@Faust1200 - I disagree. The Hal commercial is far better :)

I remember growing up seeing all those commercials with classrooms around the world hooked up through internet video, communicating with each other. When the heck is that gonna happen?

I miss the Atari, had some good games and was easy to use.

@faust1200: I personally like the Think Different campaign. because IBM's ads in the 50's were "THINK. IBM"

One thing I can say about Macs, they last forever. We still use 8 year old iMacs in our district and many of them are still running Im just pulling them because its to hard to find replacement parts at this point as well as they dont run OS X. Our PCs barely last 3 years, and those that do are usually on their last legs.

I used and actually tried to work with Windows 1.0. I built a PC without a hard drive, using a ram drive to load Procom + and could dial up GEnie to use basic communcation.

Then there were the BBS's you could dial into; I met people outside my sphere of orbit.

I kept seeing Apple Computers. Then I saw a Lisa at Education Research Center. I was smitten.

I started using a Mac when the SE came out. I've been using them since.

Hell, I think I even have a Duo 210 that still boots, albeit slowly. Ain't OS8 Great? :)

If only the "It costs less" mantra still held true. I had a ][c too. The only thing I ever remember using it for was playing Wizardry.

They had computers that people couldn't watch porn on? That's... Ghastly!

Agreed with commenters above -- the Apple //c was a fantastic little computer. The last two ads, though, come from relatively lean times. The classroom one was part of Apple's "Oh, shit!" moment after they completely missed the boat on that whole Internet fad. The Mac vs. PC ad hearkens the beginning of an era when Apple execs directed the company to crank out nondescript, crappy computers like the Performa series, hoping to cruise on the Apple brand name while destroying everything that made the Apple brand name something to admire in the first place. It didn't work.

I think it still works, but the monitor screen is sadly too green to be able to read.

Strangely enough, in the third one, a little boy is trying to play the bagpipes. Someone should probably have consulted somebody who ACTUALLY plays the instrument, because what he's trying to play is fake.

/threadjack for any would-be bagpipe purchasers: as a teacher, I see tons of prospective students, usually older gentleman enamored with the possibility of marching in parades and playing Amazing Grace. They get this great deal on an eBay bagpipe for about $300. They're called "Whacky Packis" because they're made in Pakistan and are of such poor quality that they're unable to make any sounds other than that squeak the boy got out of it. (He's playing a Whacky.) Bagpipes will run you probably about $1000 at the low end, consult us and take lessons before buying! You'll need at least 6 months of music learning before even attempting to play the full instrument anyway.

My family's first computer was a //C!
It still works, too.

@4ster: We had a ][c (or //c or whatever) too, and it's still in my parents' house, packed up in the attic I think. I wish I could get it back, but it would cost a lot to ship it -- and the 17" color monitor we had for it (King's Quest I in 16 stunning colors!) -- cross-country, I think.

Anyhow, It's still in my parents attic, and last I checked it still worked. Maybe I'll see if it boots up faster than my 3 year old iBook :)