January 24th, 1984 Apple Computer introduced the first Macintosh Computer. It changed the way we view computers and I think it changed the world a bit.
The original Macintosh had 128kb RAM and a 400kb floppy disc. By today’s standards it was a toy at best. Yet I became the proud owner of my first Mac in March of that year, spending most of my previous summer earnings, while in college, to buy it.
I got a Mac because it spoke to me. It told me that computers were not defined by ugly green blinking prompts against a black screen that required that you know what to type after “C>_“. It told me that if you dare to be a little different you can capture people’s imagination and great change can ensue. It told me that true innovation is about making great ideas available to people in ways that delight them and matter. It told me that you have to take risk if you want to make a difference. And it told me that sometimes taking risk means making mistakes, but surround yourself with great talent, listen and learn and really important stuff will come from it.
At Plum, 23 years later, I am finding myself reminded of what my first experience with Apple and the 128k Mac taught me. When people say “Why are you doing it that way, the convention is to do things like this…” or “You can’t expect people to understand that, all these popular sites do it like this…” I take a look around and I see a lot of web applications that look like “C>_” prompts and shake my head. There has to be a better way.
We are trying to change how people share the things the stumble across, care about and need online. We are trying to change how people share knowledge and information. Funny thing is that the now infamous video that Apple used to introduced the Mac still seems apropos against that backdrop:
Happy Birthday Mac!
-hans peter