Read the recent Macworld article on the 10 ‘standout’ Macs over the last 25 years with a combination of interest, envy and surprise.
As a Mac ‘veteran’ of 3 years my ownership goes back to the 17″ PowerBook (picked it up the day they announced the Intel deal), and has included over the years: 17″ PowerBook, 17″ MacBook Pro, MacBook, 2 x Mac mini, iMac, Mac Pro, 1st and 2nd Genration iPhone (I include those because the Macworld article includes the iPhone as on of the 10 standouts.
The full list from Macworld is:
- The Macintosh (1984)
- The PowerBook 100 series (1991)
- The Power Mac G3 (1997)
- The iMac (1998)
- The PowerBook G3 “Wallstreet†(1998)
- The iBook (1999)
- The Power Mac G4 Cube (2000)
- The (Intel-based) iMac (2006)
- The MacBook Air (2008)
- The iPhone /iPod touch (2007)
It is weird. I remember the original Macintosh from 1984, but never used one. I am not 100% sure where I will have seen it either! I was at college in the UK between 1982 and 1986 andwe didn’t even have PC’s then, just an hour each week on the college mainframe (remember those!!!) and in 1986 I joined ICL, and they didn’t even make PC’s at that stage, so I think it must have been in a design agency.
That is certainly where I remember seeing the next Mac that I can remember, the iMac. Without doubt that was the Mac that first made we think ‘wow’, and I think ever since then I have wanted on.
Obviously I am more than aware of the Intel-based iMac as sands has one, and I have used and been TOTALLY underwhelmed by the MacBook Air (don’t think I know anyone that got one and is still using it as their primary Mac???) and I would really question if it qualifies as a ‘standout’ Mac. The new MacBook Pros and MacBooks with their ‘all in one’ cases have a much better case (pun intended) in my view.
And as for the iPhone/iPod Touch ….. I think that is really stretching the point to be honest as they don’t really qualify as a fully fledged Mac. If you are extending the definition to include them, then I would argue that the iPod was far more ‘stanout’ than these.
What I would be interested in though is how many of the above would make your list, and how many of them you have experience of?
First. My favorite Mac is the next one.
Almost serious, though. Isn’t that the way it always is? My current iMac 24″ is my second Mac after the mini. I think it’s the greatest computer that I’ve ever had. But I ~know~ I could get stuff done quicker on a Mac Pro. So if I got one of those, then that would be my favorite. But then if they came out with a quad core iMac, that could quickly become my favorite. Or if I got a 17″ Macbook Pro, then I bet that would quickly become a favorite. (And if you haven’t been able to tell by now, I don’t go anywhere but the couch, so I really don’t need a portable.) If I didn’t do so much video work, I’d almost consider a MacBook Pro as a primary. But I still need speed, power, and screen real estate!
Second, I don’t think anyone could possibly even seriously consider the MacBook Air as a primary computer. I could even go as far as to say it’s almost in the same category as the iPhone or iPod Touch, but of course that would be incorrect as well.
How about a 17″ MacBook Pro and a nice second monitor? That way you could have the MBP with you on the couch and have to move around even less …. comment left by me via MBP while on couch, in dressing gown for the second full day in a row!!!!
Trust me when I say I am very tempted!! I need to start comparing the iMac and the MacBook Pro and see which would be the better. I really sometimes hate being “squirreled” away to be on the computer. Crap!! Here we are in the middle of a huge economic crisis and now I’m seriously considering another computer. I am about 3 weeks away from purchasing a Mac mini and a Drobo for some kind of media center.
Stop it! Does it ever end?
BTW, how loud is the MacBook Pro?
I wouldn’t say it made any real noise at all ……. go for it!!!
I keep mulling over a ‘netbook’ for the couch, just for surfing as the iPhone is crap for that. Kinda hoped Mac forget that crappy MBA of his when he was over 🙂
Ha! There. I got you. I almost was seriously thinking about it, then you said that you would want a netbook for the couch! But wait, what about the MacBook Pro? Too much for the couch?
Brings us back to the initial response. Favorite Mac is always the next one.
Ah not so fast my friend ….
The idea of a ‘netbook’ for the lounge would purely be on shared basis for both Sands and I. I have the MBP and she has the MB for any specific stuff that we individually want to do when in the lounge etc. My MBP is used every day at my desk so is connected to power, external drive (Time Machine) and a Ethernet connection so a bit of a ‘fuss’ to keep moving it.
Wouldn’t mind a netbook just floating around the lounge for the (very) occasional use. In no way a main stream computing option though.
Well if you ever stopped reminding me how “girly” that MBA was, I might have forgotten it…. Right now I don’t have a favorite Mac…. they all serve some kind of purpose in life…. all in all if pressed, it would have to be the MacPro, closely followed by MBP.
Was playing hard to get!!! Didn’t you figure that out when Mori peed on it 🙂
I figured that if Saidi has peed on it, then it would a shame to leave it behind. If it was Mori, then it would be different.
Interesting. So Mac, you like the desktop better than the MB Pro? Hmm…
I am convinced it was Mori you know!!!! He says he will pay the postage 😉
3ghz Mac Pro 16gig Ram w 30″ NEC 3090 qxi Monitor and Apple 30″ secondary. Add one latest version top of line fully loaded Mac Book Pro 15″ w/ non-glare add-on screen and 3g Iphone and have capability to conquer the world – or something – if one can just find a work-flow that is optimized. Which, I believe, is really the bottom line – eh what?
my macs from the list include Power Mac G3, which I still use on ocassion, iMac – blue, & the fabulous iPhone. Not on list: MacBook & iMac G5 which is my main mac along with iPhone. I am about to up the ram on the iMac though as I’m bad to use several apps at same time.
As for questioning the iPhone being on list, I think it belongs there as I read the article on my iPhone via clicking the link in Chris’s Tweet & am posting this with iPhone in hand. What more could you ask for— it’s totally “handy” because I’m still in bed having coffee! I love my macs!
Heh, I use the iPhone all the time to Tweet from my bed these days!!!