The first Mac followed in the Lisa's footsteps and had a lot of limitations--but it changed the course of the computer industry forever.

John Siracusa, Shelly Brisbin, Harry McCracken, James Thomson, John Gruber, and Rick LePage

Apple's first attempt at the ultimate thin and light laptop was overpriced and underpowered. The second attempt resulted in the definitive Mac of the 2010s.

Dan Moren, Christina Warren, John Siracusa, Shelly Brisbin, Stephen Hackett, Harry McCracken, James Thomson, John Gruber, and Rick LePage

Apple's first metallic silver laptop set the company on a path that it's been on for two decades and counting, but it also proved that the company still had a lot to learn.

Christina Warren, John Siracusa, John Gruber, and Rick LePage

Slide projector sound by Paul Michael Browne via Freesound.

What's the best Mac of all time? It's an impossible question to answer. Yet three well-known Mac commentators all have the same answer.

John Siracusa, Adam Engst, and John Gruber

SE/30 chapter art by Wikimedia Commons user Danamania.

After a lot of speculation, Steve Jobs finally filled in the Mac's fourth product quadrant with a consumer laptop that was one of a kind. But what's a "consumer laptop," really?

John Siracusa, Shelly Brisbin, Stephen Hackett, Harry McCracken, James Thomson, and John Gruber

There may have never been a Mac more aligned with Steve Jobs's personal quirks than the Power Mac G4 Cube. It was a spectacular failure.

John Siracusa, Quinn Rose, Shelly Brisbin, Stephen Hackett, Harry McCracken, James Thomson, and John Gruber

One of Apple's greatest design triumphs was meant to set the company up for the next decade. Instead, it became a false start--and a rejected design direction ended up being more functional, if less inspirational.

John Siracusa, Shelly Brisbin, Stephen Hackett, Harry McCracken, James Thomson, John Gruber, and Paul Kafasis

For a couple of years in the mid-90s, the Mac market was enthralled by a clonemaker with great deals and riotous marketing.

John Siracusa, Shelly Brisbin, Mike Rosenfelt, James Thomson, John Gruber, and Rick LePage

Thank goodness there are second chances, because Apple's first attempt to make a portable Macintosh was as inauspicious at it gets.

John Siracusa, Shelly Brisbin, Stephen Hackett, Harry McCracken, and John Gruber

Brian Hamilton provided postproduction help. Thanks to Paul Kafasis for the inspiration for the Space Shuttle deep dive.

In an era where Apple liked to show concepts from its design lab in public, one weird Mac prototype somehow became a real product, and was unveiled at the end of the worst Apple keynote in history.

Andy Ihnatko, Christina Warren, John Siracusa, Stephen Hackett, James Thomson, John Gruber, and Rick LePage