and $1,899 for 20 inches. A little later, the iSight webcam appeared in subsequent iMac configurations.

Mac mini (2005)

The story of the unsuccessful PowerMac Cube model was remembered by everyone. However, in 2005, the Apple company decided to release a separate compact computer without a monitor. This model had all the necessary functions for the user: a drive for reading and writing CD/DVD discs, good ATI video card Radeon 9200 4X, which supports image output from Full resolution HD, Internet modem and high-speed network adapter. The main advantage of the Mac mini is the price of $499-699. This computer was available to anyone.

MacBook and MacBook Pro (2006)

This year, Apple took another bold step, switching to new processors from Intel. First, the apple company began publishing laptops Intel based, only they were already called MacBook and MacBook Pro, rather than iBook and PowerBook.

Initially, one of the laptop models was produced in black, but over time, this option was discontinued as it was considered an unsuccessful design concept.

Now MacBook laptops were ready to change history!

iMac (2007)

Finally, all-in-one iMacs have an aluminum body. Now the computer looked really very expensive, thin and beautiful. No one had such designs. Design concepts have become very similar between iPhone and Mac. In addition, the diagonal of monoblocks has changed significantly. The younger model received a 20-inch screen, and the older one 24-inch. The internals were also not weak: an Intel processor with a minimum frequency of 2 GHz. Prices started at $1,199.

MacBook Pro Unibody (2008)

In 2007, Apple added an aluminum chassis to the iMac, and in 2008 it was the Macbook's turn. The cases of these laptops were created from solid pieces of metal. It was because of this that the laptop looked brutal and durable. In addition, the laptops received a new trackpad and several more non-standard technologies that made them yet another difference from everyone else.

MacBook Air (2008)

With the help of new cases, it became possible to make laptops even thinner and even lighter. This is where a new line was born Macbook Air, all this happened in mid-2008. The thickness of the laptop was only 19 millimeters - these are record sizes. It's also worth noting that in some places the laptop tapers down to 4 millimeters.

As a result, the device turned out to be very light and convenient, but its performance left much to be desired. The RAM was only 2 gigabytes, and it could not be increased.

However, the new Macbook Air was the first to use SSD storage instead of a classic hard drive. It was removed because it was already an outdated module that would once again load the system.

Over the course of several years, the Air computer was developed to the desired standard and is now enjoying great success.

MacBook Air 2010 11″ and 13″ (2010)

At this point, the Macbook did not stop its development, much less its existence. Every year, the need for a thin laptop grew more and more among users of different categories. One version of the Macbook now weighs only 1 kilogram, and its display is equivalent to 11 inches.
In addition to this model, there is a laptop with a 13-inch screen and 64 GB of memory. The price difference this time was quite significant: the minimum configuration is $999 / maximum configuration – 1799$.

MacBook Pro with Retina display (2012)

Today, Apple does not offer annual updates to its computers. Now most current version Macbook Pro is a laptop model with a Retina display, which gives an ultra-high resolution screen. The laptop itself is quite thin and light; experts equate it to current ultrabooks.

Mac Pro (2013)

The main hit of 2013 was the Mac Pro. It received a new design and new powerful characteristics that surprised absolutely everyone. The computer is covered with an incredibly beautiful glossy black casing. The case resembles a small basket, although it looks very expensive. Mac Pro starts at $2,990.
Among the best configurations are computers that can simultaneously process several streams of video in 4K resolution, and not every computer can do this. This computer is intended exclusively for professionals working with multimedia files.

But the name had to be changed for legal reasons because it sounded too similar to the name of the audio equipment company McIntosh Laboratory. Steve Jobs asked for permission to freely use this name for Apple, but was refused, so Apple then had to buy the rights to use this name. Raskin received permission to launch the project and began recruiting new people for the team in September 1979, among others, he needed an engineer capable of producing a full-fledged prototype. Bill Atkinson, who was part of the team on another Apple project called Lisa (they were developing a similar computer, but more high level), introduced Raskin to Burrell Smith, an equipment repair technician who had joined the company a little earlier in the same 1979. Over the course of several years, Raskin assembled a large team of developers who designed and built the original Macintosh machines and the original version of the Mac OS operating system for his computer. In addition to Raskin, Atkinson and Smith, the team included George Crow, Chris Espinosa, Joanna Hoffman, Bruce Horn, Susan Care, Andy Hertzfeld, Guy Kawasaki, Daniel Kottke and Jerry Manock.

Smith built his first Macintosh motherboard to Raskin's specifications: it had 64 kilobytes of RAM, a Motorola 6809E processor, and supported output bitmap on a monochrome display with a resolution of 256x256 pixels. Bud Tribble, another member of the Mac team, was interested in running Lisa graphics programs on a Macintosh, so he asked Smith if he could fit the Motorola 68000 processor from the Lisa into a Mac system without increasing the cost. By December 1980, Smith was able to design a board that not only carried the 68000 processor, but also supported an increased clock frequency - from 5 to 8 MHz; this motherboard could also output images to a monitor with a resolution of 384x256 pixels. Smith's design contained fewer RAM chips than the Lisa, significantly reducing production costs. The final Mac design was self-contained and featured a full QuickDraw graphics language and an interpreter in just 64 kilobytes of ROM—much larger than most other computers of the time; the machine contained 128 kilobytes of RAM in the form of sixteen 64 kilobit chips soldered onto motherboard. Although the board did not have slots for additional memory, it was possible to expand the RAM up to 512 kilobytes by wiring sixteen connectors, where it was possible to install RAM chips with a capacity of 256 kilobits instead of factory chips of 64 kilobits. The machine went into production with a built-in 9-inch diagonal monochrome monitor with a resolution of 512x342 pixels - the size of the monitor turned out to be larger than planned.

The original Mac OS in 1984 offered a radically new graphical user interface. Users communicated with the computer not through abstract text commands, but through a metaphorical desktop containing icons of real-life objects already familiar to the user

The design of the car attracted the attention of Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple. Realizing that the Macintosh had better market prospects than the Lisa, he began to focus his attention on this project. Raskin finally left the Macintosh project in 1981 due to a personal conflict with Jobs, and project member Andy Hertzfeld said that the final Macintosh design was closer to Jobs's ideas than to Raskin's. Hearing that Xerox PARC was creating breakthrough GUI technology, Jobs arranged to visit the center to take a closer look at the Xerox Alto computer and its Smalltalk development tools, offering options to buy Apple stock in return. The Lisa and Macintosh user interfaces were influenced by technologies seen at Xerox PARC and combined with the Macintosh project's own ideas. Jobs also brought in industrial designer Hartmut Esslinger to work on the Macintosh series of machines, which resulted in the creation of a special design language, Snow White; Although the language was a late arrival and did not make it into the first Mac models, it was implemented in most Apple computers released in the mid-to-late 1980s.

Regardless, Jobs' leadership of the Macintosh project did not last long; After a bitter internal struggle with the new head of the company, John Sculley, Jobs resigned from Apple in 1985. After leaving Jobs he founded another computer company NeXT, aimed at the education market, did not return until 1997, when Apple acquired NeXT.

The Macintosh 128K was produced at Apple's Fremont factory.

Released models

Latest desktop computers and PowerPC-based servers were equipped with 64-bit G5 processors, and laptops were equipped with 32-bit G4 processors. Due to the high heat generation and power consumption of the G5 processors, which IBM was never able to cope with, they were never used in laptops. This problem, as well as IBM's inability to release processors with higher clock frequency, forced Apple to begin searching for a new processor supplier. Such a supplier was found, and in 2006 Apple began the transition to Intel processors. Launch existing applications for the PowerPC platform on new computers occurred in emulation mode using Rosetta technology. By the end of 2006, the entire line of computers was switched to new processors. The Intel architecture was supported at the time by Mac OS X 10.4 only in 32-bit mode.

The transition to the OS X operating system, which is a Unix compatible OS and has officially received UNIX 0.3 certification, has expanded the choice software for Macintosh, because most programs for Unix/Linux can be run in OS X by simple recompilation or after modification.

Transition to Intel architecture

With the change in architecture, a problem of incompatibility of processor commands appeared: old applications written for PowerPC processors cannot run on Intel processors. This problem is being solved in two directions. All new applications are proposed to be released as part of the Universal binary strategy. Universal binary ), when the same code can run on both types of processors, and therefore on both old and new Macintosh computers. Old applications run on new processors through a special Rosetta command translator, which translates Intel commands to PowerPC and vice versa. For the client, this process occurs absolutely transparently, although it somewhat slows down the application. However, the Rosetta translator has some limitations, the main one being that it can only run applications written specifically for Mac OS X, that is, those created in the Cocoa or Carbon environment (a version developed specifically for Mac OS X), which makes porting easier applications from previous systems). Applications migrated from more early version operating system, Mac OS 9 (which is also called Classic), that is, not developed in the Carbon environment, cannot be launched through the Rosetta translator, therefore, they can no longer be launched on new processors. Fortunately, there are very few such applications left.

The transition to Intel processors has greatly simplified and, consequently, accelerated the work of virtual machines on which virtual operating systems are run. Moreover, the Boot Camp project has now been implemented, which allows you to install and run other operating systems on the Macintosh and boot into one of them. Windows XP and Windows Vista are already supported (both 32-bit versions and 64-bit versions for models with a 64-bit processor; drivers for all Macintosh devices have been written for this operating system), Windows 7. Linux distributions that can be adapted independently of Apple can be installed (there are no problems installing the OS, however the main problem due to lack of drivers). This initiative transforms the Macintosh into a universal computer with a variety of operating systems available for Intel processors. Rosetta was removed in Mac OS X 10.7, so applications on PowerPC will no longer run.

The lineup

Current the lineup Macintosh computers are available in several models:

MacBook Pro - professional laptops, since 2006;
MacBook Air - ultra-thin laptops, since 2008;
Mac Pro - workstation-class desktop computers;
iMac - all-in-one computers (monitor, system unit, audio-video peripherals), introduced in 1998;
Mac mini system units personal computers, since 2005;
Mac mini Server, Mac Pro Server - servers;

Criticism

Macintosh computers are often criticized due to the small selection of software for OS X, system and application, compared with its choice for Windows-based computers and, especially, systems based on the Linux kernel (for example, Ubuntu). Others, on the contrary, argue that the choice of software for OS X is much wider than for Windows, since almost all programs for the Unix platform are supported, including free programs. In practice, the comparative number of programs depends on the subject area under consideration.

Also, many critics express the opinion that the price of Macintosh computers is noticeably overpriced in comparison with computers from other manufacturers in a similar configuration.

Illustrations

Notes

Jeff Raskin. Recollections of the Macintosh project. Articles from Jef Raskin about the history of the Macintosh(1996). Archived from the original on June 24, 2012. Retrieved November 27, 2008.
Apple confidential 2.0: the definitive history of the world’s most colorful company, Owen W. Linzmayer, ISBN 978-1-59327-010-0
Andy Hertzfeld. The father of the Macintosh. folklore.org. Archived
George Crow. The Original Macintosh. folklore.org. Archived
Dan Kottke. The Original Macintosh. folklore.org. Archived from the original on June 24, 2012. Retrieved April 28, 2010.
Jerry Manock. The Original Macintosh. folklore.org. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved April 28, 2010.
Guy Kawasaki.(January 26, 2009). Archived from the original on June 24, 2012. Retrieved April 28, 2010.
Andy Hertzfeld. Five different Macintoshes. folklore.org. Archived from the original on June 24, 2012. Retrieved April 24, 2006.
Andy Hertzfeld. The End Of An Era. folklore.org. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012.
G Spector. Apple's Jobs Starts New Firm, Targets Education Market // PC Week, September 24, 1985. P. 109
Apple Computer, Inc. Finalizes Acquisition of NeXT Software Inc. . Apple (February 7, 1997). Archived from the original on January 17, 1999. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
Patents - Doug Engelbart Institute

Links

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Family

You, of course, have heard how a computer is called a personal computer or PC (PC). Only this is a general name and not all computers are united under these terms. Now in the computer market there are two main directions in creating these smart machines:

PC(PC) - open system;
Mac(Macintosh) is a closed system.

Go to category PC, include computers from many manufacturers, such as: HP ( Hewlett Packard), Dell, Asus, Acer and so on. And it all started with IBM PC, which was created in 1981. Other companies began to create similar computers, which were called IBM PC-Compatible(often shortened to RS).

And this category has a significant market share. Computers in this category belong to open systems , that is, such computers can be upgraded (replace the hard drive, video card, add RAM, etc.). Typically, such computers run on an operating system Microsoft Windows.

Mac

Go to category Mas, refer to computers made by one company, Apple Inc. First Macintosh was introduced in 1984 and was the first widely sold personal computer with Graphical Interface User, or GUI.

These computers are closed systems and run on the operating system Mac OS X. Steve Jobs believed that products produced in Apple, does not need modernization. These computers contain everything necessary for work; they are not disassembled or upgraded by ordinary users.