A type of personal computer manufactured by Apple Computer, Inc., distinguished primarily by its use of the Macintosh operating system, the first popular GUI. The Macintosh computer was introduced in 1984, being a direct descendent of an earlier Apple device called the Lisa, which had in turn derived from a primitive GUI devised by Xerox at its Palo Alto Research Center in the 1970s. The Macintosh is also distinguished by its ease of use. The Mac's GUI approach to computing as well as the Mac's support for the PostScript page description language were primarily responsible for the creation of desktop publishing in the mid- to late-80s. Although the Macintosh does not have the market share enjoyed by IBM-compatible computers, it has long been the computer of choice for designers and computer artists.
The PowerMac, or PowerPC, is the latest line of Macintosh computers, distinguished by the increasingly fast performance (up to 180 MHz, as of this writing), as well as the ability to also run Microsoft Windows and files created therein.