Dvorak, Larry Tesler, and 1984 Macintosh Predictions
John C. Dvorak reviews a 1987 column responding to a letter from Apple Vice President Larry Tesler regarding Dvorak's 1984 predictions about the Macintosh. The discussion covers Dvorak's original skepticism regarding the computer mouse, bundled software, and high-resolution graphics. Dvorak admits to being wrong on several points while maintaining he was correct about the machine's initial high price and memory limitations.
john c. dvorak· larry tesler· apple computer· macintosh· xerox parc· mouse· dot matrix
00:00 The calle 24 Latino Cultural District. Adam Curry, John C. Dvorak It's Sunday May 25th 2014 it's time for your Gitmo Nation media assassination episode 620 This is no agenda Back in FEMA region six at the Travis Heights hideout and feeling the love of Gitmo nation in the morning everybody I'm Adam Curry And from Northern Silicon Valley where I've returned I'm John C. Dvorak It's crackpotting mothskill In the morning Normally you give me a little more than that. I ran into my column from June 26 1987 which ended up on the desk here, i have no idea why Which is called... You know they call me about the mouse? Wait yes do you want to bring that up it's fine with me Here's one from three years later I should read some of this Now let's just let them let me immediately recap this
01:00 This is the famous quote... In 1984, in 1984 this was written. Which by the way is a very valid quote but has been so often misquoted Yeah, by a bunch of fanatics and douchebags Well you know it doesn't matter because sometimes you just can't change history Although in Europe you could probably have all those quotes pulled off the internet I think that will happen here eventually So you said there is no evidence people will want to use a mouse. Right, and at that time there was no evidence? No there was of course not. Yeah okay so what this is the famous column... should we reprint that put it in the show notes or...? I actually have printed it's been on the net here and there but here's the one uh this was a column three years later and it was titled 15 reasons the Mac has been a success
01:52 And here, let me just read. I received a letter from Larry Tesler, vice president of advanced technology at Apple Computer. Tesla was one of the brains behind Macintosh and before that he was one of the main... He was the man with... That he was a one-man team. It's all scrunched up as it is in newspaper column reading from this old thing. It's yellow He was a one-man tornado at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center. He writes, enclosed is the clipping of an article you wrote in 1984 have you ever written to follow up evaluating your 15 reasons why the Macintosh may fail? With the benefit hindsight yours Larry Tesler." So I go on and on about first they talk a little bit about them feedback i got in that column here it again so turns out that i was right on all counts
02:46 Which is, I've proven this column. Alright but what do you mean? Just give me the top five so we understand Okay well gripe number one... Well let's go to here, it's a gripe number... Let's start with six Gripe number six was no bundled software. That's one of the reasons it may fail There still isn't any it turns out that the Mac users are so copy crazy than everyone Has everything for free anyway, so I okay that when I was wrong on gripe seven a mouse who wants these things wrong? This is great. I've been converted right number three smallish keyboard
03:25 or gripe test, gripe number eight. The company's new keyboard corrected this complaint and have the... I agree that was a problem yeah. Gripes 8 and 10, 9 and 10 high resolution graphics in font capacity are not discernible benefits by anyone but professional typesetters and this is still true but Apple's business seminars are doing their best to educate business people Gripe 11 the machine only drives a dot matrix and business Businesses one letter quality well Apple leapfrogged everybody and jumped from dot matrix to laser writer in one fell swoop It's a fabulous device, but that was a complaint. That was corrected Are you feeling a little down about yourself that you know this is on your desk? And no no I did somebody put it here There's enough the place
04:14 Gripe 4, it's too expensive. And 128k is not enough." Yeah those are both right. Both of those are right. Anyway I go on and on but except for the two mistakes... ...I was right on 13 of the points! Can you scan that and send it to me? Scan it and send it in. It's fun to put it into show notes. Yeah I'll do that. Anyway we're both back at our home bases I'm back in Austin, Texas. John is back in Southern California. Yeah there you go and of course a little wacky jet lag yeah your to you have to be jet-lagged little bit we're both waking up around 3am
