Celebrating 20 Years of the Mac
Line Revolutionized Computer Design, Ease of Use

Talk of the Nation audio

Photo Gallery: 20 Years of the Mac

The original Apple Macintosh Credit: old-computers.com

Ridley Scott's 1984 commercial Credit: Courtesy of Apple

Video: Introducing the Apple Macintosh The ad now on Apple's Web site is identical to the original except in one detail: she's wearing an iPod. Apple's 1984 Super Bowl spot

Jan. 20, 2004 -- As fans watched the 1984 Super Bowl, a stark commercial directed by Ridley Scott appeared on the screen. In the spot, a female athlete smashes a large screen projecting the image of an autocratic Big Brother. With that 45-second advertisement, Apple Computer introduced the Macintosh, a line that would come to revolutionize computer design and functionality.

Over the years, the small beige box has undergone numerous transformations (think Bondi blue, ruby and sage.) Macintosh design has influenced everything from paper-clip holders to vacuums. NPR's Neal Conan and guests look at the 20-year history of the Macintosh and discuss how a 17-pound cube, a mouse and a smiley face changed the face of computing.

Guests:

Jef Raskin, creator of the Macintosh and author of multiple books, including The Humane Interface: New Directions for Designing Interactive Systems

Steven Levy, senior editor and columnist for Newsweek magazine and author of Insanely Great: The Life and Times of Macintosh, the Computer That Changed Everything

Lance Ulanoff, executive editor and columnist for the online version of PC Magazine

Related NPR Stories

Day to Day: The Mac Turns 20

Apple i-Tunes Expands to PCs

Andrei Codrescu on MacWorld

A First Look at OS X

The End of Happy Mac

Apple's G-4 Super Computer

1997: Microsoft Invests in Apple Computer

1997: Apple Turns Back to Steve Jobs

Web Resources

Jef Raskin's Web Site

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