Personal Computer Apple Macintosh Plus 1MB

In January 1984 Apple introduced the first Mac. Named after the apple variety McIntosh, the Macintosh 128k was the first commercially successful personal computer (PC) with a graphic user interface controlled by a mouse. The Mac became a cult product of the information age.

The age of the computer began shortly after the end of WWII, when mainframe computers were developed for civil and military purposes. However, the PC was the first computer to enter the private sphere. It connected individuals with global networks. The PC’s multifunctionality has dramatically altered everyday life.

Globally, some 350 million PCs were sold in the year 2012 alone. They require enormous amounts of energy and their disposal poses a serious environmental problem. Most of these appliances are used in the Global North, but they are scrapped and recycled primarily in the Global South.

Inv. No. 2011-541