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Video: Steve Jobs Demoes The Macintosh In 1984

This clunky-looking little Macintosh is a recognizable ancestor to the more sophisticated machines today. It's simple, versatile, and playful. I'm impressed by how Apple's central philosophy hasn't changed in 23 years. They build machines that work, and are fun to use.

It's a very, very '80s video. Steve's already a showman, but he hasn't yet adopted his signature uniform of black mock turtle and jeans. Instead, he's wearing a navy-blue, double-breasted blazer, white shirt, and bow tie. And the soundtrack: "Chariots of Fire," of course -- it was required for inspirational corporate videos well into the '90s.

I found the link to that video in a New York Times article contrasting achieving greatness with getting rich. Anyone can get rich by working a couple of hours a day in their underwear, if they have the right idea, says venture capitalist and Mac pioneer Guy Kawasaki. Examples: James Hong, founder of Hot or Not, a site where users look at pictures of people and vote on how attractive they are; and Marcus Frind, founder of PlentyofFish.com, a free dating site, who makes $5 million to $6 million per year with Google ads.

Jobs, on the other hand, is holding back tears in that 1984 video, because that first Mac was the culmination of a long, painful process of hard work. And the audience in that video knows it; they're cheering wildly and applauding.

The Times writes: "[Y]ou can work to achieve greatness, or you can work in your underwear for two hours a day. The two rarely go together."

Guess it's time for me to put on my pants, then.

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