Macintosh
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Engadget Podcast: The Mac turns 40
We look back at the history of Apple's computers as the Mac turns 40.
The Mac turns 40: How Apple Silicon cured its midlife crisis
After a tumultuous 30s, the Mac is in the strongest place it’s been for decades as it turns 40.
Ayaneo's Macintosh-inspired mini PC starts at $149 with internals to match
Ayaneo has revealed the specs and pricing for its AM01 mini PC. It's safe to say the company was inspired by the design of Apple's Macintosh.
Recommended Reading: The 15th anniversary of 'Halo 2'
When 'Halo 2' invaded planet earth Anthony John Agnello, The Ringer In the latest installment of "things that will make you feel old," Halo 2 was released on November 9, 2004 -- which makes it 15 years old. The Ringer takes an in-depth look at the game's legacy, including how it made video games a shared experience and its lasting influence on things like streaming culture. Oh yeah, it was also the best-selling entertainment (not just gaming) release of all time when it debuted. Insane.
Microsoft Office is finally available on Apple's Mac App Store
Just as Apple promised back at WWDC last year, Microsoft's Office 365 suite is finally available on the Mac App Store today. It's pretty much what you'd expect: the entire collection of apps, including Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, OneNote and OneDrive, all purchasable within a few clicks on the store. You can also subscribe to Office 365 from within the apps, as you'd expect. Notably, it's the first time Apple has offered a bundle of software on the Mac App Store -- a surprisingly late addition for the company that helped popularize the concept of centralized software downloads.
You can finally stream Xbox One games to your Mac
Before now, if you fancied playing console games on your Mac, you'd need to use PlayStation 4's Remote Play to do so. Windows 10 users have been able to stream Xbox One titles to their PCs since 2015, but macOS users have been out of luck. A new $10 app called OneCast, however, has apparently figured out how to get your Xbox One games streaming to your Mac.
Latest Adobe Flash vulnerability allowed hackers to plant malware
Adobe Flash may be on its way out, but apparently, its goodbye tour is going to be marred by security issues just as the software has for most of its existence. Kaspersky Labs reports that a new Adobe Flash vulnerability was exploited by a group called BlackOasis, which used it to plant malware on computers across a number of countries. Kaspersky says the group appears to be interested in Middle Eastern politics, United Nations officials, opposition activists and journalists, and BlackOasis victims have so far been located in Russia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Libya, Jordan, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, the Netherlands, Bahrain, United Kingdom and Angola.
Third-party Twitter client Twitterrific is back on macOS
Twitterrific has been through quite a few iterations.The Iconfactory's first third-party Twitter client originally launched for Mac then languished (thanks in part to Twitter's user caps) while the company focused all its efforts on an iOS version. That was pretty sad for the company that originated the term "Tweet." In February of this year, however, the developer took to Kickstarter to fund the development of an all-new macOS Twitter client. The project is now a reality: Twitterrific for macOS is available for $20 in the Mac App Store.
Tech Hunters: Rediscovering the Macintosh
Apple may now be the world's biggest technology company, but in the eighties, its position wasn't so secure. The PC was market was small, albeit growing fast, and IBM's perceived dominance had Cupertino worried. Back then, computers were clunky and demanded a steep learning curve. Apple knew things had to change. "Insanely great" were the words Steve Jobs used when he introduced the first Mac, the Macintosh 128K, at the company's annual general meeting on January 24th, 1984. Not everyone agreed with Jobs' declaration at the time, but there's absolutely no denying that the computer helped define the PCs of today.
Iconic NY store's extensive Mac collection is up for auction
Tekserve, a landmark New York City Apple dealer and repair center for 29 years, closed this week and is auctioning off its huge collection of computers and other tech. The centerpiece is a 35-piece (mostly) Macintosh collection from its Mac Museum, which only includes groundbreaking or special models and "consciously omits variants." Highlights include a 128K Macintosh signed by Steve Wozniak, a Lisa and a NeXTcube. So far, the top bid is $31,000.
This Redditor stumbled upon a hidden porn game on an '80s Mac
Think about the last time you bought something off of Craigslist. Was it a computer? Did you happen to find anything ancient and awesome on it? Most might shudder to think what could be procured from older tech these days, but one Redditor lucked out when they purchased an old 1980s Macintosh SE to flip into a working computer.
Relive the history of computing at 'The Interface Experience'
At a time when devices are faster and slimmer than ever, a collection of bulky old computers can be amusing yet surprisingly evocative. The Interface Experience, an exhibition at the Bard Graduate Center's Focus Gallery in New York, brings on a rush of nostalgia with a ton of vintage machines. Kimon Keramidas, curator and director of the digital media lab, hopes that an interaction with aging technology will make people think critically about their current devices. Unlike the objects that are off-limits behind a glass wall in a museum, the machines at the exhibit are open and quite alive. They've been overhauled with custom programs to initiate a three-way exchange with the user, the software and the hardware.
Susan Kare selling replicas of the Mac team's "pirate flag"
If the interior components of the original Macintosh were the heart of the device, then many of the graphic elements designed by Susan Kare were its soul. Kare designed fonts for the Mac, created many of the icons that graced the Mac for many years, and is even responsible for the Command Key symbol that's still on Apple keyboards. She also painted a skull and crossbones on a black "pirate flag" that flew over the Mac team's original office that embodied a Steve Jobs slogan -- "It's better to be a pirate than join the navy." Kare is now selling custom replicas of the pirate flag, perfect for that someone special on your holiday shopping list. The original flag is part of the Macintosh legend. The team moved into its own office building on the Cupertino campus, and programmer Steve Capps sewed together a black flag, asking Kare to paint a skull and crossbones on it. The left eye of the skull? The rainbow Apple logo of the time, of course. The replica flags won't be cheap: Kare's asking US$1,900 for one that is 3 feet by 5 feet in size, or $2,500 for a 4 by 6 foot version. But they're bona fide custom artworks, each hand painted and signed by Kare. Oh, and by the way... if you happen to feel like buying your favorite TUAW blogger this flag for Christmas, I sure wouldn't turn it down.
In this 1996 video Apple talked incredibly polite trash about Windows 95
The debate between PC and Mac users over which system is better will likely never end, but since the fight rages on, we might as well enjoy its finer moments -- like this video Apple produced in 1996 talking polite trash about the Windows 95 operating system. Over the course of 26 minutes Apple's Mike Bobrowicz makes the case against Windows 95. You want to install a new hard drive on your Windows PC? Oh hell, you don't even know how hard that's going to be. Well, surely your PC can use a Mac-formatted disc? You're going to be sadly disappointed. Can you talk to your Windows 95 PC? Mac is ready and listening right now, in a way that (to be honest) wasn't nearly as useful as the video makes it seem like it was. This is easily the most polite trash talk ever released. If you enjoy cheesy vintage computer videos, pour yourself a nice drink and revel in the glory of 18-year-old technology.
1985 Macintosh Office ad reminds us how much space software used to take up
"Now there are more than 500 software programs for the Macintosh Office, so no matter what business you're in, you're in business." In just one sentence this 1985 Macintosh Office ad explained to viewers why it was going to change the way they worked on a computer. In 2014 this ad sends a dramatically different message: "Holy crap, isn't it great that we don't have to keep track of giant boxes of software anymore?"
This 1987 Australian Macintosh commercial is like a mini Mad Men
There's a bizarre charm to the mini dramas of Apple's commercials from the 1980s, and this Australian Macintosh clip is no exception. "The Manager" is fifty-seven seconds of corporate melodrama, like a soap opera you might experience on the AMC hit Mad Men. Our hero, known only as Frank, is cornered by his smarmy manager, who chides him for not going to a cocktail hour the previous night. Little does Frank's manager know that Frank was up all night working on a presentation using his Macintosh. Frank's manager doesn't know what hit him. If only such teetotaling solutions worked at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. You can watch the entire clip below.
Susan Kare discusses icon design
Iconographer and graphic designer Susan Kare is a graphic designer and was a member of the original Macintosh team. Susan created -- if you'll forgive me -- some of the most iconic images in the history of personal computing, including the "Happy Mac," its companion the Sad Mac, the original Macintosh trash can and so much more, including the original Macintosh typeface. Susan recently gave a talk at the eighth e.g. Conference, and shared some of her history. There's a lot to love for Apple fans, including the story of her five-minute interview with Andy Hertzfeld, which ended with him asking Susan when she could start, as well as the birth of the symbol on the Command Key. Unlike some others, that icon is still in use at Apple. My favorite bit is her explanation for the Sad Mac and Bomb icons (above). "I designed them they way I did," she says, "because I was told they would never be seen by anyone." Well, not quite. It's a fantastic talk with lots of Apple history and thoughtful design, and definitely worth your time to watch.
Best. Bumper Sticker. Ever
Don't you just love this vintage bumper sticker? Apple should bring these back -- I know I would buy one for every car I own and a few more for my friends. Photograph by Damian Ward of Flickr. You can contribute to our Flickr pool here. We'd love to see your photos.
Meet Siri's great grandfather
Siri is the most recognizable face -- er, voice -- of Apple's faux sentient virtual assistants these days, but let's take a moment to remember one of the company's best efforts at voice recognition from yesteryear. He didn't ever seem to have a name aside from simply "Macintosh," but he lived in the corner of your screen and could to a number of nifty things, including opening files and shutting down the computer. For a look at the little man in action, check out this Macintosh ad from the mid-nineties, and be sure to listen for the short, robotic "Goodbye" at the end. You may even gain a greater appreciation for the faceless assistant that lives inside your iPhone.
Apple fandom starts at a young age
You may have seen this endearing photo circulating across the web before; just your run-of-the-mill shot of an enterprising young kid with MacGyver-like skills immersed in the world of vintage Macintosh. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, and TinEye.com in particular, I was able to track down the original uploader of the photo and get a little bit of backstory to the cute picture that, it must be pointed out, was not staged. The photo was originally uploaded to Flickr on February 19, 2008 by Jeff Jackson, who provided me with some interesting details about how the photo came to be. Some people assume the photo is old but a few clues give it away. I took it several years ago and that's my son Will. He's about to turn 7. ... He loves computers like I do. I was working at a sporting goods store at the time and brought my Plus in after hours to play with. I turned around and saw that he had pulled open a drawer and was standing there playing. I had my camera there so I took the picture. A resourceful little guy who knows quality when he sees it. Incidentally, as a self-proclaimed Apple nerd, Jackson says he prefers the older 680x0 Macs, "especially this Plus with Hyperdrive." I guess it runs in the family.
