Apple Celebrates Thirty Years of Macintosh with Homepage Tribute, Visual Timeline, 'Mac 30' Video

To celebrate the debut of the original Macintosh 30 years ago today, Apple has posted a tribute on the homepage of its website, and has also created a special "Thirty Years of Mac" section accompanied by a new "Mac 30" video looking at the past and present of its signature desktop computer.

applecom_mac301

Happy Birthday, Mac.

In 1984, Apple introduced the world to Macintosh.

It was designed to be so easy to use that people could actually use it.

And it came with a promise -- that the power of technology taken from a few and put in the hands of everyone, could change the world.

That promise has been kept.

Today, we create, connect, share, and share, and learn in ways that were unimaginable 30 years ago.

Imagine what we can accomplish in the next 30 years.

The special "30 Years" section of Apple's website allows users to scroll through a visual timeline of the Macintosh's history, beginning with the first Mac in 1984 all the way to the recently released Mac Pro. Each page in the timeline is introduced by a passage on the Mac's impact on an individual or entity, such as the Macintosh II's role in the creation of computational program Mathematica by Theodore Gray or the role the MacBook Pro played in helping create online coding tutorial platform Codecademy.

applemac30_2
Pages in the visual timeline also include retrospective information on every Macintosh with photos, and are also followed by research about the most popular uses for a particular Mac. Apple also includes a page for users to input data about their first Mac, which asks questions about location and ownership. The data given by users can be found on another section that gives a visual look at what models were chosen by people as their first Mac, with live updating information.

applemac30_3
Meanwhile, the Mac 30 video on the website includes remarks about the Macintosh by notable individuals such as music composer Hans Zimmer and designer Iris van Herpen, and also features a visual look of the computer's impact in various industries.


In addition to the festivities on Apple's website, three Apple executives spoke to MacWorld about the Macintosh's illustrious history, which will be followed by ABC News airing an interview tonight with Apple CEO Tim Cook about the computer's thirtieth anniversary. Jonathan Zufi, author of the coffee table book "Iconic: A Photographic Tribute to Apple Innovation," also created a new website that includes photos of macintosh computers and portables from Apple's early years.

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Clicks Communicator Feature

'Clicks Communicator' Unveiled — Will You Carry This With Your iPhone?

Friday January 2, 2026 6:35 am PST by
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator. The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Low-Price 12.9-Inch MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Reportedly Launching Early This Year

Friday January 2, 2026 9:08 am PST by
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce. In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing." TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature Pink

Apple's 2026 Low-Cost A18 Pro MacBook: What We Know So Far

Friday January 2, 2026 4:33 pm PST by
Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, which will apparently compete with more affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Apple's most affordable Mac right now is the $999 MacBook Air, and the upcoming low-cost MacBook is expected to be cheaper. Here's what we know about the low-cost MacBook so far. Size Rumors suggest the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 ...
Apple Fitness Plus hero

Apple Announces New Fitness+ Workout Programs, Strava Challenge, and More

Friday January 2, 2026 6:43 am PST by
Apple today announced a number of updates to Apple Fitness+ and activity with the Apple Watch. The key announcements include: New Year limited-edition award: Users can win the award by closing all three Activity Rings for seven days in a row in January. "Quit Quitting" Strava challenge: Available in Strava throughout January, users who log 12 workouts anytime in the month will win an ...
Mac Pro Feature Blue

What's Happening With the Mac Pro?

Wednesday December 31, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Mac Pro since 2023, and according to recent rumors, there's no update coming in the near future. In fact, Apple might be finished with the Mac Pro. Bloomberg recently said that the Mac Pro is "on the back burner" and has been "largely written off" by Apple. Apple apparently views the more compact Mac Studio as the ideal high-end pro-level desktop, and it has almost...

Top Rated Comments

Rogifan Avatar
156 months ago
Let me guess... perhaps finally reach 4 GB of RAM on the iPhone/iPad?

You know it would be really nice if this thread could be kept snark-free. :rolleyes:
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jowie Avatar
156 months ago
This is the first computer I used that really inspired me and is the reason I do what I do today. Happy 30th Birthday, Macintosh!



:apple:
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JamonBull Avatar
156 months ago
Happy birthday, Mac! What an excellent tribute and history Apple have done on their website. Love all the press they are doing around the Mac as well. Just goes to show how much Apple still respects the Macintosh even though it isn't really the core of their profits anymore. :apple:.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mackan Avatar
156 months ago
Imagine what we can accomplish in the next 30 years.

Let me guess... perhaps finally reach 4 GB of RAM on the iPhone/iPad?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iBug2 Avatar
156 months ago
They did an amazing job with the design of the homepage.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sully54 Avatar
156 months ago
if apple ever wanted to rebrand the apple logo, this would be a great start.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)