Nostalgia | Memories | Technology

The Apple Macintosh Was Launched 40 Years Ago but I Knew Little About It Until Two Years Later

I got into the Mac because my first boss also had a printing firm

I took this old and grainy photo in 1994. You can see my Mac SE on a makeshift table

I wish I could tell you how excited I was when Apple launched the Macintosh computer on 24 January 1984, but I can’t.

With months left before my final exams at high school, it was probably just an ordinary Tuesday for the 15-year-old me.

However, I’d already gained some experience with Apple computers thanks to my computer studies class having Apple II machines.

After high school, I studied electronics at a technical college. They also had Apple II series computers — but again, no Macs.

My first boss happened to be a Mac user

The Mac did not have a large market share in the mid-80s, but it was more common in some industries such as graphic design and desktop publishing.

After starting work just before my 18th birthday in 1986, I discovered my first employer was a big fan of Apple products.

I was there to do electronics and it was nice to see familiar Apple II machines dotted around the place…