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{{Otheruses|McIntosh}}
[[Image:Macintosh 128k transparency.png|thumb|The [[Macintosh 128K|original Macintosh]], the first commercially successful personal computer to use images, rather than text, to interface with the user.]]
[[File:Imac 16-9.png|thumb|The newest revision of the [[iMac]], Apple's mid-range computer since 1998.]]

The '''Macintosh''', or '''Mac''', is a series of several lines of [[personal computer]]s designed, developed, and marketed by [[Apple Inc.]] The [[Macintosh 128K|first Macintosh]] was introduced on [[January 24]] [[1984]]; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a [[Mouse (computing)|mouse]] and a [[graphical user interface]] rather than a [[command-line interface]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Polsson|first=Ken|url=http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/applehis/appl1984.htm|title=Chronology of Apple Computer Personal Computers|date=2009-07-29|accessdate=2009-08-27}} See May 3, 1984.</ref>

Through the second half of the 1980s, the company built market share only to see it dissipate in the 1990s as the personal computer market shifted towards [[IBM PC compatible]] machines running [[MS-DOS]] and [[Microsoft Windows]]. Apple consolidated multiple consumer-level desktop models into the [[iMac G3|1998 iMac]] all-in-one, which was a sales success and saw the Macintosh brand revitalized.<ref>{{cite web|last=Edwards|first=Benj|url=http://www.macworld.com/article/135017/2008/08/imacanniversary.html|title=Eight ways the iMac changed computing|publisher=[[Macworld]]|date=2008-08-15|accessdate=2009-08-27}}</ref> Current Mac systems are mainly targeted at the home, education, and creative professional markets. They are: the aforementioned (though upgraded) [[iMac]] and the entry-level [[Mac mini]] [[Desktop computer|desktop models]], the [[workstation]]-level [[Mac Pro]] tower, the [[MacBook]], [[MacBook Air]] and [[MacBook Pro]] [[laptop]]s, and the [[Xserve]] [[server (computing)|server]].

Production of the Mac is based on a [[vertical integration]] model in that Apple facilitates all aspects of its [[hardware]] and creates its own [[operating system]] that is pre-installed on all Mac computers. This is in contrast to most [[IBM PC compatible]]s, where multiple sellers create hardware intended to run another company's operating software. Apple exclusively produces Mac hardware, choosing [[Desktop computer#Components|internal systems]], [[industrial design|designs]], and prices. Apple does use third party components, however. Current Mac [[Central processing unit|CPU]]s use [[Intel]]'s [[x86 architecture]]; models from 1994-2006 used the [[AIM alliance]]'s [[PowerPC]] and models from 1984-1994 used [[Motorola]]'s [[68k]]. Apple also develops the operating system for the Mac, currently [[Mac OS X]] version [[Mac OS X v10.6|10.6 "Snow Leopard"]]. The modern Mac, like other personal computers, is capable of running alternative operating systems such as [[Linux]], [[FreeBSD]], and, in the case of Intel-based Macs, [[Microsoft Windows]]. However, Apple does not [[Software license agreement|license]] Mac OS X for use on non-Apple computers.

==History==
{{See also|History of Apple}}

===1979 to 1984: Development===

[[Image:Mac Design Team.jpg|thumb|250px|Part of the original Macintosh design team, as seen on the cover of ''Revolution in the Valley.''<br/><small>Left to right: [[George Crow]], [[Joanna Hoffman]], [[Burrell Smith]], [[Andy Hertzfeld]], a Macintosh, [[Bill Atkinson]], [[Jerry Manock]].</small>]]
The Macintosh project started in the late 1970s with [[Jef Raskin]], an Apple employee, who envisioned an easy-to-use, low-cost computer for the average consumer. He wanted to name the computer after his favorite type of apple, the [[McIntosh (apple)|McIntosh]], but the name had to be changed for legal reasons.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mxmora.best.vwh.net/JefRaskin.html |title=Recollections of the Macintosh project |accessdate=2008-11-27 |author=Jef Raskin |year=1996 |work=Articles from Jef Raskin about the history of the Macintosh.}}</ref> In September 1979, Raskin was authorized to start hiring for the project, and he began to look for an engineer who could put together a prototype. [[Bill Atkinson]], a member of Apple's [[Apple Lisa|Lisa]] team (which was developing a similar but higher-end computer), introduced him to [[Burrell Smith]], a service technician who had been hired earlier that year. Over the years, Raskin assembled a large development team that designed and built the original Macintosh [[hardware]] and [[Computer software|software]]; besides Raskin, Atkinson and Smith, the team included [[Chris Espinosa]], [[Joanna Hoffman]], [[George Crow]], [[Bruce Horn]], [[Jerry Manock]], [[Susan Kare]], [[Andy Hertzfeld]], and [[Daniel Kottke]].

Smith’s first Macintosh board was built to Raskin’s design specifications: it had 64&nbsp;[[kilobytes]] (KB) of [[Random Access Memory|RAM]], used the [[Motorola]] [[Motorola 6809|6809E]] [[microprocessor]], and was capable of supporting a 256×256 [[pixel]] [[black-and-white]] [[Raster graphics|bitmap]] display. [[Bud Tribble]], a Macintosh programmer, was interested in running the Lisa’s graphical programs on the Macintosh, and asked Smith whether he could incorporate the Lisa’s [[Motorola 68000]] microprocessor into the Mac while still keeping the production cost down. By December 1980, Smith had succeeded in designing a board that not only used the 68000, but bumped its speed from 5 to 8&nbsp;[[megahertz]] (MHz); this board also had the capacity to support a 384×256 pixel display. Smith’s design used fewer RAM chips than the Lisa, which made production of the board significantly more cost-efficient. The final Mac design was self-contained and had the complete [[QuickDraw]] picture language and interpreter in 64 Kb of [[read-only memory|ROM]] - far more than most other computers; it had 128&nbsp;KB of RAM, in the form of sixteen 64&nbsp;[[kilobit]] (Kb) RAM chips [[solder]]ed to the [[motherboard|logicboard]]. Though there were no memory slots, its RAM was expandable to 512&nbsp;KB by means of soldering sixteen chip sockets to accept 256&nbsp;Kb RAM chips in place of the factory-installed chips. The final product's screen was a 9-inch, 512x342 pixel [[monochrome]] display, exceeding the prototypes.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hertzfeld|first=Andy|publisher=Folklore.org|authorlink=Andy Hertzfeld|url=http://www.folklore.org/StoryView.py?story=Five_Different_Macs.txt|title=Five different Macintoshes| accessdate = 2006-04-24}}</ref>

[[Image:Apple Macintosh Desktop.png|thumb|left|The original 1984 [[Mac OS history|Mac OS]] desktop featured a radically new [[graphical user interface]]. Users communicated with the computer not through abstract lines of [[Source code|code]] but rather using a [[Desktop metaphor|metaphorical desktop]] that included items that the user was already familiar with.]]
The design caught the attention of [[Steve Jobs]], co-founder of Apple. Realizing that the Macintosh was more marketable than the Lisa, he began to focus his attention on the project. Raskin finally left the Macintosh project in 1981 over a personality conflict with Jobs, and the final Macintosh design is said to be closer to Jobs’ ideas than Raskin’s.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hertzfeld|first=Andy|authorlink=Andy Hertzfeld|url=http://www.folklore.org/StoryView.py?story=The_Father_of_The_Macintosh.txt|publisher=Folklore.org|title=The father of the Macintosh| accessdate = 2006-04-24}}</ref> After hearing of the pioneering GUI technology being developed at [[Xerox PARC]], Jobs had negotiated a visit to see the [[Xerox Alto]] computer and [[Smalltalk]] development tools in exchange for Apple stock options. The Lisa and Macintosh user interfaces were partially influenced by technology seen at Xerox PARC and were combined with the Macintosh group's own ideas.<ref>{{cite web|last=Horn|first=Bruce|url=http://www.folklore.org/StoryView.py?project=Macintosh&story=On_Xerox,_Apple_and_Progress.txt|publisher=Folklore.org|title=On Xerox, Apple and Progress| accessdate = 2007-02-03}}</ref> Jobs also commissioned industrial designer [[Hartmut Esslinger]] to work on the Macintosh line, resulting in the [[Snow White design language|"Snow White" design language]]; although it came too late for the earliest Macs, it was implemented in most other mid- to late-1980s Apple computers.<ref>{{cite web|last=Tracy|first=Ed|url=http://www.landsnail.com/apple/local/design/design2.html|title=History of computer design: Snow White|publisher=Landsnail.com|accessdate=2006-04-24}}</ref> However, Jobs’ leadership at the Macintosh project didn't last; after an internal power struggle with new CEO [[John Sculley]], Jobs angrily resigned from Apple in 1985, went on to found [[NeXT]], another computer company, and did not return until 1997.

===1984: Introduction===
[[Image:Ad apple 1984.jpg|right|thumb|[[1984 (television commercial)|This television commercial]], first aired during [[Super Bowl XVIII]], launched the original Macintosh.]]
The [[Macintosh 128k]] was announced to the press in October 1983, followed by an 18-page brochure included with various magazines in December.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.digibarn.com/collections/ads/apple-mac/index.htm|title=Apple Macintosh 18 Page Brochure|publisher=DigiBarn Computer Museum|accessdate=2006-04-24}}</ref> The Macintosh was introduced by the now famous US$1.5 million [[Ridley Scott]] television commercial, "[[1984 (television commercial)|1984]]".<ref name="appleconfidential2">{{cite book
| last = Linzmayer
| first = Owen W.
| title = Apple Confidential 2.0
| publisher = No Starch Press
| year = 2004
| pages = 113
| url = www.owenink.com
| doi =
| id =
| isbn = 1-59327-010-0 }}</ref> The commercial most notably aired during the third quarter of [[Super Bowl XVIII]] on [[22 January]], [[1984]] and is now considered a "watershed event"<ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/kevinmaney/2004-01-28-maney_x.htm Apple's '1984' Super Bowl commercial still stands as watershed event]</ref> and a "masterpiece."<ref name=masterpiece>{{cite web
|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/02/02/eye.ent.commercials/
|title= Why 2006 isn't like '1984'
|accessdate= 2008-05-10
|author=
|last=Leopold
|first=Todd
|authorlink=
|coauthors=
|date= [[3 February]] [[2006]]
|work=
|publisher=[[CNN]]
}}</ref> ''1984'' used an unnamed heroine to represent the coming of the Macintosh (indicated by a [[Pablo Picasso|Picasso]]-style picture of [[Apple Computer|Apple]]’s [[Apple Macintosh|Macintosh]] computer on her white [[Sleeveless shirt|tank top]]) as a means of saving humanity from "conformity" ([[Big Brother (1984)|Big Brother]]).<ref name=cellini>{{cite web
|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb197/is_200401/ai_n5556112
|title= The Story Behind Apple's '1984' TV commercial: Big Brother at 20
|accessdate= 2008-05-09
|author=
|last=Cellini
|first=Adelia
|authorlink=
|coauthors=
|month=January | year=2004
|work= [[MacWorld]] 21.1, page 18
|publisher=
}}</ref> These images were an [[allusion]] to [[George Orwell]]'s noted novel, ''[[Nineteen Eighty-Four]],'' which described a [[dystopia|dystopian future]] ruled by a televised "[[Big Brother (1984)|Big Brother]]."

Two days after the 1984 ad aired, the Macintosh went on sale. It came bundled with two applications designed to show off its interface: [[MacWrite]] and [[MacPaint]]. When it was first demonstrated by Steve Jobs in the first of his famous Mac Keynote speeches the computer drew the phrase "Macintosh, insanely great!" and told a joke using text-to-speech.<ref>{{web cite|url=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8631701936876784775&q=steve+jobs|title=Macintosh introduction 1984}}</ref> Although the Mac garnered an immediate, enthusiastic following, some labeled it a mere "[[toy]]." Because the machine was entirely designed around the GUI, existing text-mode and [[command line interface|command-driven applications]] had to be redesigned and the programming code rewritten; this was a time consuming task that many [[software developer]]s chose not to undertake, and resulted in an initial lack of software for the new system. In April 1984 [[Microsoft]]'s [[MultiPlan]] migrated over from [[MS-DOS]], followed by [[Microsoft Word]] in January 1985.<ref name = "hotwyu">{{cite web|url=http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/applehis/appl1984.htm|title=Chronology of Apple Computer Personal Computers|author=Polsson, Ken|accessdate=2007-11-18}}</ref> In 1985, [[Lotus Software]] introduced [[Lotus Jazz]] after the success of [[Lotus 1-2-3]] for the [[IBM PC]], although it was largely a flop.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?page_id=8241|title=Whatever Happened to Lotus Jazz?|author=Dvorak, John|accessdate=2007-01-21|date=2006-11-26|publisher=Dvorak Uncensored}}</ref> Apple introduced [[Macintosh Office]] the same year with the [[Lemmings (television commercial)|lemmings ad]]. Infamous for insulting its own potential customers, it was not successful.<ref name="Worst Business"/>

[[Image:Apple-Macintosh.jpg|thumb|250px|The Apple Macintosh Plus at the [[Röhsska Museum|Design Museum]] in [[Gothenburg]], [[Sweden]].]]

For a special post-election edition of ''[[Newsweek]]'' in November 1984, Apple spent more than US$2.5 million to buy all 39 of the advertising pages in the issue.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.guidebookgallery.org/ads/magazines/macos/macos10-newsweek|title=1984 ''Newsweek'' Macintosh ads|publisher=GUIdebook, [[Newsweek]]|accessdate=2006-04-24}}</ref> Apple also ran a “Test Drive a Macintosh” promotion, in which potential buyers with a credit card could take home a Macintosh for 24 hours and return it to a dealer afterwards. While 200,000 people participated, dealers disliked the promotion, the supply of computers was insufficient for demand, and many were returned in such a bad shape that they could no longer be sold. This marketing campaign caused CEO John Sculley to raise the price from [[United States dollar|US$]]1,995 to US$2,495 (adjusting for inflation, about $5,000 in 2007).<ref name="Worst Business">{{cite web|url=http://www.osnews.com/story/16036/Apples-Worst-Business-Decisions/|title=Apple's Worst Business Decisions|author=Hormby, Thomas|publisher=OS News|accessdate=2007-12-24|date=2006-10-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl|title=Inflation Calculator|publisher=[[Bureau of Labor Statistics]]|accessdate=2007-12-18}}</ref>

===1985 to 1989: Desktop publishing era===
In 1985, the combination of the Mac, Apple’s [[LaserWriter]] printer, and Mac-specific software like Boston Software’s [[MacPublisher]] and [[Adobe PageMaker|Aldus PageMaker]] enabled users to design, preview, and print page layouts complete with text and graphics—an activity to become known as [[desktop publishing]]. Initially, desktop publishing was unique to the Macintosh, but eventually became available for [[IBM PC compatible|IBM PC]] users as well. Later, applications such as Macromedia FreeHand, [[QuarkXPress]], [[Adobe Photoshop]], and [[Adobe Illustrator]] strengthened the Mac’s position as a graphics computer and helped to expand the emerging desktop publishing market.

The limitations of the first Mac soon became clear: it had very little memory, even compared with other personal computers in 1984, and could not be expanded easily; and it lacked a [[hard disk drive]] or the means to attach one easily. In October 1985, Apple increased the Mac’s memory to 512&nbsp;KB, but it was inconvenient and difficult to expand the memory of a 128&nbsp;KB Mac. In an attempt to improve connectivity, Apple released the [[Macintosh Plus]] on [[January 10]], [[1986]] for US$2,600. It offered one [[megabyte]] of RAM, expandable to four, and a then-revolutionary [[SCSI]] parallel interface, allowing up to seven peripherals—such as hard drives and scanners—to be attached to the machine. Its [[Macintosh External Disk Drive|floppy drive]] was increased to an 800&nbsp;[[Kilobyte|KB]] capacity. The Mac Plus was an immediate success and remained in production, unchanged, until [[October 15]], [[1990]]; on sale for just over four years and ten months, it was the longest-lived Macintosh in Apple's history.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=282&st=1|title=Apple Macintosh Plus|accessdate=2007-12-23|publisher=Old Computers On-line Museum}}</ref>

[[Image:MacII.jpg|thumb|The [[Macintosh II]], one of the first expandable Macintosh models.]]
The primary improvement in the Macintosh II was Color [[QuickDraw]] in ROM, a color version of the graphics language which was the heart of the machine. Among the many innovations in Color QuickDraw were an ability to handle any display size, any color depth, and multiple monitors. Other issues remained, particularly the low processor speed and limited graphics ability, which had hobbled the Mac’s ability to make inroads into the business computing market. Updated Motorola CPUs made a faster machine possible, and in 1987 Apple took advantage of the new Motorola technology and introduced the [[Macintosh II]], which used a {{nowrap|16 MHz}} [[Motorola 68020]] processor.

The Macintosh II marked the start of a new direction for the Macintosh, as now, for the first time, it had an open architecture, with several expansion slots, support for color graphics, and a modular break-out design similar to that of the IBM PC and inspired by Apple’s other line, the expandable Apple II series. It had an internal hard drive and a power supply with a fan, which was initially fairly loud.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=160|title=Apple Macintosh II|accessdate=2007-12-23|publisher=Old Computers On-line Museum}}</ref> One third-party developer sold a device to regulate fan speed based on a heat sensor, but it voided the warranty.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=4648&coll=ap|title=Macintosh II Family: Fan Regulator Voids Warranty|accessdate=2007-12-23|publisher=Apple Inc.|date=1992-07-02}}</ref> Later Macintosh computers had quieter power supplies and hard drives.

In September 1986 Apple introduced the Macintosh Programmer's Workshop, or [[Macintosh Programmer's Workshop|MPW]] that allowed software developers to create software for Macintosh on Macintosh, rather than cross-developing from a Lisa. In August 1987 Apple unveiled [[HyperCard]], and introduced [[MultiFinder]], which added cooperative multitasking to the Macintosh. In the Fall Apple bundled both with every Macintosh.

The [[Macintosh SE]] was released at the same time as the Macintosh II, as the first [[Compact Macintosh|compact Mac]] with a 20&nbsp;MB internal hard drive<ref>{{cite web|url=http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=112167|title=Macintosh SE: Technical Specifications|accessdate=2007-12-23|publisher=Apple Inc.|date=2002-03-14}}</ref><ref name="lemSE">[http://www.lowendmac.com/compact/macintosh-se.html Mac SE at LowEndMac]</ref> and one expansion slot. The SE also updated [[Jerry Manock]] and Terry Oyama's original design and shared the Macintosh II's ''[[Snow White design language|Snow White]]'' design language, as well as the new [[Apple Desktop Bus]] (ADB) [[Apple Mouse#Apple Desktop Bus Mouse (G5431/A9M0331)|mouse]] and [[Apple Keyboard#Apple Keyboard (M0116)|keyboard]] that had first appeared on the [[Apple IIGS|Apple II<small>GS</small>]] some months earlier.

In 1987, Apple spun off its software business as [[Claris]]. It was given the code and rights to several applications that had been written within Apple, notably MacWrite, MacPaint, and [[MacProject]]. In the late 1980s, Claris released a number of revamped software titles; the result was the “Pro” series, including MacPaint Pro, MacDraw Pro, MacWrite Pro, and FileMaker Pro. To provide a complete office suite, Claris purchased the rights to the [[Informix Wingz]] [[spreadsheet]] on the Mac, renaming it [[Claris Resolve]], and added the new presentation software [[Claris Impact]]. By the early 1990s, Claris applications were shipping with the majority of consumer-level Macintoshes and were extremely popular. In 1991, Claris released [[AppleWorks|ClarisWorks]], which soon became their second best-selling application. When Claris was reincorporated back into Apple in 1998, ClarisWorks was renamed AppleWorks beginning with version 5.0.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=MIT Project on Mathematics and Computation|url=http://www-swiss.ai.mit.edu/~bob/clarisworks.php|title=A Brief History of ClarisWorks|accessdate=2007-12-24|year=2003|author=Hearm, Bob}}</ref>

[[Image:Macintosh portable.jpg|thumb|The [[Macintosh Portable]] was Apple's first portable Macintosh. It was available from 1989 to 1991 and could run [[System 6]] and [[System 7]].]]<!--Placed above mention in text for formatting.-->
In 1988, Apple [[Apple Computer, Inc. v. Microsoft Corp.|sued]] Microsoft and [[Hewlett-Packard]] on the grounds that they infringed Apple’s copyrighted GUI, citing (among other things) the use of rectangular, overlapping, and resizable windows. After four years, the case was decided against Apple, as were later [[United States court of appeals|appeals]]. Apple’s actions were criticized by some in the software community, including the [[Free Software Foundation]] (FSF), who felt Apple was trying to monopolize on GUIs in general, and boycotted GNU software for the Macintosh platform for seven years.<ref>{{cite journal|author=[[Free Software Foundation]]|title=Special Report: Apple's New Look and Feel|url=http://www.gnu.org/bulletins/bull5.html#SEC9|journal=GNU's Bulletin|volume=1|issue=5|date= 1988-06-11 |accessdate=2006-04-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author=[[Free Software Foundation]]|title=End of Apple Boycott|url=http://www.gnu.org/bulletins/bull18.html#SEC13|journal=GNU's Bulletin|volume=1|issue=18|date=1995-01|accessdate=2006-04-25}}</ref>

With the new [[Motorola 68030]] processor came the [[Macintosh IIx]] in 1988, which had benefited from internal improvements, including an on-board [[memory management unit|MMU]]. It was followed in 1989 by a more compact version with fewer slots (the [[Macintosh IIcx]]) and a version of the Mac SE powered by the {{nowrap|16 MHz}} 68030 (the [[Macintosh SE/30]], breaking the existing naming convention to avoid the name "SEx"). Later that year, the [[Macintosh IIci]], running at {{nowrap|25 MHz}}, was the first Mac to be “[[Mac OS memory management#32-bit clean|32-bit clean]],” allowing it to natively support more than 8&nbsp;MB of RAM, unlike its predecessors, which had “32-bit dirty” ROMs (8 of the 32&nbsp;bits available for addressing were used for OS-level [[Flag (computing)|flags]]). [[System 7 (Macintosh)|System 7]] was the first Macintosh operating system to support 32-bit addressing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lowendmac.com/trouble/32bit.shtml|title=32-bit Addressing on Older Macs|accessdate=2007-12-24|date=2001-01|publisher=Low End Mac|author=Knight, Dan}}</ref> Apple also introduced the [[Macintosh Portable]], a {{nowrap|16 MHz}} 68000 machine with an active matrix [[Active-matrix liquid crystal display|flat panel display]] that was [[Backlight|backlit]] on some models.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=112174|title=Macintosh Portable: Technical Specifications|date=2002-03-14|accessdate=2007-12-24|publisher=Apple Inc.}}</ref> The following year the [[Macintosh IIfx]], starting at US$9,900, was unveiled. Apart from its fast {{nowrap|40 MHz}} [[Motorola 68030|68030]] processor, it had significant internal architectural improvements, including faster memory and two [[MOS Technology 6502|Apple II-era CPU]]s dedicated to [[Input/output|I/O]] processing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=5215&coll=ap|title=Macintosh IIfx: Overview|date=1992-07-14|accessdate=2007-12-24|publisher=Apple Inc.}}</ref>

===1990 to 1998: Growth and decline===
[[Image:Macintosh classic.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Macintosh Classic]], Apple's early 1990s budget model.]]
[[Windows 3.0|Microsoft Windows 3.0]], which began to approach the Macintosh operating system in both performance and feature set, was released in May 1990 and was a usable, less expensive alternative to the Macintosh platform. Apple's response was to introduce a range of relatively inexpensive Macs in October 1990. The [[Macintosh Classic]], essentially a less expensive version of the Macintosh Plus, sold for US$999,<ref name=lesscostlyMacClassic>Fisher, Lawrence M. ([[1990-10-15]]). [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CEFD9163CF936A25753C1A966958260 Less-Costly Apple Line To Be Presented Today]. ''[[The New York Times]].'' Retrieved on [[January 16]], [[2008]].</ref> making it the least expensive Mac until early 2001. The 68020-powered [[Macintosh LC]], in its distinctive “[[Pizza box form factor|pizza box]]” case, was available for US$1800; it offered color graphics and was accompanied by a new, low-cost 512 × 384 pixel monitor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=112178|title=Macintosh LC: Technical Specifications|publisher=Apple Inc.|accessdate=2007-12-26|date=2007-06-13}}</ref> The [[Macintosh IIsi]], essentially a {{nowrap|20 MHz}} IIci with only one expansion slot, cost US$2500.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=112177|title=Macintosh IIsi: Technical Specifications|publisher=Apple Inc.|accessdate=2007-12-26|date=2007-06-13}}</ref> All three machines sold well,<ref>Fisher, Lawrence M. ([[1991-01-18]]). "[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE2DA163BF93BA25752C0A967958260 I.B.M. Surprises Wall Street With Strong Quarterly Net; Apple Posts 20.6% Rise]". ''The New York Times.'' Retrieved on [[2008-01-16]].</ref> although Apple’s profit margin was considerably lower than on earlier machines.<ref name=lesscostlyMacClassic />

[[Image:Macintosh System 7.5.3 screenshot.png|thumb|left|[[System 7 (Macintosh)|System 7]] was the first major upgrade of the Macintosh operating system.]]
[[File:MacOS8.6.jpg|thumb|left|[[Mac OS 8|OS 8]] was the second major upgrade of the Mac OS. OS 8.6 shown.]]
The year 1991 saw the much-anticipated release of [[System 7 (Macintosh)|System 7]], a [[32-bit]] rewrite of the [[Mac OS|Macintosh operating system]] that improved its handling of color graphics, memory addressing, networking, and [[co-operative multitasking]], and introduced [[virtual memory]]. Later that year, Apple introduced the [[Macintosh Quadra]] 700<ref>{{cite web|url=http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=112180|title=Macintosh Quadra 700: Technical Specifications|publisher=Apple Inc.|accessdate=2007-12-26|date=2007-06-13}}</ref> and 900,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=112181|title=Macintosh Quadra 900: Technical Specifications|author=Apple Inc.|accessdate=2007-12-26|date=2007-06-13}}</ref> the first Macs to employ the faster [[Motorola 68040]] processor. They were joined by improved versions of the previous year’s top sellers, the [[Macintosh Classic II]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=112179|title=Macintosh Classic II: Technical Specifications|publisher=Apple Inc.|accessdate=2007-12-26|date=2007-06-13}}</ref> and [[Macintosh LC II]], which used a {{nowrap|16 MHz}} 68030 CPU.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=112185|title=Macintosh LC II: Technical Specifications|publisher=Apple Inc.|accessdate=2007-12-26|date=2007-06-13}}</ref> Also during this time, the Macintosh began to shed the "Snow White" design language, along with the expensive consulting fees they were paying to [[Frogdesign]], in favor of bringing the work in-house by establishing the [[Apple Industrial Design Group]] to establish a new fresh look to go with the new operating system.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kunkel|first=Paul|others=Rick English (photographs)|title=AppleDesign: The work of the Apple Industrial Design Group|date= October 1, 1997 |publisher=[[Graphis]]|location=[[New York City]]|isbn=1888001259}}</ref>

[[Image:Powerbook 100 pose.jpg|thumb|right|The [[PowerBook 100]] (shown here), 140 and 170 introduced a line of professional laptop Macs. They pioneered notebook [[ergonomics]] by placing the keyboard behind a palm rest.]]
In October 1991, the Macintosh Portable was replaced by the first three models in Apple’s enduring [[PowerBook]] range—the [[PowerBook 100]], a miniaturized Portable; the {{nowrap|16 MHz}} 68030 [[PowerBook 140]]; and the {{nowrap|25 MHz}} 68030 [[PowerBook 170]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/applehis/appl1990.htm|title=Chronology of Apple Computer Personal Computers|author=Polsson, Ken|accessdate=2007-11-18}}</ref> They were the first portable computers with the keyboard behind a palm rest, and with a built-in pointing device (a [[trackball]]) in front of the keyboard.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/02/16/apple_to_re_enter_the_sub_notebook_market.html|title=Apple to re-enter the sub-notebook market|author=Jade, Kasper|publisher=AppleInsider|accessdate=2007-12-24|date=2007-02-16}}</ref>

In 1992, Apple started to sell a low-end Mac, the [[Macintosh Performa|Performa]], through nontraditional dealers. At Apple dealers, a mid-range version of the Quadra series called the [[Macintosh Centris]] was offered, only to be quickly renamed Quadra when buyers became confused by the range of Classics, LCs, IIs, Quadras, Performas, and Centrises.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=12707&coll=ap|title=Macintosh Centris, Quadra 660AV: Description (Discontinued)|author=Apple Computer|accessdate=2007-12-24|date=1995-06-19}}</ref> Apple also unveiled the miniaturized [[PowerBook Duo]] range. It was intended to be docked to a base station for desktop-like functionality in the workplace, and was sold until early 1997. In May 1994, Apple released the second-generation PowerBook models, the [[PowerBook 500]] series, which introduced the novel [[trackpad]].

Also in 1994, Apple abandoned Motorola CPUs for the [[Reduced instruction set computer|RISC]] PowerPC architecture developed by the [[AIM alliance]] of Apple Computer, IBM, and Motorola.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kaomso.com/FullStory.php?TheStory=78|title=Apple's Transition to PowerPC put in perspective|author=Hormby, Thomas|publisher=Kaomso|accessdate=2007-12-24|date=2005-01-03}}</ref> The [[Power Macintosh]] line, the first to use the new chips, proved to be highly successful, with over a million PowerPC units sold in nine months.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/applehis/appl1994.htm|title=Chronology of Apple Computer Personal Computers|author=Polsson, Ken|accessdate=2007-12-24|date=2007-12-16}}</ref>

Despite these technical and commercial successes, [[Microsoft]] and [[Intel]] began to rapidly lower Apple's [[market share]] with the [[Windows 95]] operating system and [[Pentium]] processors respectively. These significantly enhanced the multimedia capability and performance of [[IBM PC compatible]] computers, and brought Windows still closer to the Mac [[GUI]]. In response, Apple started the [[Macintosh clone]] program, by which third-parties manufactured hardware to run Apple's System 7. This succeeded in increasing the Macintosh's market share somewhat and provided cheaper hardware for consumers, but hurt Apple financially. As a result, when Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, he ordered that the OS that had been previewed as version 7.7 be branded [[Mac OS 8]] (in place of the never-to-appear [[Copland (operating system)|Copland OS]]). Since Apple had licensed only System 7 to third-parties, this move effectively ended the clone line. The decision caused significant financial losses for companies like [[Motorola]], who produced the [[Motorola_StarMax|StarMax]], Umax, who produced the SuperMac <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.everymac.com/systems/umax/index-umax-supermac-mac-clones.html|title=Umax Mac Clones (MacOS-Compatible Systems)|author=EveryMac.com|accessdate=2009-11-11|date=2009-10-27}}</ref> and [[Power Computing Corporation]], which offered several lines Mac clones, including PowerWave, PowerTower, and PowerTower Pro <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.everymac.com/systems/powercc/index-power-computing-mac-clones.html|title=PowerComputing Mac Clones (MacOS-Compatible Systems)|author=EveryMac.com|accessdate=2009-11-11|date=2009-10-27}}</ref>. These companies had invested substantial resources in creating their own Mac-compatible hardware.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lowendmac.com/musings/mm07/0830.html|title=1997: Apple Squeezes Mac Clones Out of the Market|author=Knight, Dan|publisher=Low End Mac|accessdate=2007-12-24|date=2007-08-30}}</ref>

===1998 to 2005: New beginnings===
[[Image:IMac Bondi Blue.jpg|thumb|The original "Bondi Blue" [[iMac G3]], introduced in 1998. One of the first products produced under CEO Steve Jobs since he left the company in the mid eighties, it brought Apple back into profitability.]]
In 1998, a year after [[Steve Jobs]] had returned to the company, Apple introduced an all-in-one Macintosh called the [[iMac]]. Its translucent plastic case, originally [[Bondi blue]] and later many other colors, is considered an [[industrial design]] hallmark of the late 1990s. The iMac did away with most of Apple's standard (and usually proprietary) connections, such as [[SCSI]] and [[Apple Desktop Bus|ADB]], in favor of two [[Universal Serial Bus|USB]] ports. It also had no internal [[floppy disk]] drive and instead used [[compact disk]]s for removable storage.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.macworld.com/article/135017/2008/08/imacanniversary.html |title=Eight ways the iMac changed computing |accessdate=2008-08-27 |publisher=Macworld |date=2008-08-15 }}</ref> It proved to be phenomenally successful, with 800,000 units sold in 139 days,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.apple.com/ca/press/1999/01/iMac_Sales.html|title=800,000 iMacs Sold in First 139 Days|publisher=Apple Inc.|date=1999-01-05|accessdate=2007-12-23}}</ref> making the company an annual profit of US$309 million—Apple's first profitable year since [[Michael Spindler]] took over as CEO in 1995.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE6D8123AF936A25753C1A96E958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all|title=COMPANY REPORTS; Apple's First Annual Profit Since 1995|author=Markoff, John|date=1998-10-15|publisher=''[[New York Times]]''|accessdate=2007-12-23}}</ref> The "blue and white" aesthetic was applied to the [[Power Macintosh G3 (Blue & White)|Power Macintosh]], and then to a new product: the [[iBook]]. Introduced in July 1999, the iBook was Apple's first consumer-level laptop computer. More than 140,000 pre-orders were placed before it started shipping in September,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.macobserver.com/news/99/august/990831/140000ibooks.html|title=Apple Averages Three Thousand iBooks Per Day In Pre-orders!|date=1999-08-31|publisher=The Mac Observer|accessdate=2007-12-24}}</ref> and by October it was as much a sales hit as the iMac.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2000/jan/25ibook.html|title=PC Data Ranks iBook Number One Portable in U.S.|date=2000-01-25|publisher=Apple Inc.|accessdate=2007-12-18}}</ref> Apple continued to add new products to their lineup, such as the Power Mac G4 [[Power Mac G4 Cube|Cube]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/PowerMacG4_CubeAbout.PDF|format=PDF|title=About the Macintosh Cube|year=2000|publisher=Apple Inc.|accessdate=2008-10-09}}</ref> the [[eMac]] for the education market and [[PowerBook G4]] laptop for professionals. The [[iMac G3|original iMac]] used a [[PowerPC G3|G3 processor]], but the upgrades to [[iMac G4|G4]] and then to [[iMac G5|G5]] chips were accompanied by a new design, dropping the array of colors in favor of white plastic. Current iMacs use aluminum enclosures. On [[January 11]], [[2005]], Apple announced the release of the [[Mac Mini]] priced at US$499,<ref>Markoff, John; Hansell, Saul ([[2005-01-12]]). "[http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/12/technology/12apple.html Apple Changes Course With Low-Priced Mac]." ''[[New York Times]].'' Retrieved on [[2006-01-16]].</ref> the least expensive Mac to date.

[[Image:Snow Leopard Screenshot.png|thumb|left|Screenshot of [[Mac OS X]] [[Mac OS X v10.6|Snow Leopard]], released on 28 August 2009.]]
Mac OS continued to evolve up to version 9.2.2, including retrofits such as the addition of a [[nanokernel]] and support for [[Multi-core (computing)|Multiprocessing Services]] 2.0 in [[Mac OS 8.6]].<ref>{{cite web|url=
http://developer.apple.com/documentation/mac/PPCSoftware/PPCSoftware-12.html#HEADING12-0|title=Apple Developer Connection - Overview of the PowerPC System Software|publisher=Apple Inc.|accessdate=2009-05-11}}</ref> Ultimately its dated architecture made replacement necessary. As such, Apple introduced [[Mac OS X]], a fully overhauled [[Unix]]-based successor to [[Mac OS 9]], using [[Darwin (operating system)|Darwin]], [[XNU]], and [[Mach kernel|Mach]] as [[Architecture of Mac OS X|foundations]], and based on [[NEXTSTEP]]. Mac OS X was not released to the public until September 2000, as the [[Mac OS X Public Beta]], with an [[Aqua (user interface)|Aqua]] interface. At US$29.99, it allowed adventurous Mac users to sample Apple’s new operating system and provide feedback for the actual release.<ref>Biersdorfer, J.D. ([[2000-09-14]]). "[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F01E2DD1538F937A2575AC0A9669C8B63&scp=1 Apple Breaks The Mold]." ''[[New York Times]]'.' Retrieved on [[2008-01-16]].</ref> The initial release of Mac OS X, [[Mac OS X v10.0|10.0]] (nicknamed Cheetah), was released on [[March 24]], [[2001]]. Older Mac OS applications could still run under early Mac OS X versions, using an environment called [[Classic (Mac OS X)|Classic]] (which was removed in version 10.5 "Leopard"). Subsequent releases of Mac OS X were [[Mac OS X v10.1|10.1 "Puma"]], ([[September 25]], [[2001]]), [[Mac OS X v10.2|10.2 "Jaguar"]], ([[August 24]], [[2002]]), [[Mac OS X v10.3|10.3 "Panther"]], ([[October 24]], [[2003]]), [[Mac OS X v10.4|10.4 "Tiger"]], ([[April 29]], [[2005]]) and [[Mac OS X v10.5|10.5 "Leopard"]] ([[October 26]], [[2007]]). The Intel version of Leopard received certification as a [[Unix]] implementation by [[The Open Group]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.opengroup.org/comm/press/19-2-nov07.htm|title=Mac OS X Leopard Achieves UNIX 03 Product Standard Certification |date=2007-11-19|publisher=The Open Group|accessdate=2009-06-05}}</ref> [[Mac OS X v10.6]], codenamed "[[Snow Leopard]]", was released on August 28, 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2009/06/08macosx.html|title=Apple Unveils Mac OS X Snow Leopard|date=2009-06-08|publisher=Apple|accessdate=2009-06-12}}</ref>

===2006 onward: Intel era===
[[Image:MacBook Pro.jpg|thumb|The [[MacBook Pro]] is the first Mac notebook to use an Intel processor. It was released at [[Macworld Conference & Expo|Macworld]] 2006.]]

Partially because of a failure to produce laptop-ready [[PowerPC 970|G5 chips]], Apple [[Apple Intel transition|discontinued]] the use of [[PowerPC]] microprocessors in 2006. At [[WWDC]] 2005, Steve Jobs revealed this transition and also noted that Mac OS X was in development to run both on Intel and PowerPC architecture from the very beginning. All new Macs now use [[x86 architecture|x86 processors]] made by [[Intel Corporation|Intel]], and some Macs were given new names to signify the switch. Intel-based Macs can run pre-existing software developed for PowerPC using an [[emulator]] called [[Rosetta (software)|Rosetta]], although at noticeably slower speeds than native programs, but the [[Classic (Mac OS X)|Classic]] environment is unavailable. With the release of Intel-based Mac computers, the potential to natively run Windows-based operating systems on Apple hardware without the need for emulation software such as [[Microsoft Virtual PC|Virtual PC]] was introduced. In March 2006, a group of hackers announced that they were able to run [[Windows XP]] on an Intel-based Mac. The group has released their software as open source and has posted it for download on their website.<ref>{{cite web|date= 2006-03-17 |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11885495/|title=Hackers get Windows XP to run on a Mac|publisher=[[MSNBC]] (AP)|accessdate=2006-04-24}}</ref> On [[April 5]], [[2006]] Apple announced the public beta availability of their own [[Boot Camp (software)|Boot Camp]] software which will allow owners of Intel-based Macs to install Windows XP on their machines; later versions added support for [[Windows Vista]]. Starting with Mac OS X 10.5, Boot Camp is now a standard feature.

In recent years, Apple has seen a significant boost in sales of Macs. Many claim that this is due, in part, to the success of the [[iPod]], a [[halo effect]] whereby satisfied iPod owners purchase more Apple equipment. The inclusion of the Intel chips is also a factor. The iPod [[digital audio player]]s have recaptured a brand awareness of the Mac line that had not been seen since its original release in 1984. From 2001 to 2008, Mac sales increased continuously on an annual basis. Apple reported shipment of over 2.5 million Macs for the 2008 holiday season.<ref name="2009_Q1_PR">{{cite web|url=http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2009/01/21results.html|title=Apple Reports First Quarter Results|publisher=Apple|date=2009-01-21}}</ref>

{{Timeline of Macintosh models|headerextension==}}

==Product line==
{{Main|Comparison of Macintosh models}}

{|class="wikitable"
|-
|
!Compact
!Consumer
!Professional
|-
!style="background:#cccce5;"|[[Desktop computer|Desktop]]
|style="text-align:center"|'''[[Mac mini]]'''<br>[[File:Mac mini Intel Core transparent.png|140px|The Mac mini]]<br>Entry-level; ships without keyboard, mouse, or monitor; uses [[Intel Core 2 Duo]] processor
|style="text-align:center"|'''[[iMac (Intel-based)|iMac]]'''<br>[[File:Imac 16-9.png|140px|The iMac]]<br>All-in-one; available in 21.5" and 27" screen sizes; uses [[Intel Core 2 Duo]] processor, [[Intel Core i5]], or [[Intel Core i7]]
|style="text-align:center"|'''[[Mac Pro]]'''<br>[[File:Macpro BW.png|90px|The Mac Pro]]<br>Workstation desktop; highly customizable with dual processors; uses up to two quad-core [[Intel Xeon#Dual-Core Xeon|Intel Xeon]] processors
|-
!style="background:#cccce5;"|[[Laptop|Portable]]<br>([[MacBook family|MacBook]])
|style="text-align:center"|'''[[MacBook Air]]'''<br>[[File:MacBook Air.png|140px|The MacBook Air]]<br>13.3" ultraportable with [[aluminum]] casing; uses [[Intel Core 2 Duo]] processor
|style="text-align:center"|'''[[MacBook]]'''<br>[[File:MacBook white.png|140px|The MacBook Pro]]<br>13.3" laptop with white [[polycarbonate]] casing; uses [[Intel Core 2 Duo]] processor
|style="text-align:center"|'''[[MacBook Pro]]'''<br>[[File:Aluminium MacBook.png|140px|The MacBook Pro]]<br>13.3", 15.4" or 17" models with [[aluminum]] casing; uses [[Intel Core 2 Duo]] processor
|-
!style="background:#cccce5;"|[[Server (computing)|Server]]
|style="text-align:center"|'''[[Mac mini]]'''<br>[[File:Mac mini Intel Core transparent.png|140px|Mac mini]]<br>An additional Mac mini configuration without an internal optical drive. Ships with [[Mac OS X Server]] installed and two internal 500 GB
|style="text-align:center"|''n/a''
|style="text-align:center"|'''[[Xserve#Intel Xserve|Xserve]]'''<br>[[File:Xserve G5.png|105px|The Xserve]]<br>[[rack unit|1U]] [[19-inch rack|rack-mount]]; uses dual quad-core [[Intel Xeon#Dual-Core Xeon|Intel Xeon]] processors for up to 8 cores
|}

==Hardware and software==
===Hardware===
[[Image:IMacG5guts.png|thumb|The internals of the original 20-inch [[iMac G5]].]]
{{Main|Macintosh hardware}}
Apple directly sub-contracts hardware production to Asian [[Original equipment manufacturer|manufacturers]], maintaining a high degree of control over the end product. By contrast, most other companies (including [[Microsoft]]) create software that can be run on a variety of [[Third-party developer|third-party]] hardware. The current Mac product family uses [[Intel Corporation|Intel]] [[x86-64]] [[Central processing unit|processors]]. All current Mac models ship with at least 2&nbsp;[[Gigabyte|GB]] [[RAM]] as standard. Current Mac computers use [[Radeon|ATI Radeon]] or [[GeForce|nVidia GeForce]] [[graphics card]]s. All current Macs (except for the [[MacBook Air]]) ship with an optical media drive that includes a dual-function DVD and CD burner, called the [[SuperDrive]]. Macs include two standard data transfer ports: [[USB 2.0|USB]] and [[FireWire]] (except for the [[MacBook Air]], which doesn't have FireWire built in). USB was introduced in the 1998 [[iMac G3]] and is ubiquitous today; FireWire is mainly reserved for high-performance devices such as hard drives or video cameras. Starting with a new iMac G5 released in October 2005, Apple started to include built-in [[iSight]] cameras to appropriate models, and a media center interface called [[Front Row (software)|Front Row]] that can be operated by an [[Apple Remote]] or keyboard for accessing media stored on the computer.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Apple Inc.|date=2005-10-12|url=http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2005/oct/12imac.html|title=Apple Introduces the New iMac G5|accessdate=2006-07-12}}</ref>

Until 2005, Mac computers have shipped with a single-button [[mouse (computing)|mouse]]. Apple released the four-button [[Apple Mighty Mouse|Mighty Mouse]] in August 2005,<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Apple Inc.|date=[[August 2]], [[2005]]|url=http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2005/aug/02mightymouse.html|title=Apple Introduces Mighty Mouse|accessdate=2006-07-12}}</ref> and a wireless version in July 2006,<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Apple Inc.|date=2006-07-25|url=http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2006/jul/25mightymouse.html|title=Apple Debuts Wireless Mighty Mouse|accessdate=2007-11-30}}</ref> and began to ship it with new desktop Macs.
As of September 20, 2009 Apple's wireless [[Bluetooth]] [[Apple Magic Mouse|Magic Mouse]] is now shipping with all new iMacs and is the first mouse to have multi-touch support.

===Software===
{{Main|Mac OS|History of Mac OS|Mac OS X}}
The original Macintosh was the first successful personal computer to use a [[graphical user interface]] devoid of a [[command line]]. It used a [[desktop metaphor]], depicting real-world objects like documents and a trashcan as [[icon (computing)|icon]]s onscreen. The ''[[Mac OS history#Release|System]]'' software introduced in 1984 with the first Macintosh and renamed ''[[System 7#Mac OS 7.6|Mac OS]]'' in 1997, continued to evolve until version [[Mac OS 9#|9.2.2]]. In 2001, Apple introduced Mac OS X, based on [[Darwin (operating system)|Darwin]] and [[NEXTSTEP]]; its new features included the [[Dock (computing)|Dock]] and the [[Aqua (user interface)|Aqua]] user interface. The most recent version is [[Mac OS X v10.6]] "Snow Leopard." In addition to Snow Leopard, all new Macs are bundled with assorted Apple-produced applications, including [[iLife]], the [[Safari (web browser)|Safari]] [[web browser]] and the [[iTunes]] media player.

Mac OS X enjoys a near-absence of the types of [[malware]] and [[spyware]] that affect [[Microsoft Windows]] users.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=196800670&pgno=4&queryText=|first=John|last=Welch|title=Review: Mac OS X Shines In Comparison With Windows Vista|publisher=Information Week|date=2007-01-06|accessdate=2007-02-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/10/06/linux_vs_windows_viruses/|first=Scott|last=Granneman|title=Linux vs. Windows Viruses|publisher=The Register|date=2003-10-06|accessdate=2007-02-05 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Gruber|first=John|authorlink=John Gruber|date=2004-06-04|url=http://daringfireball.net/2004/06/broken_windows|title=Broken Windows|publisher=[[Daring Fireball]]|accessdate=2006-04-24}}</ref> Worms as well as potential vulnerabilities were noted in February 2006, which led some industry analysts and anti-virus companies to issue warnings that Apple's Mac OS X is not immune to malware<!--dead link <ref>{{cite web|url=http://scmagazine.com/uk/news/article/541726/mac-os-x-new-target/|first=William|last=Eazel|title=Mac OS X: The new target|publisher=SC Magazine|date=2006-02-17|accessdate=2007-02-05 }}</ref>--><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1929342,00.asp|title=New Safari Flaw, Worms Turn Spotlight on Apple Security|publisher=[[eWeek]]|author=Roberts, Paul|date=2006-02-21|accessdate=2007-11-23}}</ref><!-- advert link <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sophos.com/virusinfo/analyses/osxleapa.html|title=OSX/Leap-A Worm|publisher=[[Sophos]]|accessdate=2007-11-23}}</ref>--> However, there has not yet been a major outbreak of Mac malware, and Apple routinely issues security updates for its software.<ref>{{cite web | title=Apple security updates | publisher =Apple Inc | date=2009-01-21 | url=http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222 | accessdate=2009-01-29 }}</ref>

Following the release of the Intel-based Mac, third-party [[platform virtualization]] software such as [[Parallels Desktop]], [[VMware Fusion]], and [[VirtualBox]] began to emerge. these programs allow users to run [[Microsoft Windows]] or previously Windows-only software on Macs at near native speed. A [[BIOS]] compatibility module for Intel-based Macs allows users to run Windows natively. Apple also released [[Boot Camp (software)|Boot Camp]] and Mac-specific Windows [[Device driver|drivers]], which help users to install [[Windows XP]] or [[Windows Vista|Vista]] and [[dual boot]] between Mac OS X and Windows. Because Mac OS X is a [[UNIX like|*nix system]], and borrows heavily from [[FreeBSD]], many applications written for [[Linux kernel|Linux]]<!--do not fix--> or [[Berkeley Software Distribution|BSD]] run on Mac OS X, often using [[X Window System|X11]]. Also, many popular applications such as [[OpenOffice.org]] are [[cross-platform]] and run natively.

==Advertising==
{{Main|Apple Inc. advertising}}
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Mac and pc.JPG|thumb|left| The Mac vs. PC ads almost immediately became pop culture icons]] -->Macintosh advertisements have usually attacked the established market leader, directly or indirectly. They tend to portray the Mac as an alternative to overly complex or unreliable PCs. Apple hyped the introduction of the original Mac with the now-famous [[1984 (television commercial)|1984]] commercial, which aired during the [[Super Bowl XVIII|Super Bowl]]. It was supplemented by a number of printed pamphlets and other TV ads demonstrating the new interface and emphasizing the mouse. Many more brochures for new models like the [[Macintosh Plus]] and the [[Macintosh Performa|Performa]] followed. In the 1990s, Apple started the “What's on your PowerBook?” campaign, with print ads and television commercials featuring celebrities describing how the PowerBook helps them in their businesses and everyday lives. In 1995, Apple responded to the introduction of Windows 95 with several print ads and a television commercial demonstrating its disadvantages and lack of innovation. In 1997 the [[Think Different]] campaign introduced Apple’s new slogan, and in 2002 the [[Apple Switch ad campaign|Switch campaign]] followed. The most recent advertising strategy by Apple is the [[Get a Mac]] campaign, with North American, UK and Japanese variants.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.apple.com/uk/getamac/|title=Get a Mac advertisements|publisher=Apple Inc.|accessdate=2007-01-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.apple.com/jp/getamac/|title=Get a Mac|publisher=Apple Inc|accessdate=2007-02-03}}</ref>

Today, Apple introduces new products at “special events” at the Apple Town Hall auditorium, and [[Stevenote|keynotes]] at the [[Apple Worldwide Developers Conference]]. It has scaled back its reliance on [[trade shows]] like the [[Apple Expo]] and the [[Macworld Conference & Expo|MacWorld Expo]], and has recently abandoned the practice of giving keynotes at them.<ref name="Last year at Macworld">{{cite web|url=http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2008/12/16macworld.html|title=Apple Announces Its Last Year at Macworld|date=2008-12-16|publisher=Apple|accessdate=2009-03-30}}</ref> The events typically draw a large gathering of media representatives and spectators. In the past, special events have been used to unveil its desktop and notebook computers such as the iMac and MacBook, and other consumer electronic devices like the [[iPod]], [[Apple TV]], and [[iPhone]], as well as provide updates on sales and market share statistics. Apple has begun to focus its advertising on its retail stores instead of these trade shows.

==Advantages, disadvantages and criticisms==
{{Unreferenced section|date=July 2009}}
The Macintosh differs in several ways from other x86-based personal computers, especially those that run the [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] operating system. Apple directly sub-contracts hardware production to Asian OEM laptop manufacturers such as [[Asus]], maintaining a high degree of control over the end product. In contrast, Microsoft supplies its software to [[original equipment manufacturer]]s (OEMs), including [[Dell]], [[Hewlett-Packard|HP]]/[[Compaq]], and [[Lenovo]], who make the hardware using a wider range of components. Apple's less-common operating system means that a much smaller range of third-party software is available, although applications, such as [[Microsoft Office]] for Mac, are available in most areas. However, following the release of Intel-based Mac, third-party [[platform virtualization]] software such as [[Parallels Desktop]], [[VMware Fusion]], and [[VirtualBox]] began to emerge, allowing users to run much of the previously Windows-only software on a Mac. Apple also released a public beta version of [[Boot Camp (software)|Boot Camp]], which allows users to run alternative operating systems natively on any Intel-based Mac.

The Macintosh operating system is considered to targeted by [[malware]] far less than that of Microsoft Windows operating system. This is largely due to both the UNIX roots {{Citation needed|date=October 2009}} of Mac OS X and the smaller [[Usage share of desktop operating systems]] of Apple Operating systems of roughly 5% in contrast to Microsoft Windows 92%<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://marketshare.hitslink.com/operating-system-market-share.aspx?qprid=8
| title = Operating System Market Share
| accessdate = October 4, 2009
| date = September 2009
}}
</ref>. Both of these factors drive malware creators to develop for Microsoft Windows. However, worms as well as potential vulnerabilities were noted in February 2006, which led some industry analysts and anti-virus companies to issue warnings that Apple's Mac OS X is not immune to viruses, as is commonly misconceived.

Apple has a history of innovation demonstrated, in part, by strong development of software upgrades, which would often leave older programs obsolete. Rather than waiting for developers to upgrade their applications, Apple included interim provisions for older applications. When Apple switched from the [[Motorola 68000]] series of processors to [[PowerPC]] processors, they included an emulator, so that 68000 code could run on PowerPC. Likewise, when Apple switched from Mac OS 9 to Mac OS X, ''[[Classic (Mac OS X)|Classic]]'' allowed users to run Mac OS 9 applications under Mac OS X. Again, during the Apple Intel transition, Apple introduced [[Rosetta (binary translation software)|Rosetta]], an emulator which allows Intel based Macs to run PowerPC code.

Early in its history, up until the PCI-based Power Macs, Macintosh hardware was notoriously closed. Connectors were often proprietary, requiring specialized peripherals or adapter cables. However, since the introduction of the original [[iMac G3|iMac]] in 1998, Apple computers have used standard [[USB]] and [[FireWire]] connections (among others), which allow users a greatly expanded choice of peripherals.

Originally, the hardware architecture was so closely tied to the Mac OS operating system that it was impossible to boot an alternative operating system; the most common workaround, used even by Apple for A/UX, was to boot into Mac OS and then to hand over control to a program that took over the system and acted as a boot loader. This technique was no longer necessary with the introduction of Open Firmware-based PCI Macs, though it was formerly used for convenience on many Old World ROM systems due to bugs in the firmware implementation. Now, Mac hardware boots directly from [[Open Firmware]] or [[Extensible Firmware Interface|EFI]], and Macs are no longer limited to running just the Mac OS. Intel-based Macs are capable of running [[Windows XP]], [[Windows Vista]], [[Linux]], and other x86 based operating systems.

Apple was initially reluctant to embrace mice with multiple buttons and [[scroll wheel]]s. Although Microsoft's [[IntelliMouse]], featuring two buttons and a [[scroll wheel]], was introduced in 1995 to great success, Macs did not natively support multiple buttons until Mac OS X arrived in 2001. In 2005, Apple capitulated and introduced the [[Apple Mighty Mouse|Mighty Mouse]], which looked like a traditional one-button mouse, but actually had four buttons and a scroll ball. The wireless Mighty Mouse was introduced in 2006. In October 2009, Apple introduced the [[Apple Magic Mouse|Magic Mouse]] which uses [[multi-touch]] [[gesture recognition]] similar to the [[iPhone]]. It allows scrolling and swiping, with multiple fingers, with no physical scroll wheel or ball.<ref name="Magic Mouse">{{cite web|url=http://www.macworld.com/article/143410/2009/10/magic_mouse.html|title=First Look: Apple Magic Mouse|last=Loyola|first=Roman|date=2009-10-21|publisher=[[Macworld]]|accessdate=2009-10-25}}</ref>

==Market share and user demographics==
Since the introduction of the Macintosh, Apple has struggled to gain a significant [[market share|share]] of the personal computer market. At first, the Macintosh 128K suffered from a dearth of available software compared to IBM's PC, resulting in disappointing sales in 1984 and 1985. It took 74&nbsp;days for 50,000&nbsp;units to sell.<ref name = "hotwyu"/>

Three ways of measuring market share are: i) by browser hits, ii) by sales, and iii) by installed base. If using the browser metric, Mac market share has increased substantially in 2007.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[Ars Technica]]|year=2009-04-05|url=http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2007/04/05/trends-in-mac-market-share|title=Trends in Mac market share|accessdate=2009-08-27}}</ref> However, results for market share measured as a percentage of current sales provides different results than when market share is measured by installed base.

By 1997, there were more than 20&nbsp;million Mac users, compared to an installed base of around 340&nbsp;million [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] PCs.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[Apple Computer]]|date= 1997-12-19 |url=http://developer.apple.com/adcnews/pastissues/devnews121997.html#stats|title=Apple Developer News, No. 87|accessdate=2006-04-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publisher=Computer Industry Almanac Inc|date= 1998-11-03|url=http://www.c-i-a.com/pr1198.htm|title=Nearly 600 Million Computers-in-Use in Year 2000|accessdate=2006-06-01}}</ref> Statistics from late 2003 indicate that Apple had 2.06&nbsp;percent of the desktop share in the United States, which had increased to 2.88&nbsp;percent by Q4&nbsp;2004.<ref>{{cite web|last=Dalrymple|first=Jim|date= 2005-04-20 |url=http://www.macworld.com/news/2005/03/20/marketshare/index.php|title=Apple desktop market share on the rise; will the Mac mini, iPod help?|publisher=[[Macworld]]|accessdate=2006-04-24}}</ref> As of October 2006, research firms IDC and Gartner reported that Apple's market share in the U.S. had increased to about 6&nbsp;percent.<ref>{{cite web|last=Dalrymple|first=Jim|date= 2006-10-19|url=http://www.macworld.com/news/2006/10/19/marketshare/index.php|title=Apple's Mac market share tops 5 percent with over 30 percent growth|publisher=[[Macworld]]|accessdate=2006-12-22}}</ref> Figures from December 2006, showing a market share around 6&nbsp;percent (IDC) and 6.1&nbsp;percent (Gartner) are based on a more than 30&nbsp;percent increase in unit sale from 2005 to 2006. The [[installed base]] of Mac computers is hard to determine, with numbers ranging from 5 percent<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Hitslink|year=July 2009|url=http://marketshare.hitslink.com/operating-system-market-share.aspx?qprid=8|title=Operating System Market Share|accessdate=2009-08-27}}</ref> (estimated in 2009) to 16 percent (estimated in 2005).<ref>{{cite web|author=MacDailyNews|year=2005-06-15|url=http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/5933/|title=16-percent of computer users are unaffected by viruses, malware because they use Apple Macs|accessdate=2006-04-24}}</ref>. Mac OS X’s share of the OS market increased from 7.31% in Dec 2007 to 9.63% in Dec 2008, which is a 32% increase in market share during 2008, compared to a 22% increase during 2007.

Whether the size of the Mac’s market share and installed base is actually relevant, and to whom, is a hotly debated issue. Industry pundits have often called attention to the Mac’s relatively small market share to predict Apple's impending doom, particularly in the early and mid 1990s when the company’s future seemed bleakest. Others argue that market share is the wrong way to judge the Mac’s success. Apple has positioned the Mac as a higher-end personal computer, and so it may be misleading to compare it to a low-budget PC.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gruber|first=John|authorlink=John Gruber|date=2003-07-23|url=http://daringfireball.net/2003/07/market_share|title=Market Share|publisher=[[Daring Fireball]]|accessdate=2006-04-24}}</ref> Because the overall market for personal computers has grown rapidly, the Mac’s increasing sales numbers are effectively swallowed by the industry’s numbers as a whole. Apple’s small market share, then, gives the false impression that fewer people are using Macs than did (for example) ten years ago.<ref>{{cite web|last=Brockmeier|first=Joe|date=2003-05-13|url=http://www.newsfactor.com/perl/story/21499.html|title=What Will It Take To Put Apple Back on Top?|publisher=NewsFactor Magazine online|accessdate=2006-04-24}}</ref> Others try to de-emphasize market share, citing that it's rarely brought up in other industries.<ref>{{cite web|last=Toporek|first=Chuck|year=2001-08-22 |url=http://www.oreillynet.com/mac/blog/2001/08/apple_market_share_and_who_car.html|title=Apple, Market Share, and Who Cares?|publisher=O'Reilly macdevcenter.com|accessdate=2006-04-24}}</ref> Regardless of the Mac’s market share, Apple has remained profitable since Steve Jobs’ return and the company’s subsequent reorganization.<ref>{{cite web|last=Spero|first=Ricky|year=2004-07-14|url=http://www.macobserver.com/stockwatch/2004/07/14.1.shtml|title=Apple Posts Profit of $61 million; Revenue Jumps 30 Percent|publisher=The Mac Observer|accessdate=2006-04-24}}</ref> Notably, a report published in the first quarter of 2008 found that Apple had a 14% market share in the personal computer market in the US, including 66% of all computers over $1,000.<ref>{{cite web|last=Wilcox|first=Joe|url=http://blogs.eweek.com/applewatch/content/channel/macs_defy_windows-gravity.html|title=Macs Defy Windows' Gravity|publisher=Apple Watch|accessdate=2008-05-19}}</ref>

[[Market research]] indicates that Apple draws its customer base from a higher-income demographic than the mainstream personal computer market.<ref>{{cite web|last=Fried|first=Ian|authorlink=Ian Fried (writer)|date=[[July 12]], [[2002]]|url=http://news.com.com/2100-1040-943519.html|title=Are Mac users smarter?|publisher=[[news.com]]|accessdate=2006-04-24}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Apple Inc.}}
{{portalpar|Computer Science|Internet map 1024.jpg }}
<div style="column-count:2;-moz-column-count:2;-webkit-column-count:2">
* [[Apple Inc. litigation]]
* [[Apple rumors community]]
* [[History of computing hardware (1960s-present)]]
* [[List of Macintosh models by case type]]
* [[List of Macintosh models grouped by CPU type]]
* [[List of Macintosh software]]
* [[List of Macintosh software published by Microsoft]]
* [[Mac gaming]]
* [[Reality distortion field]]
</div>

==Notes==
<div class="references-small">
* {{cite book|author=[[Apple Inc.|Apple]] & [[Jef Raskin|Raskin, Jef]]|year=1992|title=Macintosh Human Interface Guidelines|publisher=[[Addison-Wesley|Addison-Wesley Professional]]|isbn=0-201-62216-5}}
* {{cite book|author=Deutschman, Alan|year=2001|title=[[The Second Coming of Steve Jobs]]|publisher=Broadway|isbn=0-7679-0433-8}}
* {{cite book|author=Hertzfeld, Andy|authorlink=Andy Hertzfeld|year=2004|title=Revolution in the Valley|publisher=[[O'Reilly|O'Reilly Books]]|isbn=0-596-00719-1}}
* {{cite book|author=Kahney, Leander|authorlink=Leander Kahney|year=2004|title=[[The Cult of Mac]]|publisher=[[No Starch Press]]|isbn=1-886411-83-2}}
* {{cite book|author=Kawasaki, Guy|authorlink=Guy Kawasaki|year=1989|title=The Macintosh Way|publisher=Scott Foresman Trade|isbn=0-673-46175-0}}
* {{cite book|author=Kelby, Scott|authorlink=Scott Kelby|year=2002|title=Macintosh... The Naked Truth|publisher=New Riders Press|isbn=0-7357-1284-0}}
* {{cite book|author=Levy, Steven|authorlink=Steven Levy|year=2000|title=Insanely Great: The Life and Times of Macintosh, the Computer That Changed Everything|publisher=[[Penguin Books]]|isbn=0-14-029177-6}}
</div>

==References==
<div class="references-small">
* {{cite web|url=http://www.apple.com/pr/library/|title=Press release Library|accessdate=2007-11-18|author=Apple Inc.}}
* {{cite web|last=Hertzfeld|first=Andy|authorlink=Andy Hertzfeld|url=http://folklore.org/index.py|title=folklore.org: Macintosh stories| accessdate = 2006-04-24}}
* {{cite web|last=Knight|first=Dan|year=2005|url=http://lowendmac.com/history/1984dk.shtml|title=Macintosh History: 1984| accessdate = 2006-04-24}}
* {{cite book|last=Linzmayer|first=Owen|year=2004|title=[[Apple Confidential 2.0]]|publisher=[[No Starch Press]]|isbn=1-59327-010-0}}
* {{cite web|last=Page|first=Ian|year=2007|url=http://www.mactracker.ca/|title=MacTracker Macintosh model database 4.3.1| accessdate = 2007-11-31}}
* {{cite web|last=Sanford|first=Glen|year=2006|url=http://www.apple-history.com/|title=Apple History| accessdate = 2006-04-24}}
* {{cite web|last=Singh|first=Amit|year 2005|url=http://www.kernelthread.com/mac/oshistory/|title=A History of Apple's Operating Systems| accessdate = 2006-04-24}}
</div>

===Footnotes===
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Commons|Apple Macintosh}}
*[http://www.apple.com Apple Inc. website]
*[http://static.hugi.is/misc/movies/1984macintro.mov The 1984 introduction of the Macintosh] ([[QuickTime]] movie)
*[http://www.mactracker.ca/ Mactracker] [[Mactracker]], a [[freeware]] database with detailed technical information on every Mac
*[http://mxmora.best.vwh.net/JefRaskin.html Articles by Jef Raskin about the history of the Macintosh]
*[http://library.stanford.edu/mac/index.html Making the Macintosh: Technology and Culture in Silicon Valley]
*[http://archives.cbc.ca/science_technology/computers/topics/3686/ CBC Digital Archives: Meet the Macintosh]
*[http://www.museeinformatique.fr/Exposition-Le-Mac,-25-ans-deja-!_a24.html Exhibition at the French computer museum in Paris about Mac history]
*[http://www.imacpplications.netau.net iMacpplications - Information about Macs, Mac Applications, Official Apple Manuals]
*[http://www.d4.dion.ne.jp/~motohiko/ The Vintage Mac Museum- Screenshots of vintage Macintosh software]

{{Apple}}
{{Apple hardware before 1998}}
{{Apple hardware since 1998}}
{{Mac_OS_History}}
{{Mac_OS}}
{{Featured article}}

[[Category:Macintosh computers| ]]
[[Category:Macintosh platform]]
[[Category:Personal computers]]
[[Category:Steve Jobs]]
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