Macintosh

qas: question: What hindered the competetive ability of Apple when it was introduced?
answers: text: expensive

question: Where did Macintosh initially find success in the market?
answers: text: education and desktop publishing

question: Which platform, when improved in the 1990's, took market share from Macintosh?
answers: text: Wintel

question: What type of advantage did Intel's Pentium over Macintosh systems in the 1990's?
answers: text: performance

question: Who became the top PC manufacturer in 1994, leaving Apple in 3rd place?
answers: text: Compaq

question: What hindered the competetive ability of Microsoft when it was introduced?

question: Where did Macintosh initially fail in the market?

question: Which platform, when improved in the 1980's, took market share from Macintosh?

question: What type of advantage did Intel's Pentium over Macintosh systems in the 1980's?

question: Who became the top PC manufacturer in 1984, leaving Apple in 3rd place?
context: The Macintosh, however, was expensive, which hindered its ability to be competitive in a market already dominated by the Commodore 64 for consumers, as well as the IBM Personal Computer and its accompanying clone market for businesses. Macintosh systems still found success in education and desktop publishing and kept Apple as the second-largest PC manufacturer for the next decade. In the 1990s, improvements in the rival Wintel platform, notably with the introduction of Windows 3.0, then Windows 95, gradually took market share from the more expensive Macintosh systems. The performance advantage of 68000-based Macintosh systems was eroded by Intel's Pentium, and in 1994 Apple was relegated to third place as Compaq became the top PC manufacturer. Even after a transition to the superior PowerPC-based Power Macintosh (later renamed the PowerMac, in line with the PowerBook series) line in 1994, the falling prices of commodity PC components and the release of Windows 95 saw the Macintosh user base decline.

qas: question: How much RAM did the first Maciuntosh board have?
answers: text: 64 kilobytes (kB)

question: Whose idea was it to run Apple Lisa's graphical programs on the Macintosh?
answers: text: Bud Tribble, a member of the Mac team

question: What did Tribble first incorporate into the Mac?
answers: text: Lisa's Motorola 68000 microprocessor

question: Which design feature did Smith eventually use to make production of a newly designed board more cost-efficient?
answers: text: fewer RAM chips than the Lisa

question: What feature was missing from the final Mac design produced by Smith?
answers: text: memory slots

question: How much ROM did the first Macintosh board have?

question: Whose idea was it to run Microsoft Lisa's graphical programs on the Macintosh?

question: What did Tribble last incorporate into the Mac?

question: Which design feature did Smith eventually use to make production of a newly designed board less cost-efficient?

question: What feature was present in the final Mac design produced by Smith?
context: Smith's first Macintosh board was built to Raskin's design specifications: it had 64 kilobytes (kB) of RAM, used the Motorola 6809E microprocessor, and was capable of supporting a 256×256-pixel black-and-white bitmap display. Bud Tribble, a member of the Mac team, was interested in running the Apple Lisa's graphical programs on the Macintosh, and asked Smith whether he could incorporate the Lisa's Motorola 68000 microprocessor into the Mac while still keeping the production cost down. By December 1980, Smith had succeeded in designing a board that not only used the 68000, but increased its speed from 5 MHz to 8 MHz; this board also had the capacity to support a 384×256-pixel display. Smith's design used fewer RAM chips than the Lisa, which made production of the board significantly more cost-efficient. The final Mac design was self-contained and had the complete QuickDraw picture language and interpreter in 64 kB of ROM – far more than most other computers; it had 128 kB of RAM, in the form of sixteen 64 kilobit (kb) RAM chips soldered to the logicboard. Though there were no memory slots, its RAM was expandable to 512 kB by means of soldering sixteen IC sockets to accept 256 kb RAM chips in place of the factory-installed chips. The final product's screen was a 9-inch, 512x342 pixel monochrome display, exceeding the size of the planned screen.

qas: question: How much did Apple spend to advertise in a special post-election issue of Newsweek?
answers: text: $2.5 million

question: What was the name of the big promotion Apple ran in the special edition of Newsweek?
answers: text: "Test Drive a Macintosh"

question: What did Apple allow potential buyers to take home and try for 24 hours?
answers: text: a Macintosh

question: How were many computers returned during the Test Drive a Macintosh promotion that made them unsellable?
answers: text: a bad condition

question: Who was the CEO of Apple during the Test Drive a Macintosh promotion?
answers: text: John Sculley
context: Apple spent $2.5 million purchasing all 39 advertising pages in a special, post-election issue of Newsweek, and ran a "Test Drive a Macintosh" promotion, in which potential buyers with a credit card could take home a Macintosh for 24 hours and return it to a dealer afterwards. While 200,000 people participated, dealers disliked the promotion, the supply of computers was insufficient for demand, and many were returned in such a bad condition that they could no longer be sold. This marketing campaign caused CEO John Sculley to raise the price from US$1,995 to US$2,495 (about $5,200 when adjusted for inflation in 2010). The computer sold well, nonetheless, reportedly outselling the IBM PCjr which also began shipping early that year. By April 1984 the company sold 50,000 Macintoshes, and hoped for 70,000 by early May and almost 250,000 by the end of the year.

qas: question: What was the longest-lived Macintosh in Apple's history while it was in production?
answers: text: The Mac Plus

question: How long did the Mac Plus remain in production, unchanged?
answers: text: just over four years and ten months

question: In 1986, what did Apple introduce to allow developers to create software for Macintosh on Macintosh?
answers: text: Macintosh Programmer's Workshop

question: What did Apple's HyerCard and MultiFinder add to the Macintosh?
answers: text: cooperative multitasking

question: After their unveiling in 1987, what did Apple begin bundling with every Macintosh?
answers: text: HyperCard and MultiFinder

question: What was the shortest-lived Macintosh in Apple's history while it was in production?

question: How long did the Mac Minus remain in production, unchanged?

question: In 1984, what did Apple introduce to allow developers to create software for Macintosh on Macintosh?

question: What did Microsoft's HyerCard and MultiFinder add to the Macintosh?

question: After their unveiling in 1978, what did Apple begin bundling with every Macintosh?
context: Apple released the Macintosh Plus on January 10, 1986, for a price of US$2,600. It offered one megabyte of RAM, easily expandable to four megabytes by the use of socketed RAM boards. It also featured a SCSI parallel interface, allowing up to seven peripherals—such as hard drives and scanners—to be attached to the machine. Its floppy drive was increased to an 800 kB capacity. The Mac Plus was an immediate success and remained in production, unchanged, until October 15, 1990; on sale for just over four years and ten months, it was the longest-lived Macintosh in Apple's history. In September 1986, Apple introduced the Macintosh Programmer's Workshop, or MPW, an application that allowed software developers to create software for Macintosh on Macintosh, rather than cross compiling from a Lisa. In August 1987, Apple unveiled HyperCard and MultiFinder, which added cooperative multitasking to the Macintosh. Apple began bundling both with every Macintosh.

qas: question: What Macintosh first included an on-board MMU?
answers: text: the Macintosh IIx

question: What was the first Mac to be "32-bit clean"?
answers: text: the Macintosh IIci

question: What was the starting price of the Macintosh llfx when it was unveiled?
answers: text: US$9,900

question: How many Apple II CPUS's did the new Macintosh llfx include?
answers: text: two

question: How fast was the processor on the new Macintosh llfx?
answers: text: 40 MHz

question: What Macintosh first included an on-board MUM?

question: What was the first Mac to be "23-bit clean"?

question: How many Apple I CPUS's did the new Macintosh llfx include?

question: What was the starting price of the Macintosh llf when it was unveiled?

question: How fast was the processor on the new Macintosh llx?
context: With the new Motorola 68030 processor came the Macintosh IIx in 1988, which had benefited from internal improvements, including an on-board MMU. It was followed in 1989 by the Macintosh IIcx, a more compact version with fewer slots  and a version of the Mac SE powered by the 16 MHz 68030, the Macintosh SE/30. Later that year, the Macintosh IIci, running at 25 MHz, was the first Mac to be "32-bit clean." This allowed it to natively support more than 8 MB of RAM, unlike its predecessors, which had "32-bit dirty" ROMs (8 of the 32 bits available for addressing were used for OS-level flags). System 7 was the first Macintosh operating system to support 32-bit addressing. The following year, the Macintosh IIfx, starting at US$9,900, was unveiled. Apart from its fast 40 MHz 68030 processor, it had significant internal architectural improvements, including faster memory and two Apple II CPUs (6502s) dedicated to I/O processing.

qas: question: Which Mac is known for improving the handling of color graphics?
answers: text: Mac OS, System 7

question: Who did Apple pay expensive consulting fees to before doing in-house work?
answers: text: Frogdesign

question: What was established for bringing Apple's design work in-house?
answers: text: the Apple Industrial Design Group

question: Who was responsible for crafting a new look for all Apple products?
answers: text: Apple Industrial Design Group

question: How did the Mac System 7 improve multitasking?
answers: text: co-operative multitasking

question: Which Mac is known for improving the handling of non-color graphics?

question: Who did Microsoft pay expensive consulting fees to before doing in-house work?

question: What was established for bringing Microsoft's design work in-house?

question: Who was responsible for crafting a new look for all Microsoft products?

question: How did the Mac System 6 improve multitasking?
context: As for Mac OS, System 7 was a 32-bit rewrite from Pascal to C++ that introduced virtual memory and improved the handling of color graphics, as well as memory addressing, networking, and co-operative multitasking. Also during this time, the Macintosh began to shed the "Snow White" design language, along with the expensive consulting fees they were paying to Frogdesign. Apple instead brought the design work in-house by establishing the Apple Industrial Design Group, becoming responsible for crafting a new look for all Apple products.

qas: question: Who returned to Apple in 1997?
answers: text: Steve Jobs

question: What did Steve Jobs order the OS version 7.7 to be branded as?
answers: text: Mac OS 8

question: What did the branding of the Mac OS 8 effectively end?
answers: text: the clone line

question: What effect did Mac's decision to brand the Mac OS8 have on companies such as Motorola?
answers: text: significant financial losses

question: How much money did Umax lose when it exited the low-end Mac clone market?
answers: text: USD$36 million

question: Who returned to Apple in 1990?

question: What did Steve Jobs order the OS version 7.8 to be branded as?

question: What did the branding of the Mac OS 7 effectively end?

question: What effect did Mac's decision to brand the Mac OS7 have on companies such as Motorola?

question: How much money did Umax lose when it exited the high-end Mac clone market?
context: When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997 following the company's purchase of NeXT, he ordered that the OS that had been previewed as version 7.7 be branded Mac OS 8 (in place of the never-to-appear Copland OS). Since Apple had licensed only System 7 to third parties, this move effectively ended the clone line. The decision caused significant financial losses for companies like Motorola, who produced the StarMax; Umax, who produced the SuperMac; and Power Computing, who offered several lines of Mac clones, including the PowerWave, PowerTower, and PowerTower Pro. These companies had invested substantial resources in creating their own Mac-compatible hardware. Apple bought out Power Computing's license, but allowed Umax to continue selling Mac clones until their license expired, as they had a sizeable presence in the lower-end segment that Apple did not. In September 1997 Apple extended Umax' license allowing them to sell clones with Mac OS 8, the only clone maker to do so, but with the restriction that they only sell low-end systems. Without the higher profit margins of high-end systems, however, Umax judged this would not be profitable and exited the Mac clone market in May 1998, having lost USD$36 million on the program.

qas: question: What did dated architecture on the Mac OS line make necessary?
answers: text: replacement

question: What programming language was the Mac OS initially developed in?
answers: text: Pascal

question: What language replaced Pascal for System 7?
answers: text: C++

question: What was the fuly overhauled successor to Mac OS 9?
answers: text: Mac OS X

question: Upon release, what interface allowed Mac users to sample Apple's new operating system and provide feedback for the actual release?
answers: text: Aqua

question: What did new architecture on the Mac OS line make necessary?

question: What spoken language was the Mac OS initially developed in?

question: What language replaced Pascal for System 8?

question: What was the fuly overhauled successor to Mac OS 8?

question: Upon release, what interface allowed Mac users to sample Microsoft's new operating system and provide feedback for the actual release?
context: Mac OS continued to evolve up to version 9.2.2, including retrofits such as the addition of a nanokernel and support for Multiprocessing Services 2.0 in Mac OS 8.6, though its dated architecture made replacement necessary. Initially developed in the Pascal programming language, it was substantially rewritten in C++ for System 7. From its beginnings on an 8 MHz machine with 128 KB of RAM, it had grown to support Apple's latest 1 GHz G4-equipped Macs. Since its architecture was laid down, features that were already common on Apple's competition, like preemptive multitasking and protected memory, had become feasible on the kind of hardware Apple manufactured. As such, Apple introduced Mac OS X, a fully overhauled Unix-based successor to Mac OS 9. OS X uses Darwin, XNU, and Mach as foundations, and is based on NeXTSTEP. It was released to the public in September 2000, as the Mac OS X Public Beta, featuring a revamped user interface called "Aqua". At US$29.99, it allowed adventurous Mac users to sample Apple's new operating system and provide feedback for the actual release. The initial version of Mac OS X, 10.0 "Cheetah", was released on March 24, 2001. Older Mac OS applications could still run under early Mac OS X versions, using an environment called "Classic". Subsequent releases of Mac OS X included 10.1 "Puma" (2001), 10.2 "Jaguar" (2002), 10.3 "Panther" (2003) and 10.4 "Tiger" (2005).

qas: question: What is the only mainstream computer platform to successfully transition to a new CPU architecture?
answers: text: Macintosh

question: What is the standard amount of RAM included with almost all current Mac models?
answers: text: 8 GB

question: Which MacBook Pro port can transfer data at speeds up to 10 gigabits per second?
answers: text: Thunderbolt

question: When was the iMac G5 released?
answers: text: October 2005

question: Which interface did Apple introduce that was capable of being operated by an Apple Remote or keyboard for accessing media stored on the computer?
answers: text: Front Row

question: What is the standard amount of RAM shipped with most Mac models?
answers: text: 8 GB

question: What processors are used by the current Mac product family?
answers: text: Intel x86-64

question: How many data transfer ports are included in most current Macs?
answers: text: two

question: According to Apple, how fast can the Thunderbolt port transfer data?
answers: text: up to 10 gigabits per second.

question: What is the only mainstream computer platform to unsuccessfully transition to a new CPU architecture?

question: What is the standard amount of ROM included with almost all current Mac models?

question: Which MacBook Pro port can transfer data at speeds up to 20 gigabits per second?

question: When was the iMac G6 released?

question: Which interface did Apple introduce that was capable of being operated by an Microsoft Remote or keyboard for accessing media stored on the computer?
context: The current Mac product family uses Intel x86-64 processors. Apple introduced an emulator during the transition from PowerPC chips (called Rosetta), much as it did during the transition from Motorola 68000 architecture a decade earlier. The Macintosh is the only mainstream computer platform to have successfully transitioned to a new CPU architecture, and has done so twice. All current Mac models ship with at least 8 GB of RAM as standard other than the 1.4 GHz Mac Mini, MacBook Pro (without Retina Display), and MacBook Air. Current Mac computers use ATI Radeon or nVidia GeForce graphics cards as well as Intel graphics built into the main CPU. All current Macs (except for the MacBook Pro without Retina Display) do not ship with an optical media drive that includes a dual-function DVD/CD burner. Apple refers to this as a SuperDrive. Current Macs include two standard data transfer ports: USB and Thunderbolt (except for the MacBook (2015 version), which only has a USB-C port and headphone port). MacBook Pro, iMac, MacBook Air, and Mac Mini computers now also feature the "Thunderbolt" port, which Apple says can transfer data at speeds up to 10 gigabits per second. USB was introduced in the 1998 iMac G3 and is ubiquitous today, while FireWire is mainly reserved for high-performance devices such as hard drives or video cameras. Starting with the then-new iMac G5, released in October 2005, Apple started to include built-in iSight cameras on appropriate models, and a media center interface called Front Row that can be operated by an Apple Remote or keyboard for accessing media stored on the computer. Front Row has been discontinued as of 2011, however, and the Apple Remote is no longer bundled with new Macs.

qas: question: Which technique was once used to boot an alternate operating system than Mac OS?
answers: text: boot into Mac OS and then to hand over control to a Mac OS-based bootloader application

question: What was introduced that made using Mac OS alternative operating systems easier?
answers: text: Open Firmware-based PCI Macs

question: What were Open Firmware-based PCI Macs used as a convenience because of?
answers: text: bugs in the firmware implementation

question: Where does Mac hardware boot directly to in all Intel-based Macs?
answers: text: EFI

question: Where does Mac harware boot directly to in most PowerPC-based Macs?
answers: text: Open Firmware

question: Which technique was once used to boot an alternate operating system than Mac SO?

question: What was introduced that made using Mac OP alternative operating systems easier?

question: What were Open Firmware-based PIC Macs used as a convenience because of?

question: Where does Mac hardware boot indirectly to in all Intel-based Macs?

question: Where does Mac harware boot indirectly to in most PowerPC-based Macs?
context: Originally, the hardware architecture was so closely tied to the Mac OS operating system that it was impossible to boot an alternative operating system. The most common workaround, is to boot into Mac OS and then to hand over control to a Mac OS-based bootloader application. Used even by Apple for A/UX and MkLinux, this technique is no longer necessary since the introduction of Open Firmware-based PCI Macs, though it was formerly used for convenience on many Old World ROM systems due to bugs in the firmware implementation.[citation needed] Now, Mac hardware boots directly from Open Firmware in most PowerPC-based Macs or EFI in all Intel-based Macs.

qas: question: Who was brought in to shape the marketing of Macintosh in 1982?
answers: text: Regis McKenna

question: What role did Andy Cunningham and Jane Anderson have in the Macintosh launch plan?
answers: text: primary authors

question: Who introduced the "multiple exclusive" event marketing concept to Apple?
answers: text: John Sculley

question: Which company first used the "multiple exclusive" event marketing concept?
answers: text: Pepsi

question: What did the "multiple exclusive" event marketing concept create around a product?
answers: text: a mystique

question: Who was brought in to shape the marketing of Macintosh in 1928?

question: What role did Andy Cunningham and Jane Anderson have in the Microsoft launch plan?

question: Who introduced the "multiple exclusive" event marketing concept to Microsoft?

question: Which company last used the "multiple exclusive" event marketing concept?

question: What didn't the "multiple exclusive" event marketing concept create around a product?
context: In 1982, Regis McKenna was brought in to shape the marketing and launch of the Macintosh. Later the Regis McKenna team grew to include Jane Anderson, Katie Cadigan and Andy Cunningham, who eventually led the Apple account for the agency. Cunningham and Anderson were the primary authors of the Macintosh launch plan. The launch of the Macintosh pioneered many different tactics that are used today in launching technology products, including the "multiple exclusive," event marketing (credited to John Sculley, who brought the concept over from Pepsi), creating a mystique around a product and giving an inside look into a product's creation.

qas: question: Who initiated a successful price war among PC manufacturers in 1994?
answers: text: Compaq

question: Who did Compaq overtake in the price war of 1994?
answers: text: IBM

question: What happened to Apple's market share with the release of Windows 95?
answers: text: struggled

question: What unified Microsoft's MS-DOS and Windows products?
answers: text: Windows 95

question: What significantly enhanced the multimedia capability of IBM PC compatible computers?
answers: text: Windows 95

question: Who initiated a successful price war among PC manufacturers in 1995

question: Who did Compaq overtake in the price war of 1993?

question: What happened to Apple's market share with the release of Windows 98?

question: What unified Apple's MS-DOS and Windows products?

question: What significantly enhanced the multimedia capability of IBM PC incompatible computers?
context: Compaq, who had previously held the third place spot among PC manufacturers during the 1980s and early-mid 1990s, initiated a successful price war in 1994 that vaulted them to the biggest by the year end, overtaking a struggling IBM and relegating Apple to third place. Apple's market share further struggled due to the release of the Windows 95 operating system, which unified Microsoft's formerly separate MS-DOS and Windows products. Windows 95 significantly enhanced the multimedia capability and performance of IBM PC compatible computers, and brought the capabilities of Windows to parity with the Mac OS GUI.

qas: question: What percent of the desktop share in the U.S. did Apple have in 2003?
answers: text: 2.06

question: Who are IDC and Gartner?
answers: text: research firms

question: What was Apple's market share in the U.S. by 2006?
answers: text: 6.1 percent

question: What percentage of unit sale increase did Apple see from 2005 to 2006?
answers: text: 30

question: What was the estimated installed base of Mac computers in 2009?
answers: text: 16%

question: What percent of the desktop share in the U.S. did Apple have in 2004?

question: Who are CID and Gartner?

question: What was Apple's market share in the U.S. by 2005?

question: What percentage of unit sale increase did Apple see from 2005 to 2007?

question: What was the estimated installed base of Mac computers in 2010?
context: Statistics from late 2003 indicate that Apple had 2.06 percent of the desktop share in the United States that had increased to 2.88 percent by Q4 2004. As of October 2006, research firms IDC and Gartner reported that Apple's market share in the U.S. had increased to about 6 percent. Figures from December 2006, showing a market share around 6 percent (IDC) and 6.1 percent (Gartner) are based on a more than 30 percent increase in unit sale from 2005 to 2006. The installed base of Mac computers is hard to determine, with numbers ranging from 5% (estimated in 2009) to 16% (estimated in 2005).

qas: question: When was the Macintosh SE released at the same time as?
answers: text: the Macintosh II

question: What was the first compact Mac with a 20 MB internal hard drive and an expansion slot?
answers: text: The Macintosh SE

question: What was the starting price of the Macintosh SE?
answers: text: $2900

question: What did the location of the SE's expansion slot potentially expose an upgrader to?
answers: text: high voltage

question: Who did Apple suggest users go to for performing updates on their SE's?
answers: text: an authorized Apple dealer

question: When was the Macintosh ES released at the same time as?

question: What was the last compact Mac with a 20 MB internal hard drive and an expansion slot?

question: What was the first compact Mac with a 40 MB internal hard drive and an expansion slot?

question: What was the starting price of the Macintosh ES?

question: What did the location of the ES's expansion slot potentially expose an upgrader to?
context: The Macintosh SE was released at the same time as the Macintosh II for $2900 (or $3900 with hard drive), as the first compact Mac with a 20 MB internal hard drive and an expansion slot. The SE's expansion slot was located inside the case along with the CRT, potentially exposing an upgrader to high voltage. For this reason, Apple recommended users bring their SE to an authorized Apple dealer to have upgrades performed. The SE also updated Jerry Manock and Terry Oyama's original design and shared the Macintosh II's Snow White design language, as well as the new Apple Desktop Bus (ADB) mouse and keyboard that had first appeared on the Apple IIGS some months earlier.

qas: question: What is partially credited for the significant boost in sales of Macs in recent years?
answers: text: the success of the iPod and the iPhone

question: What allows users to easily sync data between an iPhone and a Mac?
answers: text: iCloud cloud service

question: What consumer trend has hurt many personal computer manufacturers?
answers: text: smartphones and tablet computers

question: Which smartphone has hurt personal computer manufacterers the most?
answers: text: Apple's own iPhone

question: What are the top two computing devices consumers are choosing?
answers: text: iPhone and iPad

question: What is partially credited for the insignificant boost in sales of Macs in recent years?

question: What allows users to easily sync data between an iPhone and a PC?

question: What consumer trend has hurt many business computer manufacturers?

question: Which smartphone has hurt personal computer manufacterers the least?

question: What are the top three computing devices consumers are choosing?
context: In recent years, Apple has seen a significant boost in sales of Macs. This has been attributed, in part, to the success of the iPod and the iPhone, a halo effect whereby satisfied iPod or iPhone owners purchase more Apple products, and Apple has since capitalized on that with the iCloud cloud service that allows users to seamlessly sync data between these devices and Macs. Nonetheless, like other personal computer manufacturers, the Macintosh lines have been hurt by consumer trend towards smartphones and tablet computers (particularly Apple's own iPhone and iPad, respectively) as the computing devices of choice among consumers.

qas: question: What did Apple introduce in 1990 to combat competition from smartphones?
answers: text: relatively inexpensive Macs

question: What was the less expensive version of the Macintosh SE that was offered until 2001?
answers: text: The Macintosh Classic

question: Which Macintosh had a distinctive "pizza box" case?
answers: text: LC

question: How many expansion slots did the Macintosh IIsi have?
answers: text: only one

question: How did Apple's profit margin on the lower cost Mac's compare to the profit margin onearlier models?
answers: text: considerably lower

question: What did Apple introduce in 1991 to combat competition from smartphones?

question: What was the more expensive version of the Macintosh SE that was offered until 2001?

question: Which IBM had a distinctive "pizza box" case?

question: How many expansion slots did the Macintosh Isi have?

question: How did Apple's profit margin on the higher cost Mac's compare to the profit margin on earlier models?
context: In response, Apple introduced a range of relatively inexpensive Macs in October 1990. The Macintosh Classic, essentially a less expensive version of the Macintosh SE, was the least expensive Mac offered until early 2001. The 68020-powered Macintosh LC, in its distinctive "pizza box" case, offered color graphics and was accompanied by a new, low-cost 512×384 pixel monitor. The Macintosh IIsi was essentially a 20 MHz IIci with only one expansion slot. All three machines sold well, although Apple's profit margin on them was considerably lower than that on earlier models.

qas: question: When did Apple begin to favor aluminum in their design?
answers: text: 2006

question: Which Mac used aluminum in it's construction?
answers: text: MacBook Pro

question: Which material did Apple add with the 2008 unibody MacBrook Pro?
answers: text: Glass

question: Are aluminum and glass considered to be environmentally friendly or environmentally harmful?
answers: text: environmentally friendly

question: What has Chief Designer Jonathan Ive been able to eliminate in Mac notebooks?
answers: text: replaceable batteries

question: When did Apple begin not to favor aluminum in their design?

question: Which Mac used tin in it's construction?

question: Which material did Apple add with the 2009 unibody MacBrook Pro?

question: Are tin and glass considered to be environmentally friendly or environmentally harmful?

question: What has Chief Designer Jonathan Ive been able to eliminate in HP notebooks?
context: Starting in 2006, Apple's industrial design shifted to favor aluminum, which was used in the construction of the first MacBook Pro. Glass was added in 2008 with the introduction of the unibody MacBook Pro. These materials are billed as environmentally friendly. The iMac, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac Mini lines currently all use aluminum enclosures, and are now made of a single unibody. Chief designer Jonathan Ive continues to guide products towards a minimalist and simple feel, including eliminating of replaceable batteries in notebooks. Multi-touch gestures from the iPhone's interface have been applied to the Mac line in the form of touch pads on notebooks and the Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad for desktops.

qas: question: Who began the Macintosh project in 1979?
answers: text: Jef Raskin

question: What was Jef Raskin's profession?
answers: text: an Apple employee

question: What did Jef Raskin envision for a computer to be for an average consumer?
answers: text: easy-to-use, low-cost

question: Why was the spelling of McIntosh changed to Macintosh?
answers: text: for legal reasons

question: What did McIntosh Laboratory, Inc. manufacture?
answers: text: audio equipment

question: Who began the Macintosh project in 1997?

question: What wasn't Jef Raskin's profession?

question: What did Jef Raskin envision for a computer to be for an average business?

question: Why wasn't the spelling of McIntosh changed to Macintosh?

question: What did MacIntosh Laboratory, Inc. manufacture?
context: The Macintosh project was begun in 1979 by Jef Raskin, an Apple employee who envisioned an easy-to-use, low-cost computer for the average consumer. He wanted to name the computer after his favorite type of apple, the McIntosh, but the spelling was changed to "Macintosh" for legal reasons as the original was the same spelling as that used by McIntosh Laboratory, Inc., the audio equipment manufacturer. Steve Jobs requested that McIntosh Laboratory give Apple a release for the name with its changed spelling so that Apple could use it, but the request was denied, forcing Apple to eventually buy the rights to use the name. (A 1984 Byte Magazine article suggested Apple changed the spelling only after "early users" misspelled "McIntosh". However, Jef Raskin had adopted the Macintosh spelling by 1981, when the Macintosh computer was still a single prototype machine in the lab. This explanation further clashes with the first explanation given above that the change was made for "legal reasons.")

qas: question: Who discussed rumors of a mysterious "MacIntosh" project in 1983?
answers: text: John Dvorak

question: Where was the Macintosh 128K manufactured?
answers: text: Apple factory in Fremont, California

question: How much did the television commercial "1984" cost?
answers: text: US$1.5 million

question: What did the television commercial "1984" introduce?
answers: text: Macintosh 128K

question: What did Regis McKenna call the "1984" ad that was aired during the Super Bowl?
answers: text: "more successful than the Mac itself."

question: Who discussed rumors of a mysterious "MacIntosh" project in 1938?

question: Where was the Microsoft 128K manufactured?

question: How much did the television commercial "1948" cost?

question: What did the television commercial "1948" introduce?

question: What did Regis McKenna call the "1948" ad that was aired during the Super Bowl?
context: After the Lisa's announcement, John Dvorak discussed rumors of a mysterious "MacIntosh" project at Apple in February 1983. The company announced the Macintosh 128K—manufactured at an Apple factory in Fremont, California—in October 1983, followed by an 18-page brochure included with various magazines in December. The Macintosh was introduced by a US$1.5 million Ridley Scott television commercial, "1984". It most notably aired during the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII on January 22, 1984, and is now considered a "watershed event" and a "masterpiece." Regis McKenna called the ad "more successful than the Mac itself." "1984" used an unnamed heroine to represent the coming of the Macintosh (indicated by a Picasso-style picture of the computer on her white tank top) as a means of saving humanity from the "conformity" of IBM's attempts to dominate the computer industry. The ad alludes to George Orwell's novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four, which described a dystopian future ruled by a televised "Big Brother."

qas: question: When was the Macintosh branded as Mac?
answers: text: 1997

question: Who designed, develped, and marketed the Mac computers?
answers: text: Apple Inc.

question: What did Steve Jobs introduce on January 24, 1984?
answers: text: original Macintosh computer

question: What interface type did the original Macintosh include?
answers: text: integral graphical user

question: When did Apple begin phasing out Macintosh in favor of "Mac"?
answers: text: Since 1998

question: When was the Microsoft branded as Mac?

question: Who designed, develped, and marketed the IBM computers?

question: What did Steve Jobs introduce on January 24, 1988?

question: What interface type did the original Macintosh exclude?

question: When did Microsoft begin phasing out Macintosh in favor of "Mac"?
context: The Macintosh (/ˈmækᵻntɒʃ/ MAK-in-tosh; branded as Mac since 1997) is a series of personal computers (PCs) designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. Steve Jobs introduced the original Macintosh computer on January 24, 1984. This was the first mass-market personal computer featuring an integral graphical user interface and mouse. This first model was later renamed to "Macintosh 128k" for uniqueness amongst a populous family of subsequently updated models which are also based on Apple's same proprietary architecture. Since 1998, Apple has largely phased out the Macintosh name in favor of "Mac", though the product family has been nicknamed "Mac" or "the Mac" since the development of the first model.

qas: question: When was the activity of desktop publishing first used?
answers: text: 1985

question: What company was desktop publishing unique to at it's beginning?
answers: text: Macintosh

question: What three things were combined to develop desktop publishing?
answers: text: Mac, Apple's LaserWriter printer, and Mac-specific software like Boston Software's MacPublisher

question: What did desktop publishing enable users to do?
answers: text: design, preview, and print page layouts complete with text and graphics

question: What applications strengthened Mac's position as a graphics computer?
answers: text: Macromedia FreeHand, QuarkXPress, and Adobe's Photoshop and Illustrator

question: When was the activity of desktop publishing last used?

question: What company was desktop publishing not unique to at it's beginning?

question: What two things were combined to develop desktop publishing?

question: What did desktop publishing disable users from doing?

question: What applications weakened Mac's position as a graphics computer?
context: In 1985, the combination of the Mac, Apple's LaserWriter printer, and Mac-specific software like Boston Software's MacPublisher and Aldus PageMaker enabled users to design, preview, and print page layouts complete with text and graphics—an activity to become known as desktop publishing. Initially, desktop publishing was unique to the Macintosh, but eventually became available for other platforms. Later, applications such as Macromedia FreeHand, QuarkXPress, and Adobe's Photoshop and Illustrator strengthened the Mac's position as a graphics computer and helped to expand the emerging desktop publishing market.

qas: question: What year was Raskin hired by Apple?
answers: text: September 1979

question: Who did Raskin immediately hire to help him on the Apple project in 1979?
answers: text: his long-time colleague, Brian Howard

question: Who comprised the original Mac team besides Raskin?
answers: text: Howard, Joanna Hoffman, Burrell Smith, and Bud Tribble

question: Who eventually lead the project on the Mac team?
answers: text: Steve Jobs

question: What year was Raskin fired by Apple?

question: Who did Raskin immediately fire to help him on the Apple project in 1979?

question: Who did Raskin immediately hire to help him on the Apple project in 1997?

question: Who comprised the original Microsoft team besides Raskin?

question: Who eventually lead the project on the Microsoft team?
context: Raskin was authorized to start hiring for the project in September 1979, and he immediately asked his long-time colleague, Brian Howard, to join him. His initial team would eventually consist of himself, Howard, Joanna Hoffman, Burrell Smith, and Bud Tribble. The rest of the original Mac team would include Bill Atkinson, Bob Belleville, Steve Capps, George Crow, Donn Denman, Chris Espinosa, Andy Hertzfeld, Bruce Horn, Susan Kare, Larry Kenyon, and Caroline Rose with Steve Jobs leading the project.

qas: question: How many Macs did Apple sell worldwide during the 2009 holiday season?
answers: text: 3.36 million

question: What was Apples market share of all computer shipments in 2010?
answers: text: 7.3%

question: What was Apples market share of all computer shipments in 2011?
answers: text: 9.3%

question: What ranking was Apple in the PC global market share during 2014?
answers: text: about 6%

question: Who outperformed Apple in the 2014 PC global market share?
answers: text: Lenovo, HP, Dell and Acer

question: How many Macs did Apple sell worldwide during the 2008 holiday season?

question: What was Apples market share of all computer shipments in 2000?

question: What was Apples market share of all computer shipments in 2001?

question: What ranking was Apple in the PC global market share during 2016?

question: Who outperformed Apple in the 2017 PC global market share?
context: From 2001 to 2008, Mac sales increased continuously on an annual basis. Apple reported worldwide sales of 3.36 million Macs during the 2009 holiday season. As of Mid-2011, the Macintosh continues to enjoy rapid market share increase in the US, growing from 7.3% of all computer shipments in 2010 to 9.3% in 2011. According to IDC's quarterly PC tracker, globally, in 3rd quarter of 2014, Apple's PC market share increased 5.7 percent year over year, with record sales of 5.5 million units. Apple now sits in the number five spot, with a global market share of about 6% during 2014, behind Lenovo, HP, Dell and Acer.

qas: question: In 1987, what did Apple spin off its software business as?
answers: text: Claris

question: Which series of applications was Claris responsible for inventing?
answers: text: "Pro" series

question: What did Claris rename the Informix Wingz spreadsheet program?
answers: text: Claris Resolve

question: What was ClarisWorks renamed beginning with version 5.0?
answers: text: AppleWorks

question: When was ClarisWorks reincorporated back into Apple?
answers: text: 1998

question: In 1978, what did Apple spin off its software business as?

question: Which series of applications was Claris not responsible for inventing?

question: What didn't Claris rename the Informix Wingz spreadsheet program?

question: What was ClarisWorks renamed beginning with version 4.0?

question: When was ClarisWorks reincorporated back into Microsoft?
context: In 1987, Apple spun off its software business as Claris. It was given the code and rights to several applications, most notably MacWrite, MacPaint, and MacProject. In the late 1980s, Claris released a number of revamped software titles; the result was the "Pro" series, including MacDraw Pro, MacWrite Pro, and FileMaker Pro. To provide a complete office suite, Claris purchased the rights to the Informix Wingz spreadsheet program on the Mac, renaming it Claris Resolve, and added the new presentation software Claris Impact. By the early 1990s, Claris applications were shipping with the majority of consumer-level Macintoshes and were extremely popular. In 1991, Claris released ClarisWorks, which soon became their second best-selling application. When Claris was reincorporated back into Apple in 1998, ClarisWorks was renamed AppleWorks beginning with version 5.0.

qas: question: What two applications came bundled with Macs 2 days after "1984" was aired?
answers: text: MacWrite and MacPaint

question: Why did many software developers choose not to redesign the Mac operating system and rewrite the programming code?
answers: text: This was a time-consuming task

question: What year did Microsoft's MultiPlan migrate over from MS-DOS?
answers: text: 1984

question: What year was Apple's Macintosh Office suite introduced?
answers: text: 1985

question: What did Apple's "Lemmings" ad, which introduced Macintosh Office, do that made the ad unsuccessful?
answers: text: insulting its own potential customers

question: What two applications came bundled with Macs 2 days after "1948" was aired?

question: Why did many hardware developers choose not to redesign the Mac operating system and rewrite the programming code?

question: What year did Apple's MultiPlan migrate over from MS-DOS?

question: What year was Microsoft's Macintosh Office suite introduced?

question: What did Microsoft's "Lemmings" ad, which introduced Macintosh Office, do that made the ad unsuccessful?
context: Two days after "1984" aired, the Macintosh went on sale, and came bundled with two applications designed to show off its interface: MacWrite and MacPaint. It was first demonstrated by Steve Jobs in the first of his famous Mac keynote speeches, and though the Mac garnered an immediate, enthusiastic following, some labeled it a mere "toy." Because the operating system was designed largely around the GUI, existing text-mode and command-driven applications had to be redesigned and the programming code rewritten. This was a time-consuming task that many software developers chose not to undertake, and could be regarded as a reason for an initial lack of software for the new system. In April 1984, Microsoft's MultiPlan migrated over from MS-DOS, with Microsoft Word following in January 1985. In 1985, Lotus Software introduced Lotus Jazz for the Macintosh platform after the success of Lotus 1-2-3 for the IBM PC, although it was largely a flop. Apple introduced the Macintosh Office suite the same year with the "Lemmings" ad. Infamous for insulting its own potential customers, the ad was not successful.

qas: question: According to NPD, who has generally dominated the premium PC market?
answers: text: Apple

question: What was Macintosh ranked on the "list of intended brands for desktop purchases" for the 2011 holiday season?
answers: text: third

question: Who did Macintosh displace from 2nd place on the 2012 holiday season "list of intended brands for desktop purchases"?
answers: text: Hewlett Packard

question: Who did Macintosh displace from 1st place on the 2013 holiday season "list of intended brands for desktop purchases"?
answers: text: Dell

question: Which of Apple's products is focused on the ultraportable niche of PC's?
answers: text: MacBooks

question: According to NDP, who has generally dominated the premium PC market?

question: What was Macintosh ranked on the "list of intended brands for desktop purchases" for the 2010 holiday season?

question: Who did Macintosh displace from 2nd place on the 2011 holiday season "list of intended brands for desktop purchases"?

question: Who did Macintosh displace from 1st place on the 2012 holiday season "list of intended brands for desktop purchases"?

question: Which of Microsoft's products is focused on the ultraportable niche of PC's?
context: Apple has generally dominated the premium PC market, having a 91 percent market share for PCs priced at more than $1,000 in 2009, according to NPD. The Macintosh took 45 percent of operating profits in the PC industry during Q4 2012, compared to 13 percent for Dell, seven percent for Hewlett Packard, six percent for Lenovo and Asus, and one percent for Acer. While sales of the Macintosh have largely held steady, in comparison to Apple's sales of the iPhone and iPad which increased significantly during the 2010s, Macintosh computers still enjoy high margins on a per unit basis, with the majority being their MacBooks that are focused on the ultraportable niche that is the most profitable and only growing segment of PCs. It also helped that the Macintosh lineup is simple, updated on a yearly schedule, and consistent across both Apple retail stores, and authorized resellers where they have a special "store within a store" section to distinguish them from Windows PCs. In contrast, Windows PC manufacturers generally have a wide range of offerings, selling only a portion through retail with a full selection on the web, and often with limited-time or region-specific models. The Macintosh ranked third on the "list of intended brands for desktop purchases" for the 2011 holiday season, then moved up to second in 2012 by displacing Hewlett Packard, and in 2013 took the top spot ahead of Dell.

qas: question: What part of the Mac's could not be expanded easily in 1984?
answers: text: memory

question: What did Mac's lack in 1984 and have no means to easily attach?
answers: text: a hard disk drive

question: What did some small companies suggest Mac's 16 memory chips be replaced with?
answers: text: larger-capacity chips

question: How much more memory did Apple's Macintosh 512K, introduced in 1984, have than the original?
answers: text: quadruple

question: What was replaced in the upgrade that was offered for 128k Macs?
answers: text: the logic board

question: What part of the Mac's could not be expanded easily in 1994?

question: What did Mac's lack in 1994 and have no means to easily attach?

question: What did some small companies suggest Mac's 32 memory chips be replaced with?

question: How much more memory did Apple's Macintosh 512K, introduced in 1994, have than the original?

question: What was replaced in the upgrade that was offered for 256k Macs?
context: The Macintosh's minimal memory became apparent, even compared with other personal computers in 1984, and could not be expanded easily. It also lacked a hard disk drive or the means to easily attach one. Many small companies sprang up to address the memory issue. Suggestions revolved around either upgrading the memory to 512 KB or removing the computer's 16 memory chips and replacing them with larger-capacity chips, a tedious and difficult operation. In October 1984, Apple introduced the Macintosh 512K, with quadruple the memory of the original, at a price of US$3,195. It also offered an upgrade for 128k Macs that involved replacing the logic board.

qas: question: On what grounds did Apple sue Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard in 1988?
answers: text: they infringed Apple's copyrighted GUI

question: How was the lawsuit decided for Apple vs. Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard?
answers: text: against Apple

question: What did the FSF feel that Apple was trying to monopolize on?
answers: text: GUIs in general

question: How long did the FSF boycott GNU software for the Macintosh platform?
answers: text: seven years

question: What are some of the issues Apple cited in the lawsuit against Microsoft and HP?
answers: text: the use of rectangular, overlapping, and resizable windows

question: On what grounds did Apple sue Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard in 1998?

question: How was the lawsuit decided for Apple vs. Compaq and Hewlett-Packard?

question: What did the FSF feel that Microsoft was trying to monopolize on?

question: How long did the FSF boycott GUN software for the Macintosh platform?

question: What aren't some of the issues Apple cited in the lawsuit against Microsoft and HP?
context: In 1988, Apple sued Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard on the grounds that they infringed Apple's copyrighted GUI, citing (among other things) the use of rectangular, overlapping, and resizable windows. After four years, the case was decided against Apple, as were later appeals. Apple's actions were criticized by some in the software community, including the Free Software Foundation (FSF), who felt Apple was trying to monopolize on GUIs in general, and boycotted GNU software for the Macintosh platform for seven years.

qas: question: What did Apple's creation of too many similar models do to potential buyers?
answers: text: confused potential buyers

question: What was the hardware manufactured by third parties for Apple's System 7 known as?
answers: text: Macintosh clones

question: What did the Macintosh clones provide for consumers?
answers: text: cheaper hardware

question: What did Macintosh clones succeed in increasing for Macintosh?
answers: text: market share

question: Who did the Macintosh clones hurt financially?
answers: text: Apple

question: What did Microsoft's creation of too many similar models do to potential buyers?

question: What was the hardware manufactured by third parties for Apple's System 6 known as?

question: What did the Microsoft clones provide for consumers?

question: What did Macintosh clones succeed in decreasing for Macintosh?

question: Who did the Macintosh clones help financially?
context: Furthermore, Apple had created too many similar models that confused potential buyers. At one point, its product lineup was subdivided into Classic, LC, II, Quadra, Performa, and Centris models, with essentially the same computer being sold under a number of different names. These models competed against Macintosh clones, hardware manufactured by third parties that ran Apple's System 7. This succeeded in increasing the Macintosh's market share somewhat, and provided cheaper hardware for consumers, but hurt Apple financially as existing Apple customers began to buy cheaper clones which cannibalized the sales of Apple's higher-margin Macintosh systems, yet Apple still shouldered the burden of developing the Mac OS platform.

qas: question: When did Apple begin shipping computers with CD-RW drives?
answers: text: early 2001

question: What did Apple begin offering as standard features meant for playing DVD's?
answers: text: DVD-ROM and DVD-RAM drives

question: Who admitted that Apple was late to the party with writable CD technology?
answers: text: Steve Jobs

question: Which Apple campaign did some people feel encouraged media piracy?
answers: text: "Rip, Mix, Burn"

question: What is the name of one of Apple's unsuccessful products?
answers: text: Power Mac G4 Cube

question: When did Microsoft begin shipping computers with CD-RW drives?

question: What did Microsoft begin offering as standard features meant for playing DVD's?

question: Who admitted that Microsoft was late to the party with writable CD technology?

question: Which Apple campaign did some people feel discouraged media piracy?

question: What is the name of one of Apple's successful products?
context: In early 2001, Apple began shipping computers with CD-RW drives and emphasized the Mac's ability to play DVDs by including DVD-ROM and DVD-RAM drives as standard. Steve Jobs admitted that Apple had been "late to the party" on writable CD technology, but felt that Macs could become a "digital hub" that linked and enabled an "emerging digital lifestyle". Apple would later introduce an update to its iTunes music player software that enabled it to burn CDs, along with a controversial "Rip, Mix, Burn" advertising campaign that some felt encouraged media piracy. This accompanied the release of the iPod, Apple's first successful handheld device. Apple continued to launch products, such as the unsuccessful Power Mac G4 Cube, the education-oriented eMac, and the titanium (and later aluminium) PowerBook G4 laptop for professionals.

qas: question: What was the name of Apple's first portable computer?
answers: text: Macintosh Portable

question: When was the Macintosh Portable first released?
answers: text: 1989

question: What replaced the Macintosh Portable in 1991?
answers: text: the PowerBook line

question: What was the 1993 PowerBook 165c Apple's first portable computer to feature?
answers: text: a color screen

question: Which generation of PowerBooks introduced trackpads?
answers: text: second

question: What was the name of Apple's last portable computer?

question: When was the Macintosh Portable last released?

question: What replaced the Macintosh Portable in 1992?

question: What was the 1992 PowerBook 165c Apple's first portable computer to feature?

question: Which generation of PowerMacs introduced trackpads?
context: It was not long until Apple released their first portable computer, the Macintosh Portable in 1989. Although due to considerable design issues, it was soon replaced in 1991 with the first of the PowerBook line: the PowerBook 100, a miniaturized portable; the 16 MHz 68030 PowerBook 140; and the 25 MHz 68030 PowerBook 170. They were the first portable computers with the keyboard behind a palm rest and a built-in pointing device (a trackball) in front of the keyboard. The 1993 PowerBook 165c was Apple's first portable computer to feature a color screen, displaying 256 colors with 640 x 400-pixel resolution. The second generation of PowerBooks, the 68040-equipped 500 series, introduced trackpads, integrated stereo speakers, and built-in Ethernet to the laptop form factor in 1994.

qas: question: What was Apple's Mac OS X based on?
answers: text: Darwin and NEXTSTEP

question: Who did Apple make Maverick free to?
answers: text: everyone running Snow Leopard or later

question: What computers is Maverick compatible with?
answers: text: most Macs from 2007 and later

question: What brought better multi display support to Mac?
answers: text: Mavericks

question: When was Mavericks introduced?
answers: text: 2013

question: What was Apple's Mac OS XX based on?

question: Who did Microsoft make Maverick free to?

question: What computers is Maverick incompatible with?

question: What brought better single display support to Mac?

question: When was Mavericks scrapped?
context: In 2001, Apple introduced Mac OS X, based on Darwin and NEXTSTEP; its new features included the Dock and the Aqua user interface. During the transition, Apple included a virtual machine subsystem known as Classic, allowing users to run Mac OS 9 applications under Mac OS X 10.4 and earlier on PowerPC machines. Apple introduced Mac OS X 10.8 in February, and it was made available in the summer of 2012. Mountain Lion includes many new features, such as Mission Control, the Mac App Store (available to Mac OS X v10.6.6 "Snow Leopard." users by software update), Launchpad, an application viewer and launcher akin to the iOS Home Screen, and Resume, a feature similar to the hibernate function found in Microsoft Windows. The most recent version is OS X El Capitan . In addition to Mavericks, all new Macs are bundled with assorted Apple-produced applications, including iLife, the Safari web browser and the iTunes media player. Apple introduced Mavericks at WWDC 2013 in June, and released it on October 15 of that year. It is free of charge to everyone running Snow Leopard or later and is compatible with most Macs from 2007 and later. Mavericks brought a lot of the iOS apps, functions, and feel to the Mac as well as better multi display support, iBooks, Maps, app nap, and other upgrades to improve performance and battery life.

qas: question: What desktop did Apple release after the discontinued Power Macintosh G3?
answers: text: Power Mac G4 Cube

question: Why were sales of the Power Mac G4 Cube slow?
answers: text: too expensive

question: What did the Power Mac G4 have trouble overcoming after they dropped their price and upgraded their hardware?
answers: text: earlier perception

question: When was the Power Mac G4 discontinued?
answers: text: July 2001

question: How did the actual sales of the G4's compare to the sales expectations?
answers: text: one third of expectations

question: What desktop did Apple release after the discontinued Power Macintosh G2?

question: Why were sales of the Power Mac G5 Cube slow?

question: What did the Power Mac G5 have trouble overcoming after they dropped their price and upgraded their hardware?

question: When was the Power Mac G5 discontinued?

question: How did the actual sales of the G5's compare to the sales expectations?
context: In 2000, Apple released the Power Mac G4 Cube, their first desktop since the discontinued Power Macintosh G3, to slot between the iMac G3 and the Power Mac G4. Even with its innovative design, it was initially priced US$200 higher than the comparably-equipped and more-expandable base Power Mac G4, while also not including a monitor, making it too expensive and resulting in slow sales. Apple sold just 29,000 Cubes in Q4 of 2000 which was one third of expectations, compared to 308,000 Macs during that same quarter, and Cube sales dropped to 12,000 units in Q1 of 2001. A price drop and hardware upgrades could not offset the earlier perception of the Cube's reduced value compared to the iMac and Power Mac G4 lineup, and it was discontinued in July 2001.

qas: question: Historically, what is near-absent in Mac OS X compared to Microsoft Windows?
answers: text: malware and spyware

question: When did Mac OS X experience a large increase in malware attacks?
answers: text: early 2011

question: How was Mac's malware seen by many Mac users in 2011?
answers: text: an increasing problem

question: What were Apple support staff initially instructed not to assist with concerning malware?
answers: text: the removal

question: How many users were affected by the increase in malware?
answers: text: 100,000

question: Historically, what is near-absent in Mac OS XX compared to Microsoft Windows?

question: When did Mac OS X experience a large decrease in malware attacks?

question: How was Mac's malware seen by many Mac users in 2012?

question: What were Microsoft support staff initially instructed not to assist with concerning malware?

question: How many users were affected by the decrease in malware?
context: Historically, Mac OS X enjoyed a near-absence of the types of malware and spyware that affect Microsoft Windows users. Mac OS X has a smaller usage share compared to Microsoft Windows (roughly 5% and 92%, respectively), but it also has traditionally more secure UNIX roots. Worms, as well as potential vulnerabilities, were noted in February 2006, which led some industry analysts and anti-virus companies to issue warnings that Apple's Mac OS X is not immune to malware. Increasing market share coincided with additional reports of a variety of attacks. Apple releases security updates for its software. In early 2011, Mac OS X experienced a large increase in malware attacks, and malware such as Mac Defender, MacProtector, and MacGuard were seen as an increasing problem for Mac users. At first, the malware installer required the user to enter the administrative password, but later versions were able to install without user input. Initially, Apple support staff were instructed not to assist in the removal of the malware or admit the existence of the malware issue, but as the malware spread, a support document was issued. Apple announced an OS X update to fix the problem. An estimated 100,000 users were affected.

qas: question: What was the market share of OS X in North America by March 2011?
answers: text: slightly over 14%

question: Being positioned as a higher end PC, what is it misleading to compare the Mac to?
answers: text: a budget PC

question: Apple has remained profitable since what time?
answers: text: Steve Jobs' return

question: According to market research, who does Apple draw it's customer base from?
answers: text: a higher-income demographic

question: Whose return to Apple resulted in the company's reorganization?
answers: text: Steve Jobs

question: What was the market share of OS X in North America by March 2012?

question: Being positioned as a lower end PC, what is it misleading to compare the Mac to?

question: Apple has remained unprofitable since what time?

question: According to market research, who does Microsoft draw it's customer base from?

question: Whose return to Microsoft resulted in the company's reorganization?
context: By March 2011, the market share of OS X in North America had increased to slightly over 14%. Whether the size of the Mac's market share and installed base is relevant, and to whom, is a hotly debated issue. Industry pundits have often called attention to the Mac's relatively small market share to predict Apple's impending doom, particularly in the early and mid-1990s when the company's future seemed bleakest. Others argue that market share is the wrong way to judge the Mac's success. Apple has positioned the Mac as a higher-end personal computer, and so it may be misleading to compare it to a budget PC. Because the overall market for personal computers has grown rapidly, the Mac's increasing sales numbers are effectively swamped by the industry's expanding sales volume as a whole. Apple's small market share, then, gives the impression that fewer people are using Macs than did ten years ago, when exactly the opposite is true. Soaring sales of the iPhone and iPad mean that the portion of Apple's profits represented by the Macintosh has declined in 2010, dropping to 24% from 46% two years earlier. Others try to de-emphasize market share, citing that it is rarely brought up in other industries. Regardless of the Mac's market share, Apple has remained profitable since Steve Jobs' return and the company's subsequent reorganization. Notably, a report published in the first quarter of 2008 found that Apple had a 14% market share in the personal computer market in the US, including 66% of all computers over $1,000. Market research indicates that Apple draws its customer base from a higher-income demographic than the mainstream personal computer market.

qas: question: Who refused to lower the profit margins on Mac computers in 1989?
answers: text: Jean-Louis Gassée

question: What problem rocked the PC industry in 1989?
answers: text: a component shortage

question: What did the component shortage of 1989 force Allan Loren to do with Macs?
answers: text: cut prices

question: Who was Allan Loren?
answers: text: Apple USA head

question: When was Microsoft Windows 3.0 released?
answers: text: May 1990

question: Who refused to lower the profit margins on Mac computers in 1998?

question: What problem rocked the PC industry in 1998?

question: What did the component shortage of 1998 force Allan Loren to do with Macs?

question: Who was Eric Loren?

question: When was Microsoft Windows 2.0 released?  May 1990
context: Notwithstanding these technical and commercial successes on the Macintosh platform, their systems remained fairly expensive, making them less competitive in light of the falling costs of components that made IBM PC compatibles cheaper and accelerated their adoption. In 1989, Jean-Louis Gassée had steadfastly refused to lower the profit margins on Mac computers, then there was a component shortage that rocked the exponentially-expanding PC industry that year, forcing Apple USA head Allan Loren to cut prices which dropped Apple's margins. Microsoft Windows 3.0 was released in May 1990, the first iteration of Windows which had a feature set and performance comparable to the significantly costlier Macintosh. Furthermore, Apple had created too many similar models that confused potential buyers; at one point the product lineup was subdivided into Classic, LC, II, Quadra, Performa, and Centris models, with essentially the same computer being sold under a number of different names.

qas: question: What did Apple begin to eliminate in 2002?
answers: text: CRT displays

question: Why was the new iMac G4 considerably more expensive than the G3?
answers: text: higher cost of the LCD technology

question: Who did Apple create the more affordable eMac in April 2002 for?
answers: text: the education market

question: What was the main problem with the eMac's CRT?
answers: text: relatively bulky and somewhat outdated

question: After Apple's failed desktop sales, what products drove their sales growth?
answers: text: the iPod portable music player and iTunes music download service

question: What did Apple begin to eliminate in 2012?

question: Why was the new iMac G4 considerably more expensive than the G5?

question: Who did Apple create the more affordable eMac in April 2003 for?

question: What was the main problem with the iMac's CRT?

question: After Microsoft's failed desktop sales, what products drove their sales growth?
context: Starting in 2002, Apple moved to eliminate CRT displays from its product line as part of aesthetic design and space-saving measures with the iMac G4. However, the new iMac with its flexible LCD flat-panel monitor was considerably more expensive on its debut than the preceding iMac G3, largely due to the higher cost of the LCD technology at the time. In order to keep the Macintosh affordable for the education market and due to obsolescence of the iMac G3, Apple created the eMac in April 2002 as the intended successor; however the eMac's CRT made it relatively bulky and somewhat outdated, while its all-in-one construction meant it could not be expanded to meet consumer demand for larger monitors. The iMac G4's relatively high prices were approaching that of laptops which were portable and had higher resolution LCD screens. Meanwhile, Windows PC manufacturers could offer desktop configurations with LCD flat panel monitors at prices comparable to the eMac and at much lower cost than the iMac G4. The flop of the Power Mac G4 Cube, along with the more expensive iMac G4 and heavy eMac, meant that Macintosh desktop sales never reached the market share attained by the previous iMac G3. For the next half-decade while Macintosh sales held steady, it would instead be the iPod portable music player and iTunes music download service that would drive Apple's sales growth.

qas: question: In 2009, how many Macs sold were laptops?
answers: text: seven out of ten

question: What has helped Macs more directly compete with Windows on price and performance?
answers: text: The use of Intel microprocessors

question: In 2010, what did Apple receive before other PC manufacturers?
answers: text: Intel's latest CPUs

question: What are the top-selling form factors of the Mac platform today?
answers: text: MacBooks

question: What is the name of the most inexpensive Mac offered?
answers: text: Mac Mini

question: In 2008, how many Macs sold were laptops?

question: What has helped Macs more indirectly compete with Windows on price and performance?

question: In 2012, what did Apple receive before other PC manufacturers?

question: What are the low-selling form factors of the Mac platform today?

question: What is the name of the most expensive Mac offered?
context: The sales breakdown of the Macintosh have seen sales of desktop Macs stayed mostly constant while being surpassed by that of Mac notebooks whose sales rate has grown considerably; seven out of ten Macs sold were laptops in 2009, a ratio projected to rise to three out of four by 2010. The change in sales of form factors is due to the desktop iMac moving from affordable (iMac G3) to upscale (iMac G4) and subsequent releases are considered premium all-in-ones. By contrast the MSRP of the MacBook laptop lines have dropped through successive generations such that the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro constitute the lowest price of entry to a Mac, with the exception of the even more inexpensive Mac Mini (the only sub-$1000 offering from Apple, albeit without a monitor and keyboard), not surprisingly the MacBooks are the top-selling form factors of the Macintosh platform today. The use of Intel microprocessors has helped Macs more directly compete with their Windows counterparts on price and performance, and by the 2010s Apple was receiving Intel's latest CPUs first before other PC manufacturers.

qas: question: What did Apple consolidate in 1998?
answers: text: its multiple consumer-level desktop models

question: What all-in-one product was created in 1998 through Apple's consolidations?
answers: text: iMac G3

question: What did the iMac G3 do to the Mac reputation?
answers: text: revitalized the brand

question: When was Mac's Xserve server discontinued?
answers: text: 2011

question: What took the place of Mac's Xserve server?
answers: text: Mac Mini and Mac Pro

question: What did Apple consolidate in 1989?

question: What all-in-one product was created in 1989 through Apple's consolidations?

question: What did the iMac G2 do to the Mac reputation?

question: When was Mac's Xserve server continued?

question: What took the place of Mac's iserve server?
context: In 1998, after the return of Steve Jobs, Apple consolidated its multiple consumer-level desktop models into the all-in-one iMac G3, which became a commercial success and revitalized the brand. Since their transition to Intel processors in 2006, the complete lineup is entirely based on said processors and associated systems. Its current lineup comprises three desktops (the all-in-one iMac, entry-level Mac mini, and the Mac Pro tower graphics workstation), and four laptops (the MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Pro with Retina display). Its Xserve server was discontinued in 2011 in favor of the Mac Mini and Mac Pro.

qas: question: Why did Raskin leave the Apple team in 1981?
answers: text: over a personality conflict with Jobs

question: According to Andy Hertzfeld, whose idea is the final Mac design closer to?
answers: text: Jobs

question: What did Steve Jobs offer Xerox to visit and see their latest technology?
answers: text: Apple stock options

question: Whose technology influenced the user interfaces of the Lisa and Macintosh?
answers: text: Xerox PARC

question: What caused Steve Jobs to resign from Apple in 1985?
answers: text: an internal power struggle

question: Why did Raskin leave the Apple team in 1918?

question: According to Andy Hertzfeld, whose idea is the first Mac design closer to?

question: What didn't Steve Jobs offer Xerox to visit and see their latest technology?

question: Whose technology influenced the user interfaces of the Lisa and Microsoft?

question: What caused Steve Jobs to resign from Apple in 1958?
context: Burrel's innovative design, which combined the low production cost of an Apple II with the computing power of Lisa's CPU, the Motorola 68K, received the attention of Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple. Realizing that the Macintosh was more marketable than the Lisa, he began to focus his attention on the project. Raskin left the team in 1981 over a personality conflict with Jobs. Team member Andy Hertzfeld said that the final Macintosh design is closer to Jobs' ideas than Raskin's. After hearing of the pioneering GUI technology being developed at Xerox PARC, Jobs had negotiated a visit to see the Xerox Alto computer and its Smalltalk development tools in exchange for Apple stock options. The Lisa and Macintosh user interfaces were influenced by technology seen at Xerox PARC and were combined with the Macintosh group's own ideas. Jobs also commissioned industrial designer Hartmut Esslinger to work on the Macintosh line, resulting in the "Snow White" design language; although it came too late for the earliest Macs, it was implemented in most other mid- to late-1980s Apple computers. However, Jobs' leadership at the Macintosh project did not last; after an internal power struggle with new CEO John Sculley, Jobs resigned from Apple in 1985. He went on to found NeXT, another computer company targeting the education market, and did not return until 1997, when Apple acquired NeXT.

qas: question: What did Jobs state that he expected Macintosh to become?
answers: text: the third industry standard

question: How many applications were widely available during Macintosh's introduction?
answers: text: Only about ten

question: How many companies did Apple promise were develping products for the new computer?
answers: text: 79

question: How many Macintoshes had Apple sold after one year?
answers: text: 280,000

question: How many databases did Apple have available the first year?
answers: text: two

question: What did Gates state that he expected Macintosh to become?

question: How many applications were widely unavailable during Macintosh's introduction?

question: How many companies did Microsoft promise were develping products for the new computer?

question: How many Macintoshes had Microsoft sold after one year?

question: How many databases did Apple have available the last year?
context: Jobs stated during the Macintosh's introduction "we expect Macintosh to become the third industry standard", after the Apple II and IBM PC. Although outselling every other computer, it did not meet expectations during the first year, especially among business customers. Only about ten applications including MacWrite and MacPaint were widely available, although many non-Apple software developers participated in the introduction and Apple promised that 79 companies including Lotus, Digital Research, and Ashton-Tate were creating products for the new computer. After one year, it had less than one quarter of the software selection available compared to the IBM PC—including only one word processor, two databases, and one spreadsheet—although Apple had sold 280,000 Macintoshes compared to IBM's first year sales of fewer than 100,000 PCs.

qas: question: Whose technology did Apple take advantage of when introducing the Macintosh II?
answers: text: Motorola

question: What powered the Macintosh II?
answers: text: a 16 MHz Motorola 68020 processor

question: How much did the Macintosh II sell for?
answers: text: $5500

question: What marked the start of a new direction for Macintosh?
answers: text: The Macintosh II

question: What was the Macintosh II's new modular design similar to?
answers: text: the IBM PC

question: Whose technology did Apple take advantage of when introducing the Macintosh I?

question: What powered the Macintosh I?

question: How much did the Macintosh I sell for?

question: What marked the end of a new direction for Macintosh

question: What was the Macintosh I's new modular design similar to?
context: Updated Motorola CPUs made a faster machine possible, and in 1987 Apple took advantage of the new Motorola technology and introduced the Macintosh II at $5500, powered by a 16 MHz Motorola 68020 processor. The primary improvement in the Macintosh II was Color QuickDraw in ROM, a color version of the graphics language which was the heart of the machine. Among the many innovations in Color QuickDraw were the ability to handle any display size, any color depth, and multiple monitors. The Macintosh II marked the start of a new direction for the Macintosh, as now for the first time it had an open architecture with several NuBus expansion slots, support for color graphics and external monitors, and a modular design similar to that of the IBM PC. It had an internal hard drive and a power supply with a fan, which was initially fairly loud. One third-party developer sold a device to regulate fan speed based on a heat sensor, but it voided the warranty. Later Macintosh computers had quieter power supplies and hard drives.

qas: question: When Microsfot Windows 3.0 was released, what was it commonly said to not be as good as?
answers: text: Macintosh

question: Who was Microsoft Windows 3.0 commonly said to be good enough for?
answers: text: the average user

question: What was responsible for the drop in Apple's margins in 1989?
answers: text: a component shortage

question: Who made the decision in 1989 to cut prices on Mac computers?
answers: text: Apple USA head Allan Loren

question: What was Microsoft Windows 3.0's performance comparable to?
answers: text: Macintosh platform

question: When Microsoft Windows 4.0 was released, what was it commonly said to not be as good as?

question: Who was Microsoft Windows 4.0 commonly said to be good enough for?

question: What was responsible for the drop in Apple's margins in 1998?

question: Who made the decision in 1998 to cut prices on Mac computers?

question: What was Microsoft Windows 3.1's performance comparable to?
context: Microsoft Windows 3.0 was released in May 1990, and according to a common saying at the time "Windows was not as good as Macintosh, but it was good enough for the average user". Though still a graphical wrapper that relied upon MS-DOS, 3.0 was the first iteration of Windows which had a feature set and performance comparable to the much more expensive Macintosh platform. It also did not help matters that during the previous year Jean-Louis Gassée had steadfastly refused to lower the profit margins on Mac computers. Finally, there was a component shortage that rocked the exponentially-expanding PC industry in 1989, forcing Apple USA head Allan Loren to cut prices which dropped Apple's margins.

qas: question: What did Intel unsuccessfully try to push Apple to migrate to?
answers: text: Intel chips

question: Which platform did Apple choose to use?
answers: text: Motorola 68040

question: Who first rolled out Pentium processors in 1993?
answers: text: Intel

question: How far behind was Macintosh set back compared to the new IBM compatibles?
answers: text: a generation

question: When did Apple abandon Motorola CPU's?
answers: text: 1994

question: What did Intel successfully try to push Apple to migrate to?

question: Which platform did Apple choose not to use?

question: Who first rolled out Pentium processors in 1992?

question: How far behind was Microsoft set back compared to the new IBM compatibles?

question: When did Apple abandon AMD CPU's?
context: Intel had tried unsuccessfully to push Apple to migrate the Macintosh platform to Intel chips. Apple concluded that Intel's CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computer) architecture ultimately would not be able to compete against RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) processors. While the Motorola 68040 offered the same features as the Intel 80486 and could on a clock-for-clock basis significantly outperform the Intel chip, the 486 had the ability to be clocked significantly faster without suffering from overheating problems, especially the clock-doubled i486DX2 which ran the CPU logic at twice the external bus speed, giving such equipped IBM compatible systems a significant performance lead over their Macintosh equivalents. Apple's product design and engineering didn't help matters as they restricted the use of the '040 to their expensive Quadras for a time while the 486 was readily available to OEMs as well as enthusiasts who put together their own machines. In late 1991, as the higher-end Macintosh desktop lineup transitioned to the '040, Apple was unable to offer the '040 in their top-of-the-line PowerBooks until early 1994 with the PowerBook 500 series, several years after the first 486-powered IBM compatible laptops hit the market which cost Apple considerable sales. In 1993 Intel rolled out the Pentium processors as the successor to the 486, while the Motorola 68050 was never released, leaving the Macintosh platform a generation behind IBM compatibles in the latest CPU technology. In 1994, Apple abandoned Motorola CPUs for the RISC PowerPC architecture developed by the AIM alliance of Apple Computer, IBM, and Motorola. The Power Macintosh line, the first to use the new chips, proved to be highly successful, with over a million PowerPC units sold in nine months. However, in the long run, spurning Intel for the PowerPC was a mistake as the commoditization of Intel-architecture chips meant Apple couldn't compete on price against "the Dells of the world".

qas: question: What color was Apples new iMac, which was introduced in 1998?
answers: text: Bondi blue

question: What did the iMac replace most of Apple's standard connections with?
answers: text: two USB ports

question: What did the iMac replace the floppy disk drive with?
answers: text: a CD-ROM drive

question: What did the iMac need to use in order to write CDs or other media?
answers: text: external third-party hardware

question: How many iMac units sold in the first 139 days?
answers: text: 800,000

question: What color was Apples new iMac, which was introduced in 1999?

question: What did the iMac replace most of Microsoft's standard connections with?

question: What did the iMac replace the hard disk drive with?

question: What did the iMac need to use in order to read CDs or other media?

question: How many iMac units sold in the first 193 days?
context: In 1998, Apple introduced its new iMac which, like the original 128K Mac, was an all-in-one computer. Its translucent plastic case, originally Bondi blue and later various additional colors, is considered an industrial design landmark of the late 1990s. The iMac did away with most of Apple's standard (and usually proprietary) connections, such as SCSI and ADB, in favor of two USB ports. It replaced a floppy disk drive with a CD-ROM drive for installing software, but was incapable of writing to CDs or other media without external third-party hardware. The iMac proved to be phenomenally successful, with 800,000 units sold in 139 days. It made the company an annual profit of US$309 million, Apple's first profitable year since Michael Spindler took over as CEO in 1995. This aesthetic was applied to the Power Macintosh and later the iBook, Apple's first consumer-level laptop computer, filling the missing quadrant of Apple's "four-square product matrix" (desktop and portable products for both consumers and professionals). More than 140,000 pre-orders were placed before it started shipping in September, and by October proved to be a large success.

qas: question: When did Apple discontinue the use of PowerPC microprocessors?
answers: text: 2006

question: Who announced the capability to run Windows XP on an Intel-based Mac in 2006?
answers: text: a group of hackers

question: How did hackers release their software for running Windows on Macs?
answers: text: for download on their website

question: When did Apple announce software that would allow Windows XP to be run on Intel-based Macs?
answers: text: April 5, 2006

question: What is the name of the software that Apple introduced for running Windows XP?
answers: text: Boot Camp

question: When did Microsoft discontinue the use of PowerPC microprocessors?

question: Who announced the capability to run Windows XP on an Intel-based Mac in 2007?

question: How did hackers release their software for running MacOS on Macs?

question: When did Apple announce software that would allow Windows Vista to be run on Intel-based Macs?

question: What is the name of the software that Apple introduced for running Windows 98?
context: Apple discontinued the use of PowerPC microprocessors in 2006. At WWDC 2005, Steve Jobs announced this transition, revealing that Mac OS X was always developed to run on both the Intel and PowerPC architectures. All new Macs now use x86 processors made by Intel, and some were renamed as a result. Intel-based Macs running OS X 10.6 and below (support has been discontinued since 10.7) can run pre-existing software developed for PowerPC using an emulator called Rosetta, although at noticeably slower speeds than native programs. However, the Classic environment is unavailable on the Intel architecture. Intel chips introduced the potential to run the Microsoft Windows operating system natively on Apple hardware, without emulation software such as Virtual PC. In March 2006, a group of hackers announced that they were able to run Windows XP on an Intel-based Mac. The group released their software as open source and has posted it for download on their website. On April 5, 2006, Apple announced the availability of the public beta of Boot Camp, software that allows owners of Intel-based Macs to install Windows XP on their machines; later versions added support for Windows Vista and Windows 7. Classic was discontinued in Mac OS X 10.5, and Boot Camp became a standard feature on Intel-based Macs.

qas: question: Who was initially reluctant to embrace mice with multiple buttons and scroll wheels?
answers: text: Apple

question: What was the name of the 1st multiple button mouse introduced by Apple?
answers: text: Mighty Mouse

question: How many buttons did the Mighty Mouse have?
answers: text: four

question: What did Apple introduce to take the place of a physical scroll wheel in 2009?
answers: text: multi-touch gesture recognition

question: What Apple mouse 1st used multi-touch gesture recognition?
answers: text: Magic Mouse

question: Who was initially reluctant to embrace keyboards with multiple buttons and scroll wheels?

question: What was the name of the last multiple button mouse introduced by Apple?

question: How many trackballs did the Mighty Mouse have?

question: What did Apple introduce to take the place of a physical scroll wheel in 2008?

question: What Apple mouse 1st used single-touch gesture recognition?
context: Apple was initially reluctant to embrace mice with multiple buttons and scroll wheels. Macs did not natively support pointing devices that featured multiple buttons, even from third parties, until Mac OS X arrived in 2001. Apple continued to offer only single button mice, in both wired and Bluetooth wireless versions, until August 2005, when it introduced the Mighty Mouse. While it looked like a traditional one-button mouse, it actually had four buttons and a scroll ball, capable of independent x- and y-axis movement. A Bluetooth version followed in July 2006. In October 2009, Apple introduced the Magic Mouse, which uses multi-touch gesture recognition (similar to that of the iPhone) instead of a physical scroll wheel or ball. It is available only in a wireless configuration, but the wired Mighty Mouse (re-branded as "Apple Mouse") is still available as an alternative. Since 2010, Apple has also offered the Magic Trackpad as a means to control Macintosh desktop computers in a way similar to laptops.

qas: question: What type of software began to emerge following the release of Intel-based Macs?
answers: text: third-party platform virtualization

question: At what speed do programs such as VirtualBox allow Microsoft Windows to run on Macs?
answers: text: at near native speed

question: What is possible to run by using Boot camp, even though it is not condoned by Apple?
answers: text: the Linux operating system

question: What do Macs lack that makes them unable to run many legacy PC operating systems?
answers: text: the A20 gate

question: What type of hardware began to emerge following the release of Intel-based Macs?

question: At what speed do programs such as VirtualBox allow Microsoft DOS to run on Macs?

question: What is possible to run by using Boot camp, even though it is not condoned by Microsoft?

question: What do Macs lack that makes them able to run many legacy PC operating systems?

question: What do Macs have that makes them unable to run many legacy PC operating systems?
context: Following the release of Intel-based Macs, third-party platform virtualization software such as Parallels Desktop, VMware Fusion, and VirtualBox began to emerge. These programs allow users to run Microsoft Windows or previously Windows-only software on Macs at near native speed. Apple also released Boot Camp and Mac-specific Windows drivers that help users to install Windows XP or Vista and natively dual boot between Mac OS X and Windows. Though not condoned by Apple, it is possible to run the Linux operating system using Boot camp or other virtualization workarounds. Unlike most PCs, however, Macs are unable to run many legacy PC operating systems. In particular, Intel-based macs lack the A20 gate.

qas: question: What has been the best-selling ultra-portable over Windows Ultrabooks in the U.S.?
answers: text: MacBook Air

question: What earned the title as best all-around subnotebook/ultraportable?
answers: text: MacBook Air

question: What did the Air receive before other PC manufacturers?
answers: text: Intel's latest CPUs

question: Through 7/1/13, what percentage of all Ultrabook sales in the U.S. were MacBook Airs?
answers: text: 56

question: When was the competetive pricing of MacBooks especially effective?
answers: text: when rivals charged more for seemingly equivalent Ultrabooks

question: What has been the best-selling ultra-portable over Windows Ultrabooks in the U.K.?

question: What earned the title as worst all-around subnotebook/ultraportable?

question: What did the Air receive before other Mac manufacturers?

question: Through 7/1/14, what percentage of all Ultrabook sales in the U.S. were MacBook Airs?

question: When was the competetive pricing of MacBooks especially ineffective?
context: Although the PC market declined, Apple still managed to ship 2.8 million MacBooks in Q2 2012 (the majority of which are the MacBook Air) compared to 500,000 total Ultrabooks, although there were dozens of Ultrabooks from various manufacturers on the market while Apple only offered 11-inch and 13-inch models of the MacBook Air. The Air has been the best-selling ultra-portable in certain countries over Windows Ultrabooks, particularly the United States. While several Ultrabooks were able to claim individual distinctions such as being the lightest or thinnest, the Air was regarded by reviewers as the best all-around subnotebook/ultraportable in regard to "OS X experience, full keyboard, superior trackpad, Thunderbolt connector and the higher-quality, all-aluminum unibody construction". The Air was among the first to receive Intel's latest CPUs before other PC manufacturers, and OS X has gained market share on Windows in recent years. Through July 1, 2013, the MacBook Air took in 56 percent of all Ultrabook sales in the United States, although being one of the higher-priced competitors, though several Ultrabooks with better features were often more expensive than the MacBook Air. The competitive pricing of MacBooks was particularly effective when rivals charged more for seemingly equivalent Ultrabooks, as this contradicted the established "elitist aura" perception that Apple products cost more but were higher quality, which made these most expensive Ultrabooks seem exorbitant no matter how valid their higher prices were.