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Old Icons

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Reflecting on Apple’s 50th anniversary, the article revisits early Mac application icons, which were simple 32×32 black-and-white images featuring tilted rectangles with symbolic hand images to indicate functionality, as seen in MacWrite and MacPaint. It highlights how these constraints and design patterns influenced both Apple’s and third-party software icons before evolving into less constrained, more whimsical designs. The discussion connects these early icon styles to current debates about Mac icon design and the so-called “squircle jail.”

https://leancrew.com/all-this/2026/07/old-icons/

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35 Years Ago, the Mac Got an Era-Defining Upgrade

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Released in May 1991, Apple’s System 7 marked a pivotal upgrade for the Mac by introducing true multitasking, virtual memory, a modern Trash Can, and key features like Force Quit, file aliases, and Apple Events that are still foundational in macOS today. This transformative update significantly boosted productivity and extended the life of the classic Mac OS, ultimately bridging the gap to the later development of Mac OS X following the struggles of ambitious but failed projects in the 1990s.

https://www.macworld.com/article/3136937

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Franklin’s Bad Ads for Apple ][ Clones and the Beloved Impersonator They Relied On

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Franklin Computer Corporation built Apple ][ clones in the early 1980s, notably the ACE 100 series, which closely copied Apple’s designs including BIOS code, leading to legal battles. Their marketing featured the beloved Benjamin Franklin impersonator Ralph Archbold, whose image became closely tied to Franklin’s trademark despite the company’s controversial cloning practices. Though Franklin’s products were popular for their affordability and durability, the company eventually shifted away from desktop computers to handheld devices by the late 1980s.

https://buttondown.com/suchbadtechads/archive/franklin-ace-1000/

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50 Years of Apple Innovation

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The Apple Museum in Utrecht, Netherlands, showcases 50 years of Apple’s innovation through a curated collection that traces the company’s history from the original Apple I computer to modern devices like the Apple Watch. Opened in 2026, the museum offers visitors an immersive experience highlighting key moments and iconic products that have shaped personal computing and technology.

https://applemuseum.nl/

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The Mad Dash to Build the Future of Multimedia

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In 1989, Apple engineers developed QuickTime, a revolutionary software-based multimedia platform that enabled Macs to play and edit video and audio without specialized hardware, changing the future of digital media. Despite initial skepticism and limited resources, the team’s innovative approach to software codecs and media synchronization resulted in a 1991 launch that opened up creative possibilities and set a standard for multimedia on computers.

https://www.theverge.com/tech/902721/quicktime-history-apple?view_token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpZCI6IkcybHEzWGhZTVciLCJwIjoiL3RlY2gvOTAyNzIxL3F1aWNrdGltZS1oaXN0b3J5LWFwcGxlIiwiZXhwIjoxNzc1NTkyNzA0LCJpYXQiOjE3NzUxNjA3MDR9.p4nbje9XKl05Ybv3q31CyAQULuqAB-H9b8qfftSz12k

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Another Life Changed by the Mac

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Shelly Brisbin recounts how discovering the Macintosh and its desktop publishing capabilities in the mid-1980s transformed her career path, enabling her to overcome challenges related to her low vision and a difficult job market. By learning to use a Mac Plus with PageMaker, she launched a freelance publishing business and eventually secured a professional editing and layout job, with the skills gained continuing to benefit her throughout her career.

https://sixcolors.com/post/2026/04/another-life-changed-by-the-mac/

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This Machine Changed My Life

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In 1988, Antony Johnston’s introduction to the Macintosh Plus at his high school profoundly impacted his life by exposing him to a visual computer interface that made intuitive sense, unlike command-line systems. This experience led him to develop graphic design skills, ultimately shaping his career path into design and later professional writing, illustrating the transformative influence of early Mac computers.

https://sixcolors.com/post/2026/03/this-machine-changed-my-life/

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Apple Has Archives Even Tim Cook Didn’t Know About. We Went Inside

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To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Apple CEO Tim Cook shared rare prototypes and archives of iconic products like the iPod and iPhone with The Wall Street Journal. Cook reflected on the company’s journey, including successes, failures, and a special project from Steve Jobs, while offering insights and advice for the future leadership of Apple.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74qPQt_5DdM

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How Apple Became Apple: The Definitive Oral History of the Company’s Earliest Days

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Before the iPod, iPhone, or even the Apple-1, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were Silicon Valley teenagers fascinated by electronics who joined forces to pioneer personal computing. On April 1, 1976, along with Ronald Wayne, they founded Apple Computer Company to market Wozniak’s microcomputer kit, driven by a shared vision of the transformative power of personal computers. This oral history from Apple’s early collaborators captures how their passion, preparation, and community support sparked a revolution that now touches billions worldwide.

https://www.fastcompany.com/91514404/apple-founding-50th-anniversary-apple-1-apple-ii-jobs-wozniak?mvgt=E5Loo3fO74zl

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