26: John Gruber, part 3

26: John Gruber, part 3

Author: Relay March 19, 2021 Duration: 49:26
From November 20, 2020: Titanium PowerBook G4, MacBook Air, the original Macintosh, PowerBook 140/170, and iMac G3.

The story of the Macintosh isn't just about circuits and code; it's a collection of personalities, pivotal decisions, and products that changed everything. On the 20 Macs podcast, host Jason Snell guides conversations with a rotating panel of guests who have watched this history unfold from the front row. These aren't just casual observers, but long-time Mac watchers with deep institutional knowledge and personal anecdotes. Together, they don't just list models, but dig into the most notable parts of Macintosh history-the breakthroughs, the baffling missteps, the cult classics, and the machines that defined entire eras of computing. Each episode focuses on the context and the human stories behind the hardware, offering a rich, nuanced perspective that goes beyond specs and launch dates. You'll hear discussions that feel like a reunion of old friends reminiscing about a shared, formative passion, analyzing how specific models reflected the company's ambitions and the technological landscape of their time. This is a podcast for anyone who appreciates how design, culture, and technology intersect, exploring why these particular twenty Macs left an indelible mark. It's a retrospective built on genuine expertise and a clear affection for the subject, making each conversation both informative and warmly engaging. Tune in for thoughtful analysis and behind-the-scenes glimpses of an iconic journey in personal technology.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 29

20 Macs
Podcast Episodes
7: Mac mini (#14) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:40
The popularity of the iPod led Apple to create a Mac designed specifically to tempt people to switch from Windows. It didn't go as planned, but the result was a Mac model that's been with us for fifteen years and countin…
6: DayStar Genesis MP (#15) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:41
One of the most important developments in the history of the Mac was not created in Cupertino, but by a Mac clonemaker in a tiny town in Georgia.
5: Blue and White Power Mac G3 (#16) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:48
Professionals were dragged out of their beige towers by an iMac-inspired Power Mac that featured a drop-down door, big plastic handles, and a raft of new technologies.
4: PowerBook 500 and 5300 (#17) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:04
Apple follows up its groundbreaking original PowerBooks with a new set of laptops that ushered in perhaps the ugliest period in Apple laptop history.
3: Xserve (#18) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:27
Apple had made numerous attempts to sell server hardware, including a strange non-Mac server that Steve Jobs likened to a bizarre dream. But in the early 2000s, Jobs decided to take another crack at it, and vowed that th…
2: PowerBook Duo (#19) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:14
The very first time Apple made a laptop that compromised in numerous ways, all in the question of being as thin and light as possible.
1: Power Mac G5 (#20) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:36
The classic "cheese grater" design of the Power Mac G5 influences the design of the modern Mac Pro, and also represents (in the worst way) the last time Apple embarked on a chip transition.
0: Introduction [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:10
Jason Snell introduces 20 Macs for 2020, a project that will count down his list of the 20 most notable Macs of all time, one per week, with a little help from his friends.