Apple is celebrating a milestone this Friday, as its Macintosh computer line turns 30.
Version one of the venerable Macintosh, in 1984, was the first computer to use a graphical interface and was one of the first to include a mouse for user input. (Via Apple)
And while it doesn't look like it did back in 1984, that technology has carried on into the computers we use today — chances are your desktop computer has a mouse, for example. (Via All About Apple)
And the graphical interface is just as ubiquitous. As AppleInsider points out, it was even the basis for the desktop environment that would eventually become Microsoft's Windows.
Apple has since refined its Mac dozens of times, issuing all-in-one desktops, towers, laptops, workstations and even server builds.
In one form or another, the Macintosh weathered Apple's decline, saw the departure and return of Steve Jobs and helped support Apple's rise to become Forbes' most valuable company on the market. (Via CNN)
Even when headlines such as GigaOM's started appearing, announcing Apple's iDevices were outselling its computers, the Mac stuck around.
Macworld says it's because not every task lends itself to these new interfaces.
"Apple believes that every one of its products has particular strengths for particular tasks. This is why the Mac is still relevant, 30 years on—because sometimes a device with a keyboard and a trackpad is the best tool for the job."
Apple is running special commemoration on its website, which includes an interactive timeline and a survey for visitors to fill out about their first experiences with Apple computers.
Apple staffers are giving interviews, too. CEO Tim Cook's discussion with Diane Sawyer, for example, is set to air Friday night on ABC.
