"Experience Macs from the 1980s" Exhibition Report

Media Library will be opening on Wednesday, October 22nd.1980 1980 We held the "Touching the Mac of the 2000s" exhibition. Approximately 40 students and faculty members participated in the exhibition's events, and many more visited the public exhibition after the events, getting hands-on experience with the Macintosh Plus.
Thank you very much to everyone who came to visit. The Macintosh Plus on display in the library was donated by the retired Professor Toshio Yamamoto, who wished for it to be used to aid in students' learning.
Media Library has been working to restore this device and pass it on as educational material.

Professor Toshio Yamamoto (at the time of his final lecture)

This exhibition was conducted in two parts: one where students could directly experience the restored Macintosh Plus, and another where faculty members who used Macintosh computers in the past interacted with younger faculty members and students who were encountering the actual machines for the first time.
With the cooperation of Specially Assigned Professor Makoto OKAMOTO and Specially Assigned Professor Toshio KAWASHIMA, we projected a video documenting the disassembly, startup, and operation of a Macintosh Plus, and then attempted to start up the Macintosh Plus.
After several failed attempts, including repeatedly inserting and removing the floppy disk, the computer finally started up successfully. Everyone present listened attentively to the startup sound and watched as the screen came on. After booting up, the students, though initially bewildered by the unfamiliar mouse and keyboard, began using the paint tool, taking photos and videos while chatting with each other.

In the dialogue section,1980 1980 We held a discussion between Professor Makoto Okamoto, Specially Assigned Professor, who used Macintosh computers for work during his twenties, and Associate Professor Keisuke Shimakage, who is unfamiliar with the early Macintosh models.
Various anecdotes were shared about the historical context and social atmosphere surrounding the Macintosh Plus, changes in the workplace, the state of other personal computers at the time, and the daily life of carrying a Macintosh around as a work companion.
The teachers who attended shared their memories related to Macintosh computers one after another, and the venue was lively and exciting from start to finish.

After the event, Haruki Tanaka, a second-year master's student, acted as an instructor, allowing many people to experience the Macintosh Plus. Attendees continued to come and go until the very end, enjoying the operation, and some students even commented that they hoped this would continue as a class activity.

From the students,
"I was moved to be able to touch something I had only ever seen on television."
"It's more similar to my current PC than I expected."
In addition to comments such as "It's retro, but it feels futuristic,"
Many comments expressed surprise and delight at the small screen, unique UI, startup sound, and the feel of the keyboard and mouse. There were also comments that it was a "barrier-free event, typical of Future University," and that dialogues transcending generations and positions naturally occurred.

From planning to on-the-day operation, Associate Professor Tomoki Hirano and Associate Professor Keisuke Shimakage provided invaluable support in many areas, and the exhibition was made possible thanks to the support of many people, including students from both laboratories. Furthermore, the comments we received from visitors were all fascinating and will serve as valuable references for future projects, making this an incredibly meaningful exhibition beyond our expectations. Once again, we express our sincere gratitude for everyone's support and cooperation.

This exhibition is an attempt to reconsider the relationship between humans and computers through the legacy of information technology, and is part of the "Archiving Project for Videos of Historically Valuable Computer Operations." The project focuses not only on technology and performance, but also on documenting the changes and impacts that computers have brought to people, their lives, and society. Media Library will continue to explore ways of archiving to pass on materials as "living knowledge," while also creating spaces that foster learning through experience.

Media Library

"Experience Macs from the 1980s" Exhibition: Event Report

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