Apple started exactly 50 years ago, and most of the Cult of Mac staffers have been Mac users almost since the beginning. We have 170-plus years of experience!
Today’s milestone has us looking back on how we got started using Apple computers, from the original Macintosh to the first PowerBook to the early Mac mini.
As Apple turns 50, it’s worth looking back on the company’s greatest accomplishments and lowest moments through history. If you don’t have time for David Pogue’s 600-page epic, Apple: The First 50 Years, maybe you can spare eight minutes to relive the single biggest piece of Apple news every year.
You can watch 50 years of Apple announcements compressed into a single video. Or, keep reading below for a quick rundown.
Apple produced an amazing string of hit products over its 50 years, but to paraphrase Napoleon the pig: Some are more important than others.
Here are the most important products in Apple’s 50-year history. And no, this list is likely not what you were expecting. They’re not necessarily the biggest or the most well-known.
Macs in enterprise settings typically last for five years, besting the three-year lifespan for Windows PCs, according to a company that makes software to help businesses manage their computers.
But the really shocking revelation from the report is that more than half of Windows PCs used in big business get replaced within a year.
Looking back over Apple’s first 50 years, it’s clear what the company’s greatest talent is: turning rivals’ niche products into mainstream hits.
Apple proves adept at releasing new products in categories that looked like failures because customers simply lacked interest. But then Apple figured out what its competitors were doing wrong and released its own versions that quickly became iconic.
Here are five examples of Apple turning other companies’ fiascos into triumphs.
Apple officially pulled the plug on the Mac Pro on Thursday, scrubbing its most expensive desktop computer from its website. Links that used to go to the top-end machine now redirect to the overall Mac page.
Quietly killing the machine brings an ignominious end to the $6,999 computer that Apple had not updated in years.
The Mac Pro, which Cupertino quietly discontinued Thursday, always occupied a rarefied tier in the Apple universe — a machine for serious professionals, well-heeled enthusiasts and the kind of person who actually needs 96GB of RAM.
Whether it’s the iconic cylindrical “trash can” from 2013, the stainless-steel-handled cheesegraters of the early 2000s, or the current M2 Ultra tower that started at $7,000 and climbed past $12,000 with upgrades, the Mac Pro commands attention wherever it appears. Feast your eyes on the top nine Mac Pro setups from Cult of Mac‘s archives.
Your MacBook will now warn you when you plug in a slow charger. Apple quietly introduced this feature in macOS Tahoe 26.4.
The “Slow Charger” warning can help you quickly identify underpowered adapters that could slow down charging or affect your MacBook’s performance during use.
Apple plans a top-to-bottom revamp of Siri in iOS 27 that turns the beleaguered voice assistant into an AI chatbot at the heart of iPhones, Macs and iPads, according to a new report.
Apple might even launch a standalone Siri app that, like competing apps from ChatGPT and Google Gemini, serves as a central hub for all the user’s interactions with the AI assistant.
macOS Tahoe 26.4, which Apple released Tuesday, brings several noticeable improvements and changes to the Mac’s operating system. While not a massive overhaul, this is exactly the kind of point update Tahoe needs right now.
Let’s take a look at what’s new in macOS Tahoe 26.4.
Every MacBook boasts industry-leading battery life. But everything comes to an end. It may take a full day or more, but MacBooks do eventually run out of charge.
If you want to take your M5 Max MacBook Pro to the coffee shop to get work done, and you leave your power cable at home — even if you’re editing 8K ProRes video streams in Final Cut Pro — you still might be ordering breakfast, lunch and staying for dinner.
Of course, that low battery warning always comes at the most inopportune time. With that in mind, there are a few tricks to get even more unplugged time with your MacBook. Keep reading or watch our quick video.
March 23, 1992: The “headless” Macintosh LC II arrives, wooing value-oriented customers with a beguiling mix of updated internals and budget pricing.
Designed to take up minimal space underneath a monitor (sold separately), the Mac LC II is destined to become a hit. In retrospect, the entry-level machine is roughly analogous to today’s Mac mini.
March 20, 1997: Apple launches its Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh, a futuristic, special-edition Mac that’s ahead of its time in every way. Not part of any established Mac line, it brings a look (and a price!) unlike anything else available — and Apple delivers them to buyers in a limo!
And yet the Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh promptly bombs. Today, it’s a collector’s piece.
March 19, 1990: The ultra-fast Macintosh IIfx makes its debut, sporting a hefty price tag appropriate for such a speedy machine.
The fastest Macintosh of its day, it boasts a CPU running at a “wicked fast” 40 MHz. It gains an additional speed bump from a pair of Apple-designed, application-specific integrated circuits. Prices start at $9,870 and run up to $12,000 — the equivalent of $24,561 to $29,862 in 2026 money!
A MacBook Neo can be upgraded to 1TB of storage, but the DIY project isn’t for amateurs. A video demonstrating the process shows that it takes skills, experience and the right equipment.
Still, it’s interesting to watch. Especially as it also shows how easy it is to disassemble the MacBook Neo.
The MacBook Neo comes with 8GB of RAM, and that’s great news for all Mac users, even if they never buy a Neo. It means current and older Apple computers will continue to offer speedy performance when running macOS for years to come.
Here’s why.
March 14, 1994: Apple introduces the Power Macintosh 7100, a midrange Mac that will become memorable for two reasons.
The first is that it is among the first Macs to use new PowerPC processors. The second is that it results in Apple getting taken to court by astronomer Carl Sagan — not once but twice.
★★★★☆
The MacBook Neo exceeds all expectations and defies all logic. It’s a $599 computer that’s not slow. The cheap laptop sports a light aluminum unibody with exceptional fit and finish, along with a gorgeous, bright Retina display. It runs on an iPhone chip, yet it’s incredibly fast with unbelievable battery life.
The name itself, Neo, reminds you that this is not a computer made out of spare parts. It’s a bespoke industrial design with a brand-new display and feature set. That feature set excludes things that longtime members of the cult consider quintessential Mac features — a backlit keyboard, an ambient light sensor and a MagSafe connection.
Nonetheless, the MacBook Neo will be a lot of people’s first exposure to the Mac. I wanted to know what their experience will be like — and I think they’ll be very happy.
This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: The MacBook Neo is the obvious star that emerged from this week’s tsunami of Apple product announcements. Its potent combo of good looks, surprisingly good performance and an extremely appealing price tag makes it a powerful lure for bringing new people into the Apple world.
We discuss the new laptop’s strong points — as well as some definite drawbacks.
Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:
Listen to this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.
The recently introduced high-end M5 MacBook Pro may be a spec bump update before the M6 models bring radical new changes. But before you commit to sitting this generation out, you should know the M6 models will likely come with some caveats.
An all-new design with new features (like a slimmer chassis and touch screen) usually brings with it an all-new price that’s higher than before. If you’re holding out for the M6 Pro or Max models, you may be waiting for longer than you expect. And if you’re just getting the base model, well, the rumored changes may not come at all.
This isn’t pure speculation; Apple has a proven track record of pulling all these tricks. Here are three reasons why the M5 MacBook Pro may actually be the better choice for you.
The bold, unconventional name of Apple’s new entry-level laptop — MacBook Neo — surprised just about everyone, including many folks who expected the simple moniker “MacBook.” And it turns out the reasoning behind “Neo” is just as vivid as the laptop’s color palette, according to a new report.
Apple just did something that was, until very recently, almost unthinkable: It put a Mac laptop on sale for $599. And, no big surprise, the new MacBook Neo announced Wednesday already sparks concerns among PC mavens about hordes of users rushing to Apple. A new report from Windows land shows it.
“Windows OEMs are going to feel the heat, too,” the commentator wrote. “For years, OEMs have gotten away with shipping what can essentially be described as e-waste in this price bracket.”
To make the new MacBook Neo — Apple’s most affordable laptop yet at just $599 — the company obviously needed to make some compromises. To keep costs down, Apple removed or scaled back several features that come standard on the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.
Every wise shopper should consider the limitations of the MacBook Neo before jumping on Apple’s fun-looking new laptop.
The MacBook Neo is Apple’s newest low-end MacBook. Does that mean there’s no reason to buy a MacBook Air anymore? Would power users go straight for the MacBook Pro? I don’t think so. There are still plenty of reasons to buy Apple’s midrange MacBook Air vs. the MacBook Neo.
Apple did a good job differentiating the two computers — there’s no configuration of the Neo that overlaps with the Air. Picking between the two should be straightforward. If you want more than 512GB storage, 8GB of memory or support for multiple external displays, you should opt for the MacBook Air. If you don’t need that much power or high specs, the Neo will do just great for you.
Here are all the differences between the two laptops.
Apple introduced the MacBook Neo on Wednesday, unveiling the company’s most affordable laptop ever. It comes in four gorgeous, vibrant colors — silver, blush, indigo and citrus — and costs just $599 (or $499 with Apple’s education discount).
“We’re incredibly excited to introduce MacBook Neo, which delivers the magic of the Mac at a breakthrough price,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, in a press release. “MacBook Neo is a laptop only Apple could create. It features a durable aluminum design in four beautiful colors; Apple silicon-powered performance; all-day battery life. There is simply no other laptop like it.”
The MacBook Neo is available for preorder now and will be available on March 11.