On January 22, 1984, Apple placed an ad during the Super Bowl (yes, the Super Bowl used to be in January) that recreated a scene from George Orwell's book 1984. That got our attention. It was an ad for their new computer called a Macintosh, which was made available two days afterward. It took users by surprise by offering a usability experience that we all take for granted forty years later.
I got my first used Mac a couple of years later. My family already had a Commodore 64 and an Apple II, and they were a lot of hassle for a little fun. The Mac's screen was small, and there were no colors. Besides, it was awfully expensive for a used computer. But once the guy who was selling it showed me how to use it in about 30 seconds, there was no turning back. You had to be there to understand what a game changer the Macintosh was for users. Read what the Macintosh did to home computing, to mark its 40th anniversary, at Smithsonian.
(Image credit: Mark Mathosian)
If Steve Jobs were still around, my ending would have been much happier than it is. He'd have fired everyone involved in this debacle AND given me a new computer.