REVEAL A “HOLY SHIT” MOMENT 153
computer industry in the eighties. A computer with a mouse
and graphical user interface was a major transformation from
the old command-line interfaces prevalent then. The Mac
was much easier to use than anything IBM had at the time.
The Mac’s introduction was also one of the most spellbinding
product launches of its day. The unveiling took place a quarter-
century earlier during the Apple shareholders meeting, held at
the Flint Center at De Anza College, near the Apple campus. All
2,571 seats were filled as employees, analysts, shareholders, and
media representatives buzzed with anticipation.
Jobs (dressed in gray slacks, a double-breasted jacket, and
bow tie) kicked off the presentation with a quote by his favor-
ite musician, Bob Dylan. After describing the features of the
new computer, Jobs said, “All of this power fits into a box that
is one-third the size and weight of an IBM PC. You’ve just seen
pictures of Macintosh. Now I’d like to show you Macintosh
in person. All of the images you are about to see on the large
screen are being generated by what’s in that bag.” He pointed to
a canvas bag in the center of the stage. After a pause, he walked
to center stage and pulled the Macintosh computer out of the
bag. He plugged it in, inserted a floppy disk, and stood aside.
The lights darkened, the Vangelis theme from Chariots of Fire
began to play, and a series of images scrolled across the screen
(MacWrite and MacPaint, which came free with the Mac). As the
music faded, Jobs said, “Now, we’ve done a lot of talking about
Macintosh recently, but today for the first time ever, I’d like to
let Macintosh speak for itself.” On that cue, Macintosh spoke in
a digitized voice:
“Hello, I am Macintosh. It sure is great to get out of that bag.
Unaccustomed as I am to public speaking, I’d like to share with
you a maxim I thought of the first time I met an IBM main-
frame: Never trust a computer you can’t lift. Obviously, I can
talk right now, but I’d like to sit back and listen. So, it is with
considerable pride that I introduce a man who has been like a
father to me: Steve Jobs.”^3 The crowd went wild, standing, cheer-
ing, hollering.
Letting Macintosh speak for itself was a brilliant technique to
garner the most buzz and publicity. Twenty-five years later, the