I also saved our latest “MF&MR” on 5.25-inch floppy discs to send to Dallas, Cork & Singapore (1980-1981). Of course, many telephone calls preceded the mailed discs, between Cupertino & the assembly plants, delivering the latest info. to them.
In order to share our “Marketing Forecast & Manufacturing Response (MC&MR)”, I used a parallel printer interface card to connect my Apple II to a dot matrix printer. I was able to print out the latest version of our “MF&MR” and give updates periodically to Apple department heads.
Of course, most importantly, the latest “MF&MR” allowed my newly established purchasing department the latest information for buying parts & establishing contracts with suppliers.
Jobs finally got his totally closed system with the iPhone. It produces exactly the streamlined experience he wanted, and it also still confuses people who - despite its enormous success- just don’t get it.
One of the first things I needed to do my job was a marketing forecast. Mike Markkula, who was VP of Marketing at that time, and I sat down over a week to discuss. What we finally came up with was “A Marketing Forecast & Manufacturing Response” for the next 12 months. I needed 30 days frozen to deliver the Apple II units in the forecast. The next 30 days Marketing could change up to 25%, the next 30 days, 50% and so on.
Now remember, VisiCalc, the world’s first electronic spreadsheet software for personal computers, had just been introduced in Oct. 1979. While I was working to develop our “forecast & response” on my Apple II, we put it on the white board in my office.
Well as you can imagine, my office became a hub where everyone wanted to see what the latest was on my white board. Steve would come by at least once a day & just sit at my circular conference table for whatever length of time he wanted. It didn’t matter what I had going on, I just continued with what I was doing, as people came in and out of my office.
Needless to say, I worked day and night to get our “forecast and response” onto the Apple II. But then, how could I share it with others. During those hectic days, one thing begat the next …
I became a serious computer guy in the early 1980s. I first became aware of “computers” as a thing long before, when I was still in high school. My Dad worked for what was then the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, on the education side. Because of its proximity to the educational facilities of higher education, the town in which we lived at the time, Lexington, Massachusetts, was one of the first high schools to put a computer room in the school. Though I never took any of those classes—only hand-picked high school maths geniuses were allowed in—I became aware and interested. Later, I took a college maths course at not-very-far-away MIT, which had an entire building related to computers and such.
It was there that I first learned about tape drives and coding cards, and reams and reams of printout paper. My interest in computers remained and grew, though home computers would not show up for a good while.
When they finally did, they were PC-compatible. As I recall around the time they started, my first home computer was a Dell workstation. I remember it being built to my specs after I ordered it, something that didn’t change for a while, and something I really liked.
However, I was unimpressed with the word processor I had, though I remember nothing about it. Then a guy I knew in California steered me to this new company, Apple Computers, Inc, and the rest of my computer-related life was laid out before me. My Apple II and early Mac machines did everything I wanted them to do, and looked cool whilst I was doing it.
I have owned PC-compatible machines since, but never one that worked as well as an Apple product; the only hesitation I had then—and have now, if I am honest—is the cost.
But my loyalty to the two Steve’s products remains firm and permanent. I. just keep them longer before trading them in.
Great reminiscence and I'd love to hear more. For me, the closed architecture of the original Mac was one of the bigger disappointments over 40 years ago. There were other drawbacks, though, so I have been Team PC always.
Great story! I heard many more apple stories from Del Yocam when we worked together at Borland. It was a great time in the industry! And my Apple II still works to this day!
I also saved our latest “MF&MR” on 5.25-inch floppy discs to send to Dallas, Cork & Singapore (1980-1981). Of course, many telephone calls preceded the mailed discs, between Cupertino & the assembly plants, delivering the latest info. to them.
(MF&MR), not (MC&MR).
In order to share our “Marketing Forecast & Manufacturing Response (MC&MR)”, I used a parallel printer interface card to connect my Apple II to a dot matrix printer. I was able to print out the latest version of our “MF&MR” and give updates periodically to Apple department heads.
Of course, most importantly, the latest “MF&MR” allowed my newly established purchasing department the latest information for buying parts & establishing contracts with suppliers.
David, thanks for this and for the book. I really enjoyed it.
Fascinating .
At the dawn of this computer era I wasn't impressed because I didn't have the grasp to understand exactly what you're saying here .
I am ever so grateful to those who did the grunt works to bring us all PC's .
I'm a Journeyman Mechanic who loves using computers to make my job(s) so much easier .
-Nate
Jobs finally got his totally closed system with the iPhone. It produces exactly the streamlined experience he wanted, and it also still confuses people who - despite its enormous success- just don’t get it.
If only I had bought Apple stock way back in the before times.
But, that being said, ever since I bought my first Apple hardware ( a iPhone after Macworld SF and Jobs on stage introducing it ) I was hooked.
Compared to the Windows I was running at my job “ it just works “ worked for me.
Yes I salivate every September with the promise of something new.
Cheers,
Kkb
I bit the Apple, it opened my eyes.
Great story! Thanks for sharing. I wish I had saved the Mac in bought in 1984!
Thank you, Del, for using the Pogue-o-schtick channel to share this story. Even for those of us who lived it, it is indeed fond memories.
Wow. Thank you for all of the likes and comments.
One of the first things I needed to do my job was a marketing forecast. Mike Markkula, who was VP of Marketing at that time, and I sat down over a week to discuss. What we finally came up with was “A Marketing Forecast & Manufacturing Response” for the next 12 months. I needed 30 days frozen to deliver the Apple II units in the forecast. The next 30 days Marketing could change up to 25%, the next 30 days, 50% and so on.
Now remember, VisiCalc, the world’s first electronic spreadsheet software for personal computers, had just been introduced in Oct. 1979. While I was working to develop our “forecast & response” on my Apple II, we put it on the white board in my office.
Well as you can imagine, my office became a hub where everyone wanted to see what the latest was on my white board. Steve would come by at least once a day & just sit at my circular conference table for whatever length of time he wanted. It didn’t matter what I had going on, I just continued with what I was doing, as people came in and out of my office.
Needless to say, I worked day and night to get our “forecast and response” onto the Apple II. But then, how could I share it with others. During those hectic days, one thing begat the next …
Mac SE stood for System Expansion. I had one with a 20 MB hard drive upgrade.
Very interesting. I never touched the early Mac, but at the time was working in education and teachers seemed to love them.
I became a serious computer guy in the early 1980s. I first became aware of “computers” as a thing long before, when I was still in high school. My Dad worked for what was then the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, on the education side. Because of its proximity to the educational facilities of higher education, the town in which we lived at the time, Lexington, Massachusetts, was one of the first high schools to put a computer room in the school. Though I never took any of those classes—only hand-picked high school maths geniuses were allowed in—I became aware and interested. Later, I took a college maths course at not-very-far-away MIT, which had an entire building related to computers and such.
It was there that I first learned about tape drives and coding cards, and reams and reams of printout paper. My interest in computers remained and grew, though home computers would not show up for a good while.
When they finally did, they were PC-compatible. As I recall around the time they started, my first home computer was a Dell workstation. I remember it being built to my specs after I ordered it, something that didn’t change for a while, and something I really liked.
However, I was unimpressed with the word processor I had, though I remember nothing about it. Then a guy I knew in California steered me to this new company, Apple Computers, Inc, and the rest of my computer-related life was laid out before me. My Apple II and early Mac machines did everything I wanted them to do, and looked cool whilst I was doing it.
I have owned PC-compatible machines since, but never one that worked as well as an Apple product; the only hesitation I had then—and have now, if I am honest—is the cost.
But my loyalty to the two Steve’s products remains firm and permanent. I. just keep them longer before trading them in.
Great reminiscence and I'd love to hear more. For me, the closed architecture of the original Mac was one of the bigger disappointments over 40 years ago. There were other drawbacks, though, so I have been Team PC always.
Del! More stories please. Great read. Thanks David for putting this up!
Great story! I heard many more apple stories from Del Yocam when we worked together at Borland. It was a great time in the industry! And my Apple II still works to this day!