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Times are tight right now, but Small Dog Electronics vows to make this a productive and successful year.
We are hoping to expand soon with new retail locations, and Don was recently interviewed by the Burlington Free Press about our plans for the future.
At right: Don photographed in our South Burlington store last week. Photo credit: Glenn Russell, Burlington Free Press
On January 24, 1984, a then 28-year-old “Steve Jobs”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Jobs and 33-year-old “Steve Wozniak”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Wozniak (nicknamed “Woz”) introduced the very “first Macintosh”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh_128K — a computer “for the rest of us.” __(Note the friendly, cursive “hello” they included on-screen to attract non-corporate types.)__
At the time, IBM dominated the PC scene, and computers were viewed as devices that were too complicated for the average person. The Macintosh changed that forever.
With a unique all-in-one design that would later become a staple feature of the Macintosh line, the Macintosh (later dubbed the “Macintosh 128K” after future versions were released) was successful from the get-go at a pricetag of just under $2,500.
Though sales dropped after the initial introduction period, Apple had success with future models and upgrades, and it paved the way for further innovation–for Apple itself as well as serving as the inspiration for Microsoft Windows. (For more on this, see “Related” below for a link to __Pirates of Silicon Valley__)
*Original Macintosh Specs and Features:*
* 128 KB RAM
* 64 KB ROM
* 3.5″ 400 KB floppy drive
* size: 13.6″ H x 9.6″ W x 10.9″ D
* weight: 16.5 lb.
* 1-bit 512 x 342 pixel B&W monitor
* mouse and attached keyboard (with a coiled telephone-like cable)
* System 1.0 (including the first System and Finder apps) software, MacWrite and MacPaint applications
* Beige Plastic enclosure (yes, it was still beige… it would be 14 more years–and after Steve Jobs’ departure and subsequent return to Apple–before we would see bright colors introduced into the Mac line)
Technology has come a long way since then, giving us far more powerful computing systems and devices for a much lower cost. We have a lot of respect for Apple, and we’re proud to be in the Mac industry.
So here’s to the Mac’s 25th anniversary! Thanks for the memories. We look forward to many more years of innovative, creative and useful products!
Have a favorite Apple product from years past? Let us know!
*More:*
* “View the February 1984 cover of Byte Magazine here.”:http://blog.modernmechanix.com/mags/qf/c/Byte/2-1984/lrg_cover.jpg
* “Read the review of the original Macintosh here.”:http://www.aresluna.org/attached/computerhistory/articles/macintoshbytereview
* “See the iconic 1984 ad here.”:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYecfV3ubP8 __(Trivia: The commercial first ran during the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII on January 22, 1984, and it was available for purchase 2 days later)__
*Related:*
* “Read about __Pirates of Silicon Valley__,”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirates_of_Silicon_Valley the movie that “documents the rise of the home computer (personal computer) through the rivalry between Apple Computer and Microsoft.”
* “View Apple’s timeline of Steve Jobs.”:http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/01/22/technology/20090122_JOBS.html?th&emc=th (Thanks, Katie!)
__Sources:__
“http://lowendmac.com/compact/original-macintosh-128k.html”:http://lowendmac.com/compact/original-macintosh-128k.html
“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh_128K”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh_128K
To celebrate the Mac’s 25th anniversary, we’re offering an additional 10% off all items on clearance for one week only. Most of these items have already been steeply marked down, with some listed below cost.
You can see “all clearance items by clicking here.”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/x/x/x/Clearance
We have iPod accessories, hard drives (including premium Glyph and G-Tech drives), books, notebook cases, software, games, Mac parts and much more listed.
To get the additional 10% off, simply add any clearance items to your cart and then enter coupon code *10percent* in the shopping cart.
View specials while on-hand supplies last. Please note that some specials may not be available in our retail stores; check for availability.
See all specials on our “Specials Page.”:http://www.smalldog.com/specials
Apple quietly changed the specs of the entry-level white MacBook this week. The upside is that it now ships with 2GB of RAM (instead of 1GB), and features NVIDIA 9400M integrated graphics with 256MB of shared DDR2 SDRAM; an improvement over the previous Intel GMA X3100 graphics card.
The downside about the new machine is that it now ships with a 2.0GHz processor (instead of the previous 2.1). However, the frontside bus on the new MacBooks has been boosted from 866 MHz to 1066 MHz. That should more than make up for the processor “downgrade.”
The price is unchanged at $999.99, the standard drive remains 120GB, and there is now an option to upgrade to a 320GB drive. The new MacBooks ship with iLife ’09 installed.
Some will grumble about the downgrade of a 2.0 GHz processor from a 2.1 processor, but in my opinion, the much improved graphics, faster bus, and doubled RAM more than make up for it. Indeed, the faster bus should negate the processor difference.
Also, I would much rather have the NVIDIA 9400M graphics over the Intel GMA X3100 graphics.
We are accepting pre-orders now, with deliveries expected next week. See the new machine “by clicking here.”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/73058
_Dear Friends,_
It is snowing out and the temperatures have warmed up from well below zero for a couple days. We have a Siberian air mass headed our way with the severe cold coming back this weekend. Things just seem to break when it gets this cold for an extended period of time.
On Monday when it was -25 here at the office, we had a series of weather-related failures. The hot water stopped working until I found a portable heater to put in the closet where the instantaneous hot water heater was located to thaw out the pipes. Grace’s car just stopped working and was left stranded in a cell-phone dead zone. Worst of all, the furnace failed in the warehouse and the crew down there tried to put up a brave face and continue working as the temperatures dipped but ultimately we had to give up our conference room for Mac repairs.
The cold weather does make for interesting noises from the crunch of the cold snow beneath your feet to the creaking of the house as it contracts and expands from the cold outside and the heat inside. The roads tend to be more slippery during very cold weather because road salt doesn’t work at those temps. Fan Tail likes the cold and snow and she will just roll around in it and run on the trails from our snowshoes. On the other hand, Hammerhead needs to be coaxed to even step one paw out the door.
It has been a historic week. We had the inauguration playing on many of the Macs in our offices and stores, and pretty much everything stopped as we watched the 44th President of the USA inaugurated in front of a couple million friends. It is simply amazing and encouraging to realize that just 40 years ago we were working for basic civil rights in voting, housing and schools, and that less than 150 years ago, slavery was still common. In 1977, when Vermont was still a sovereign country, our state constitution outlawed slavery, becoming the first country to do so and later, the first state to outlaw it altogether. We now we have an African-American President of the USA. I was so proud to be an American, so proud of my country, and so proud of my President.
I am getting way too excited about my upcoming trip to Tanzania. Normally, I am a last minute packer which infuriates Grace. She likes to pack weeks in advance, while I will just throw some stuff in a suitcase at the last minute. This time, I have been gathering cameras, spare batteries and figuring out how to “pack light” for the trip of a lifetime.
Thanks for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes!
Your Kibbles & Bytes team,
_Don, Kali & Ed_