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| Macintosh "System 1" | |
|---|---|
| Version of theclassic Mac OS operating system | |
 The original "System 1" desktop | |
| Developer | Apple Computer |
| OS family | Macintosh |
| Source model | Closed source |
| Released to manufacturing | January 24, 1984; 42 years ago (1984-01-24) |
| Latest release | 1.1 / December 29, 1984; 41 years ago (1984-12-29) |
| Kernel type | Monolithic |
| License | Proprietary |
| Succeeded by | System 2 |
| Support status | |
| Architectural, unsupported | |
TheMacintosh "System 1" is the first major release of theclassic Mac OSoperating system. It was developed for theMotorola 68000microprocessor. System 1 was released on January 24, 1984, along with theMacintosh 128K, the first in theMacintosh family ofpersonal computers. It received one update, "System 1.1" on December 29, 1984, before being succeeded bySystem 2.[1]
This operating system introduced many features that would appear for years to come, some that still exist in the currentmacOS, and a few that exist in other graphical operating systems such asMicrosoft Windows.
The features of the operating system included theFinder and menu bar. In addition to this, it popularized thegraphical user interface anddesktop metaphor, which was used under license fromXerox PARC.
Due to the limited amount ofrandom-access memory and the lack of an internalhard disk in the original Macintosh, there was no multitasking with multiple applications, although there weredesktop accessories that could run while another application was loaded. Also, items in the Trash were permanently deleted when the computer was shut down or an application was loaded (quitting the Finder).
System 1's total size is about 216 KB. It comprised six files: System (which includes the desk accessories), Finder, Clipboard, anImagewriter printer driver, Scrapbook, and Note Pad.[2] A separate diskette included "A Guided Tour of Macintosh", which contains tutorial demonstrations of the Macintosh system, running on a modified pre-release version of Finder 1.0, as well as training programs for learning to use the mouse, and the Finder. Also included was a 33-minute audio cassette designed to run alongside the demonstrations, emphasising the disk's purpose as a guided tour.[3]
Themenu bar was a new and revolutionary part of the OS.[citation needed] Similar to the one found onLisa OS, the System 1 Finder had five menus: theApple menu, File, Edit, View, and Special. When in an application, the menus would change to ones defined by the application, but most software retained at least the File and Edit menus.[4]
While within theFinder, the Apple menu contained the "About the Finder" information, along with thedesktop accessories. "File" menu items included Open, Eject, and Close. "Edit" had entries forcutting, copying, and pasting. "Special" was used for managing the hardware and other system functions, and was always the rightmost entry on the menu bar in the Finder. In System 1, the menu had items related to emptying theTrash, cleaning up the desktop, and disk options. By System 1.1, the menu allowed the user to choose an alternate startup program to be run instead of the Finder at boot time; the feature was replaced inSystem 7 by the "Startup Items" folder in theSystem Folder.[citation needed]
System 1 came with multipledesk accessories (DAs). These included an Alarm Clock, Calculator, Control Panel, Key Caps, Note Pad, Puzzle, and Scrapbook. One difference between desktop accessories and applications is that multiple desktop accessories could be run at once but only one application could run at a time. Desk accessories could also run on top of an application.
| Preceded by | System 1 1984 | Succeeded by |
