Remember that scene from StarTrek, where Spock, somehow being back on earth at our present time and trying to use a computer, takes the mouse, holds it at his mouth and says "hello, computer!"?

It must feel pretty similar for us now trying to use a computer from the early 1980ies. They had small text-only displays, typically 40 by 25 (all mono-spaced) characters in size, no graphics (or separate graphics-only modes), no windows, no icons... The concept of a mouse was completely unknown. Basically, only geeks and professionals could and would operate a computer. The idea that even a normal household could have and actually make use of a computer was just about to emerge... but it gained traction just very slowly. The so-called "personal computers" of that time were heavy, bulky, and ugly monsters, very expensive and complicated to operate.

The world changed on January 24th, 1984: Apple introduced the Macintosh. A cute little machine, that had a phenomenal new user interaction concept - a graphical user interface as to which we are so accustomed to today. A desktop with icons, windows, and menus, and a mouse to click and drag things. It was a piece of beauty, a design object, small and light to lift and to take with you, comparably affordable (2500 US$), and overwhelmingly powerful in terms of computational performance. Sure you can argue, that nothing of all that hadn't been done somewhere before (the idea of a graphical user interface had been somewhat "stolen" from Xerox PARC, and the Lisa had a GUI before the Mac), but the resounding success of the Macintosh really made it the father of all modern personal computers.

Sure enough, I didn't have the money back then in 1984 to get a Mac. I got my first Apple Macintosh a good 10 years later, in October 1994: it was a Performa 630, arguably Apple's first multimedia machine, sporting high-res color graphics, a CD drive, and a TV and video-in capture card. However, in December 2008 I concluded that I needed an original Macintosh. One of these machines, with which modern computing began. An icon of 'the cult of Mac'.

I bought an old Macintosh Classic II on eBay - fully functional, although a little bit aged with yellowed plastic and some dirt on it. The Classic II wasn't the first Mac produced, it actually was the very last Mac produced in this (nearly) original form factor. But in my opinion, it's the best iteration of the original design... it's the most beautiful original Mac.

The Mac was then fully disassembled and thoroughly cleaned. From the fan to the motherboard, dedusting each and every chip, bathing the enclosure, removing each and every key cap from the keyboard. All plastic parts were professionally painted in the original light gray plastic tone (see the picture with the two mice side by side: an original yellowed and dirty one alongside the fully refurbished one). Put together, the Mac now is professionally refurbished, in almost 'like new' condition!

The Mac has taken a special place of honor on my desk, shining in pride as a cult object, showing how much Apple has revolutionized personal computing.