Thanks to the generosity of our donors, our collection has continued to grow this year with several new acquisitions including an iMac G3 and iMac G4! These machines add to our collection of Apple products like the Apple Macintosh II currently on display in the “IBM Versus Apple” exhibition.
Apple Macintosh II (1987)
In 1977 Apple produced the first ever color graphics computer, the Apple II. Ten years later the Apple Macintosh II was released with outstanding color graphics that helped transition the computer from a word- processor and game machine to other functions like photo editing. Although the Macintosh II was quite expensive for its time, the cutting edge color graphics and impressive processing speed ensured its popularity.
iMac G3 (1998)
Two decades later in 1998, Apple released the iMac G3, which later earned the nickname “Bondi Blue” for its translucent colored plastic casing. The iMac was hugely influential for its innovative design and for forgoing traditional technologies like floppy disk and serial ports. The iMac G4 replaced the G3 in 2002, soon earning nicknames like “the Dome” and “the Lamp” for its cutting-edge form.
iMac G4 (2002)
We are so grateful for donations like these that continue to increase the breadth, depth, and value of our collection.
We are excited to share the first installment of our newest initiative, Sound Bytes, inspired by the incredible caliber of our Decoding the Past speakers. For this project, we ask each of our speakers the same two questions and record their responses in order to build an ongoing video archive of our speakers’ expertise, reflections, and insight.
What was your first experience with personal computing?
Veteran technology columnist Walt Mossberg described what would now be called a “text chat” with a friend as his most memorable early experience with personal computers. Listen to Walt’s response to our first question, here:
If you could add one object to our collection, what would it be and why?
Walt suggested that the first camera phone photo ever taken would be a crucial addition to our collection.
On June 11, 1997, with the internet still in its infancy, PC pioneer Phillippe Kahn created the first “camera phone” in a Santa Cruz hospital, waiting for his daughter to be born. Driven by his desire to document this momentous occasion and a need to pass the time, Kahn wired his Motorola Startac flip phone to his Casio QV-10 digital camera, which he then connected to his laptop using speakerphone wiring ripped from his car. When baby Sophie was born, Kahn held his daughter in one hand and took her photo with the other, then instantly sent the image to over 2,000 people.
The impact of this invention cannot be understated. The ability to capture and instantly share imagery has changed the way we interact with the world and with one another. Anyone with a camera phone may now be a journalist, publisher, consumer, artist, or documentarian. The impact of image-based social media applications is debated in the highest courts, while their user numbers continue to grow. Instagram alone claimed 1.3 billion users in 2020.
Phillippe Kahn himself has continued to be hugely influential in the tech world. He founded several software companies including LightSurf whose picture-messaging technology is used today by Sprint, Verizon, and other major carriers. Kahn has been granted hundreds of patents for innovations related to artificial intelligence, wearable technologies, telecommunications, and motion-detection.
Join us for the next installment of our ongoing conversation series, Decoding the Past: Conversations with PC Innovators!
This session,Full STEAM Ahead: Inclusion Across Generations, is an opportunity to join a conversation with Maria Klawe, president of Harvey Mudd College and renowned computer scientist and scholar, known for her advocacy of women in STEM fields.
Maria Klawe, renowned computer scientist and scholar, began her tenure as Harvey Mudd College’s fifth president in 2006. President Klawe is the first woman to lead the College since its founding in 1955. Prior to joining HMC, she served as dean of engineering and professor of computer science at Princeton University. Klawe joined Princeton from the University of British Columbia where she served as dean of science from 1998 to 2002, vice president of student and academic services from 1995 to 1998 and head of the Department of Computer Science from 1988 to 1995. Prior to UBC, Klawe spent eight years with IBM Research in California, and two years at the University of Toronto. She received her PhD (1977) and BSc (1973) in mathematics from the University of Alberta.
As part of our partnership with the Museum of Teaching and Learning (MOTAL), we've been able to objects from our collection through MOTAL's Artifact of the Month Program. You can read our second article here!
Artifact of the Month: The Apple II
In the early 1970s, personal computers were mostly owned by a small number of computer and technology specialists. The first personal computers were typically sold as do-it-yourself kits like the Altair 8800 (pictured below), and were more often appealing to electronics enthusiasts than to everyday people. However, innovators committed to making computers accessible created increasingly efficient and intuitive technology. Simultaneously, computers became less expensive to mass-produce which encouraged technology companies to focus on the mass marketability of personal computers. The introduction of easy-to-use, affordable personal computers ensured the commercial success of these machines.
As more
people bought personal computers, more technology companies built machines that
could perform a variety of tasks. Increasing flexibility and customizability
was important in showing the ways in which computers could change people’s
lives. In 1977, Apple released the Apple II—the first computer with color
graphics—and transformed people’s perception of the possibilities for
computers. Users of personal computers liked color displays and high-quality
sound because these features allowed them to tailor the computer to their
needs. Teachers in the late 1970s, like MOTAL’s own Greta Nagel, were thrilled
to have access to these remarkably learner-friendly machines in their classroom.
Greta recalls:
“I ran a reading lab as a specialist in a Title I school when the Apple II came out, and we had four computers to use as a learning center. The computer was friendly and forgiving. It was patient and gave immediate feedback. If the student got something wrong, there was an instant opportunity to try again and get it right.”
Perhaps the most remarkable feature of the Apple II was that it was the first personal computer with color graphics, which the company advertised with a redesigned color logo (pictured below). This computer was also notable because it was easily customizable depending on the user’s needs. In particular, the software that came with the computer made it useful for business people, reaffirming the potential that personal computers had for transforming the workplace. Color graphics also cemented Apple’s reputation as the preferred computer for graphic artists.
In 1979 Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston introduced VisiCalc, the first electronic spreadsheet, for the Apple II. The application was hugely popular and exponentially increased sales of the Apple II. The VisiCalc was a true game-changer in the industry and paved the way for today’s electronic spreadsheet applications like Microsoft Excel.
As part of our partnership with the Museum of Teaching and Learning (MOTAL), we've been able to objects from our collection through MOTAL's Artifact of the Month Program. You can read our first article here!
Artifact of the Month: The Osborne I
Portability may be the most important personal computer development to
date. The very first iterations of ‘portability’ might seem daunting to us now,
but at the time they were considered cutting-edge technology. In the early
1980s, portable personal computers evolved rapidly and were usually marketed to
the busy businessperson on-the-go. Today, portability is king—as lighter
laptops, thinner tablets and more advanced smartphones continue to be
developed.
Although it hardly looks like what we imagine a portable computer to be, especially since it lacks the typical clamshell design, the Osborne I was in fact the first “luggable” computer. At a hefty 26 pounds and sporting a tiny screen, the Osborne I was a commercial success and went on to inspire the creation of other portable personal computers.
The Osborne I is on display in the Paul Gray PC Museum’s “The Evolution
of the Personal Computer” exhibition alongside with several of the earliest
portable computers, including the Grid Convertible 1101. This was the very
first portable computer that featured the clamshell design where the screen
opens up to reveal a keyboard. When closed the exterior case protects the
computer, a useful feature for a portable computer. Weighing ten pounds, this
was a much more practical portable laptop than the bulkier Osborne I. However,
the first generation of this new technology was punishingly expensive at $8,000
in 1982, the equivalent of $22,000 in 2021. Given this steep price, the market
for this model was largely limited to government and military organizations,
particularly NASA.
Astronaut John O. Creighton poses with onboard GRiD Compass computer, displaying a likeness of Mr. Spock of Star Trek, aboard Space Shuttle Discovery mission STS-51-G on 18 June 1985. Wikipedia Commons.
Last week, we had our fourth installment of Decoding the Past: Conversations with PC Innovators. This session was an opportunity to join a conversation with Walt Mossberg, renowned journalist and principal technology columnist for The Wall Street Journal from 1991 through 2013. Karen Wickre, veteran connector, editor, and communicator based out of Silicon Valley, will moderate the conversation.
We are excited to announce a new partnerships with the River Oaks Academy!
As part of this last year’s education initiative, we have developed an interdisciplinary curriculum guide to help students and teachers engage with our permanent collection. The series of inquiry-based lessons are inspired by our current exhibition displays. Through our partnership with River Oaks Academy, this curriculum will be taught to a class of 3rd-5th graders in the Fall semester! We’re looking forward to expanding the materials to other grade levels, and developing new resources for in-person programming.
