The Mac Made Us: Why We Never Used DOS — And Why the Personal Computer Revolution Needed Apple
I was 14 when the Macintosh came out in 1984. I didn’t get one then — but I remember that moment like it was yesterday. That eerie, unforgettable Super Bowl ad. The haunting voiceover. The bold promise that “1984 won’t be like 1984.” It was weird, wild, and completely electric.
Two years later, in 1986, I got my first Mac. That machine changed my life.
It wasn’t just my first computer. It was the first time a piece of technology felt like mine. No blinking C:> prompt. No cryptic commands. No long manuals. Just a glowing screen, a little mouse, and this sense that you could figure it out as you went. The Mac invited you to play, to experiment, to create.
I was hooked.
Mac vs. DOS: No Contest
Let’s be real. DOS was a gatekeeper. If you weren’t technical — if you didn’t know your command-line from your elbow — you were out. Cold, black screens. White text. Syntax errors. It didn’t feel like the future; it felt like punishment.
The Mac was different. It was welcoming. It didn’t care if you were a kid, an artist, a dreamer, or just curious. It let you dive in and do stuff. Write. Draw. Print. Explore. It looked cool, it sounded cool, and it made you want to learn more.
We Became Raging Fans
People like me — Gen X teens coming of age with this stuff — didn’t just like the Mac. We loved it. We showed it off. We made flyers for school clubs and mixtape covers in MacPaint. We explored HyperCard. We typed papers in MacWrite and thought, “This is it. This is the future.”
And you know what? It was.
Apple Saved the Revolution
Here’s a bold take: if Apple hadn’t done what it did with the Macintosh, the personal computer revolution might have stalled. DOS was never going to pull in the masses. It was too technical, too unfriendly. The Mac cracked the code. It proved that a computer could be powerful and approachable.
It was the gateway drug to the digital age — especially for people like me who weren’t necessarily tech-savvy but had ideas. The Mac was a tool for doing, not just computing.
We Grew Up With It — and We’re Still Here
Now, decades later, I’m still a Mac user. Still an Apple fan. And I still believe that if it hadn’t been for that little beige box with a smile on its screen, a whole generation would’ve walked away from computers entirely.
We never used DOS. Not because we couldn’t — but because we knew something better was coming. Something that spoke our language, invited us in, and said: go create.
Apple didn’t just build a computer. It built a movement. And we were lucky enough to be there at the beginning.
Want That Feeling Again?
At Michael Coury Tech, that’s exactly what I help people rediscover — the magic of using Apple products the way they were meant to be used. Whether you’re returning to the Mac after years, or just want to stop feeling behind on all the new features, I’ll show you how to make your Apple devices fun, simple, and truly useful again.
You don’t need to be a tech wizard. You just need the right guide — someone who remembers what made the Mac special and knows how to bring that joy into today’s Apple world.
Let’s get you back to that feeling: empowered, creative, and completely at home with your tech.
