February 1, 1981: No More Typewriters!

Apple computer's list of either perceived or real competitors is long and colorful. For example, when the Mac debuted, IBM was clearly the heavy, a spot later taken by Microsoft. In the pre-Mac days things were a bit different. Sure there were other manufacturers; Adam Osbourne, for example. He promised his computer would outsell the Apple II 10 to 1, but the real competition didn't even have a screen.

The biggest obstacle to the Apple II, and to all computers in the early days, was acceptance. Most people were scared of computers. Computers were generally seen as demanding arcane knowledge just to get a modicum of functionality out of the overly complicated things. Because of the aversion to learning cryptic commands, people overwhelmingly went with a complete out-of-the-box solution of a decidedly low-tech nature.

Apple decided to set the precedent for technological acceptance internally. The goal was outlined in a memo written by Apple President Mike Scott, which read in part:

"The document describes the goal of a typewriter-less company. It also commands Ken to get rid of his DEC word processor ASAP! We believe the typewriter is obsolete. Let’s prove it inside before we try and convince our customers."

Thus, Apple launched an offensive on their first major competitor on February 1, 1981.