Amaya Toman The idea of releasing a special edition of the Macintosh in a futuristic design as part of the 20th anniversary didn't sound bad at all. The annual Mac was a completely unique model that was not directly related to any of the established product lines. Today, the Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh is quite a prized collector's item. But why didn't it meet with success at the time of its release?
Anniversary of Mac or Apple?
The Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh wasn't actually released around the time of the twentieth anniversary. This actually happened relatively quietly at Apple in 2004. The release of the computer we're writing about today was related to the twentieth anniversary of the official registration of Apple Computer, rather than the anniversary of the Mac itself. At that time, the Apple II computer saw the light of day.
With the anniversary Macintosh, Apple wanted to pay tribute to the appearance of its Macintosh 128K. The year 1997, when the company released the annual model, was not exactly the easiest for Apple, although a significant turn for the better was already in sight. The Twentieth Anniversary Mac was a futuristic looking machine and the first Mac in history to feature a flat screen monitor.
In addition, Apple provided its exceptional model with respectable multimedia equipment for its time – the computer was equipped with an integrated TV/FM system, S-vidoe input and a sound system designed by Bose. In terms of design, one of the biggest features of this Mac was its CD drive. It was vertically placed on the front of the device and significantly dominated the area under the monitor.
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A harbinger of change
But the Twentieth Century Macintosh was also one of the first swallows, heralding revolutionary changes in the company. Shortly after its release, lead designer Robert Brunner left Apple, complaining of a dysfunctional corporate culture. With his departure, he facilitated the career rise of Jony Ive, who also worked on the project as a designer.
At that time, former CEO Gil Amelio was also leaving Apple, while Steve Jobs was returning to the company as part of Apple's acquisition of his NeXT. Another of the co-founders, Steve Wozniak, also returned to Apple in an advisory role. Incidentally, he and Jobs were presented with an annual Mac, which he described as the perfect computer for college students, as it combines a television, radio, CD player and much more.
The annual Macintosh was one of the first computers not started by an engineering department, but by a design group. Today this is common practice, but in the past work on new products started differently.
Market failure
Unfortunately, the Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh did not revolutionize the market. The reason was primarily the too high price, which was absolutely out of the question for the average consumer. At the time of its launch, this Mac cost $9, which would be roughly $13600 in today's terms. The fact that Apple managed to sell several thousand units of the annual Mac could therefore actually be considered a success in this context.
The lucky ones who could afford the anniversary Mac had an unforgettable experience. Instead of the usual waiting in line, they could enjoy having their Macintosh delivered to their home in a luxury limousine. A suit-wearing employee delivered the customers' new Macintosh to their home, where they plugged it in and performed the initial setup. The sale of the anniversary Macintosh was ended in March 1998, even before that Apple tried to encourage sales by reducing the price to 2 thousand dollars. But that didn't win him customers.
But the Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh was definitely not a bad computer - it won several design awards. The unusual-looking computer also starred in the final season of Seinfeld and appeared in Batman and Robin.
Source: Cult of Mac
Price at time of listing $7.499