Insanely Great - Evolution of the Mac (continued)
Apple switched to the faster Motorola 68020 for the Macintosh II in 1987 and introduced color graphics and open architecture to the Mac. To compete with plummeting PC clone prices, the Mac SE, a lower-cost version of the Macintosh II, was also released in the same year.
The Mac IIx, Mac IIxi, Mac IIcx, Mac IIci, Mac II SE, and Mac IIfx followed into the 90s, each upgrade forced by the growing popularities of the lower-priced PC clones and the enhancements available in Microsoft’s Windows cheaper operating systems. Apple even produced a line of popular portables during the late 80s and 90s, known as the PowerBook. Because of the Mac’s proprietary architecture, software programs would always remain expensive and hard-to-come by.
The Father Returns and Apple Re-invents Itself
By 1992, sales of Macintosh computers suffered due to the mass availability of inexpensive PC clones, and for the first time in its history, Apple resorted to marketing clones. However, Apple’s fortunes would soon change with the return of its founding leader Steve Jobs in 1997. Jobs steered the company away from the clones and reversed direction with a back-to-basics approach.
The aesthetic vision and leadership that led to the creation of the Apple II and Macintosh computers came back with a roar in 1998 with the elegant all-in-one iMac, priced at $999.00 and designed much like the original Macintosh case in clear plastic and trimmed in translucent shades of blue or red. The sleek unit was accompanied by a smaller mouse and keyboard. The new design utilized SCSI and Apple desktop bus (ADB) ports. An iMac portable would follow in 1999, using the same clear white and translucent design adopted by the iMacs.
Upgrades to the platform would continue the iMac trend with the G3, G4, G5, and eMac systems. The Mac Mini was released in 2005 and would become the least expensive of all Apple computers. In 2006, Apple switched to Intel’s Core Duo processor which would provide twice the power and speed of the old Motorola processors and which now made operating Intel-processor based applications and software possible.
Apple continues to be as relevant today as it was back at its creative height with the Apple II and Macintosh computers. Today, Jobs continues to lead Apple and create bold, visionary products that earn the envy of technophiles worldwide as Apple re-imagines itself as a "Digital Lifestyle" company.
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