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Apple Reveals ‘Lisa’, Its $50M Gamble (1983)

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61–70 of 186 posts

Re: Apple Reveals ‘Lisa’, Its $50M Gamble (1983)

#61
post #3

My favorite part: Instead of typing a sequence of commands on the computer keyboard; the user merely points to tiny "icons" or commands on the screen by sliding the "mouse" (a plastic control box the size of a cigarette pack) on the desktop beside the computer. As the mouse rolls, an arrow called a cursor moves across the screen. To erase obsolete information, for example, the user moves the mouse to point first at w…

I remember trying to teach someone to use a mouse, and having to move their arm back down onto the table. See, you can't hold it in mid air, you need to slide it across the mousepad. (and in this case it was specifically required, I believe it was a mouse systems mouse with an LED and a patterned metal mousepad)

Re: Apple Reveals ‘Lisa’, Its $50M Gamble (1983)

#62
post #4

This makes the new Mac Pro look like a bargain... especially after you adjust for inflation.

coincidentally I just looked these up the other day:

Apple Lisa 1983 $9,995 ($25,143 in 2018 dollars)

Apple Macintosh 128k 1/24/84 $2,495 ($6,000 in 2018 dollars)

Macintosh II 3/2/87 $5,498 ($12,125 in 2018)

Next Cube 9/18/90 $10,000 ($19,177 in 2018 dollars)

Re: Apple Reveals ‘Lisa’, Its $50M Gamble (1983)

#63
post #62
post #4

This makes the new Mac Pro look like a bargain... especially after you adjust for inflation.

coincidentally I just looked these up the other day: Apple Lisa 1983 $9,995 ($25,143 in 2018 dollars) Apple Macintosh 128k 1/24/84 $2,495 ($6,000 in 2018 dollars) Macintosh II 3/2/87 $5,498 ($12,125 in 2018) Next Cube 9/18/90 $10,000 ($19,177 in 2018 dollars)

Now do SGI workstations!

Re: Apple Reveals ‘Lisa’, Its $50M Gamble (1983)

#64
post #16

> Jobs personally heads the MacIntosh development team MacIntosh :)

> MacIntosh :) They'll probably program it in "C", and then in the 1990s move on to JAVA, with some software in PERL.

Was C ever really named "C" with the quotes? Was it supposed to be a reference—were "C-style strings" a key innovation of C over BCPL or something?

Re: Apple Reveals ‘Lisa’, Its $50M Gamble (1983)

#65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While we are definitely going to have more AR, I'm not convinced that it's the future at all. But I guess that's the case with most people and most technologies until they become ubiquitous. AR still seems like a solution looking for a problem.

Funny, I've felt the same thing about VR. With AR, I can think of a million practical applications. With any kind of VR that is short of full sensory immersion, I can't think of a single practical use.

> With any kind of VR that is short of full sensory immersion, I can't think of a single practical use.

If you've ever had to use a hardware "simulator" to train on Big Hardware like a plane or submarine, using VR as a replacement is an "obvious win." Rather than dedicated rooms with all sorts of custom fake hardware that only a few people can use at a time, you can buy one classroom full of VR equipment, and then every student can do their simulator runs in parallel, allowing each student far more total simulator-time. As well, to switch to a simulation of newer-model hardware, you just need a new piece of VR software, rather than entire new rooms full of molded plastic and slapshod wiring.

Re: Apple Reveals ‘Lisa’, Its $50M Gamble (1983)

#66

Did much of Lisa even survive to become the Mac, or was it just in spirit? Considering you needed a Lisa to develop for the Mac for the first few years, it’s good that they made it.

QuickDraw, the 2D graphics library, is probably the biggest part of the Lisa that lived on in the Mac.

Re: Apple Reveals ‘Lisa’, Its $50M Gamble (1983)

#67
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If the future is AR, it's a good thing Apple is one of the leading companies in this area.

I would not say even their software AR is leading AR in general (assuming you are referring to ARKit). They have no hardware AR devices, correct me if I'm wrong. What are they leading?

What's a "hardware AR device"? Anything with a screen and a camera. You don't need immersion for AR. Pokemon Go is AR.

Re: Apple Reveals ‘Lisa’, Its $50M Gamble (1983)

#68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

$25k after inflation. I had no idea it was that expensive!

I am really curious about how anyone could afford computers at these prices in the 1980s. I guess my family was really poor then. We had a C64 and later an Amiga.

If your family had a personal computer at all you were very well off indeed.

Re: Apple Reveals ‘Lisa’, Its $50M Gamble (1983)

#69
post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am really curious about how anyone could afford computers at these prices in the 1980s. I guess my family was really poor then. We had a C64 and later an Amiga.

They didn't unless they were well off. Only 8% of houses had a computer in 1984. 15% by the end of the decade. C64 was $595 new, if you had one I doubt your family was poor.

My family was pretty poor, but my parents found a way somehow.

Re: Apple Reveals ‘Lisa’, Its $50M Gamble (1983)

#70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My parent’s Mac II cost over $6000 at the time we got it. Compared to the IBM PCs at the time, the 640x480 hires display was stunningly gorgeous!

The Mac II was released in 1987. On the PC side, VGA cards were introduced a year earlier and could do those resolutions.

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