Posted by This ad for an Apple personal computer appeared in a Financial Post magazine on February 1st, 1983 when personal computers were just about to gain momentum as a life-changing technology. This ad represents one of those crucial points in the history of technology when personal computers were on the rise to forever change how one approached work and tasks related to business. It is demonstrated that an Apple computer has the ability to make complicated business procedures faster and simpler with solutions that otherwise would have taken a great deal of time and energy using traditional methods such as pencil and paper.
It is a very simple ad in its structure without bright colors or a distracting setting. The message is communicated through the use of simple, informal language. It is pretty easy to understand for the mass audience. It talks about a “guy with an Apple” who is getting ahead in life because he is using this new technology to do his job more efficiently. The ad shows him as if he is solving business problems in seconds and using the computer’s technologies to create a graph. The general feeling is one of optimism. Indirectly, this makes owning an Apple computer equate to being more successful, a computer as a tool you need if you wish to stay ahead.
This new technology, the Apple personal computer is framed as the first of its kind, bringing to your desk power you’ve never had before. Unlike large, expensive, mainframe computers of old, which were confined to use in large corporations and universities, this device is small, inexpensive, and designed for individual use. It also points out that, not only is the Apple computer easy to use, but it will also solve complex tasks that, without such a device, would have been unimaginable. With thousands of programs available, it promises to solve a wide range of business problems in a very short time, whether one is forecasting sales, managing finances, or answering challenging business scenarios.
The use of plain, simple, and casual language in the ad is important because it simplifies the technology for a prospective buyer who is otherwise intimidated by the idea of using a computer. The ad does not use technical terms but refers to it with catchphrases like “at the touch of a button” and “getting answers in seconds,” which denote ease with the computer. An Apple computer can make anybody’s life easier, not just people with computer knowledge. This representation indicates the notion of changing technology that is no longer only used by an elite few. It feeds on the growing urge of professionals to work less but smarter and presents the computer as a helper in carrying out this urge.
The ad has a defined audience: professional businessmen, particularly males. The use of the phrase “the guy with an Apple” suggests a male user, and the focus on business tasks such as forecasting sales and answering “what if” questions suggests a product intended for people in positions where decision-making and problem-solving are key aspects of their jobs. Representation here closely relates to the values of efficiency, productivity, and success. The idea is that this new technology will let the user win over the competition in their particular category of knowledge, situating them as an up-and-comer who is leveraging the most innovative tools to get ahead.
The ad is laid out and worded to represent empowerment through progress. This ad appeals to those people who, though not computer experts, could appreciate the ease and convenience that an Apple personal computer carries with it. By applying these new technologies, they will be competitive in the business world. It is not a question of working harder but smarter, with a tool that simplifies the work that used to take hours, if not days. This plays into the greater cultural narrative of the time because technology was a means through which life was going to be modernized and streamlined in ways even business would not.
The ad is not just selling the Apple computer as machinery, but as an idea of personal and professional development. The ad, therefore, promised the buyer of the computer that he is going to be at an advantage over others, making the right decisions quicker, thus being able to solve problems faster and, therefore, be more successful. This focus on empowerment and transformation is a key element of the representation. An Apple computer is not just a simple tool; it is supposed to be the door to a better future and more efficient. In working this way, the ad constructs an identity for the product user: one who is forward-thinking, creative, and ready to embrace new technology to advance one’s self and one’s work.
While the ad describes the Apple computer primarily as a business machine, it also makes people suggest there might be far more opened up by the availability of “thousands of programs.” In other words, this is not strictly a business tool that might be used within a personal setting. Yet, it was still a productivity tool, in an office environment. It’s all about making the work life of the user easier by providing fast solutions to complex problems and, while doing so, making them better at what they do.
The use of a male user and business applications means that other groups and uses don’t factor in as much. This identity is very much entwined with one particular kind of representation, that of businessmen desiring an edge. This leaves out the women, creative professionals, and people who might want to use computers for other reasons, such as personal enjoyment or home management. The ad speaks most directly to efficiency and progress in the business world.
This Apple personal computer ad is a representation of how new technology is represented in the era of rapid technological changes. It uses simple and easy to understand terminologies to explain something that might have been complicated to seem relevant and important to any business professional. By positioning the Apple computer as a tool to solve problems quickly and efficiently, it appeals to values of productivity, progress, and success, building an identity around its users as forward-thinking and ambitious. The tone, language, and imagery in this ad all come together to make the personal computer feel essential to the modern workplace and modern life.
Cultural History of the Internet 