Dec
29
MacCast 12.29.2006 – Special: Apple Design History
Written by: Adam Christianson
Categories: Podcast
[audio:http://media.libsyn.com/media/maccast/MC20061229SP.mp3]
Download today’s show here! 
MC20061229SP.mp3 [28.6MB 01:02:27 64kbps]
A podcast about all things Macintosh. For Mac geeks, by Mac geeks. Special edition of the MacCast where we discuss Apple’s design history. This is the first in what I hope may become a series I do with my good friend Victor Cajiao from Typical Mac User and Immigration Tales. Victor and I take a look at how Apple’s ideas about design began and how their design language and philosophy shaped their products through the years. It was a lot of fun and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
Get the MP3
Great show … but …
Just need to correct your pronunciation on the original iMac.
The beach in Sydney (which the iMac is named after) is Bondi pronounced ‘bond-eye’ not ‘bond-y’ as you (and almost every North American I have ever heard speak about the Bondi Blue iMac) said it.
This is nit-picking which shows just how great the rest of the show was.
Thanks heaps
Jan
This was a decent change of pace for a podcast, just try to keep these type not more than monthly :)
I do like the segments with the maccast team during the normal episodes.
Finally, don’t apoligize for not having an AAC version, I like the AAC but with how consistent you are with podcasts theres no reason to apoligize to us for something like that.
Thanks for the show.
Fantastic show! I am personaly very interested in apple design so this show was very apealing to me. I hope you do more shows like this!
TRS-80, not TSR-80.
TSR=Tandy Radio Shack.
Sorry to nitpick, but I had one and loved it at the time.
Nice show; the MacCast is one of my favorites for listening at the gym.
>TSR=Tandy Radio Shack
…that should be “TRS=Tandy Radio Shack.”
Hoist by my own petard. I guess it IS easy to do, isn’t it.
Adam
I understand your special “Apple Design History” focused on hardware design, but when you mention that Apple design consciousness made the Apple brand user acceptable and successful to the masses, you must also mention Apple’s evangelic software design concepts dictated to software developer who wanted to develop for the Apple platform.
In my opinion, and many others I assume, it was Apple’s insistence on standardization of function in software controls, that really made the Apple computers user friendly enough to solidify their user base in mass. For example, the Apple Menu guidelines and shortcut key standards used across all software that works on the Apple, made it intuitive enough for average non geek users. Apple’s tools and documentation such as the “Human Interface Guidelines,” and today’s xCode as well as its precursors, were the real design genius behind brand loyalty. The great quality of the hardware was icing on the cake.
Apple as a software company, has always been there behind the design and innovation that has made Apple, brand loyal and consumer successful. I’m sure you are intending to offer your listeners this fact in upcoming MacCast.
Leo OCampo
Oxford NY
Enjoyed the special podcast about design, there was quite a lot covered for that length of podcast. Would love to hear more about it, but definately not at the expense of the regular podcast. Also learnt quite a few things about Apple history/design.
Keep up the great work and looking forward to more ‘specials’
Great show Adam! I really enjoyed what you two had to say about Apple’s design and history as I am also very interested in it myself. Keep up the great work!
Hey Adam, great show, as a new Mac user, I really enjoyed hearing all about the history of the design of all the various apple products. I loved the movie “Pirates of Silicon Valley”, and your podcast with Victor gave me lots of cool Apple history topics to look into. Thanks for all you do!
-Julian
Great show Adam! Keep up the good work. The first Mac did speak at its introduction in January 1984.
It said:
“Hello, I am Macintosh. It sure is great to get out of that bag!
Unaccustomed as I am to public speaking, I’d like to share with you a maxim I thought of the first time I met an IBM mainframe: Never trust a computer that you can’t lift!
Obviously, I can talk, but right now I’d like to sit back and listen. So it is with considerable pride that I introduce a man who has been like a father to me… Steve Jobs!”
A great source for early Apple information, see the above quote, can be found at:
http://folklore.org
Bob
Adam,
A gem of a show. Actually had me Google visuals of each model of Apple computer as Victor and you discussed them.
–BruceG
Great show,
But I was almost offended at your apology at the start. Why are you apologising? You are doing a voluntary service to the entire mac community, and you have every right to take a break as often and as long as you like, especially at this time of year.
I really enjoyed the show, and keep up the awesome work.
Hey, great show! I switched the Mac over a year ago and now own both a Power Mac Cube and an eMate 300 (both of which you mentioned) along with other Macs. One of my favorite Apple history sites is http://www.apple-history.com/. I also like the book iWoz by Steve Wozniak.
I always enjoy your show, keep up the good work.
Adam and Victor,
I thought your podcast was just fantastic! I absolutely loved the refresh of Apple’s design history. Being a Mac user since the Apple II in 7th grade, your podcast brought me back to each Apple computer I used including the Lisa, IIci, IIsi, IIfx, 6100, Bondi Blue Imac, ect…., and what I was doing at the time. Talk about nastagia. I do hope you will do another history episode.
As for Victor’s request on finding the Apple Design Book here is a link to a much cheaper one.
http://www.theapplecollection.com/design/books/AppleDesign.html
I don’t know if they are still in stock but its worth a try.
Good luck and Happy New Year.
Keep up the great podcast, from a listener since the first podcast.
Great show. It’s spurred me on to listen to other Apple history podcasts. After you catch us up on the history, maybe you can add a ‘what if’ segment. It could be a closer look at interesting Apple history and speculation on what if it had gone the other way.
what if Apple had partnered with Quantum (later to be AOL)? what if the ’84 ad was squashed? the board didn’t like it. what if Xerox had let there Parc labs run with their new tech, instead of ignoring it? There’s so many pivotal points in Apple history.
For company history, Apple’s is amazing.
Thanks for the show guys!