May 17, 1983: The Mac Misses (Another) Ship Date

Jef Raskin criticized Steve Jobs for having unreasonable expectations, especially when it came to how much time was realistic when undertaking a project. His criticism was justified, at least when it came to the first incarnation of the Mac.

Jobs' timelines might have been unrealistic but his belief in them was sincere. Jobs' certainty resulted in a $5,000 bet between Lisa Manager John Couch and himself. Jobs took the position that the Mac would actually beat the Lisa to market and lost when the Lisa appeared on January 19, 1983. Steve's wallet was already five grand lighter but his closet was a bit more full when Mike Markulla, President of Apple, presented him with a black female undergarment and told Jobs to make sure it was the Mac's last slip.

Jobs had his staff rededicate themselves in order to have the machine ready for the National Computer Conference in 1983. The Mac team was unable to pull off the miracle and despite Markkula's earlier admonition, the Mac missed the targeted introduction date. The Mac was officially 24 hours late being introduced on March 17, 1983.

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