The Macintosh 128K, introduced by Apple Computer in 1984, featured the earliest version of the Mac OS, which included a desktop calculator application reportedly designed by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Chris Espinosa, who became Apple’s eighth employee at just 14 years old after meeting Jobs, played a pivotal role in the development of this iconic application. Espinosa, known as the longest-serving employee at Apple, had initially joined the company after dropping out of the University of California, Berkeley, at Jobs’s urging.
In his early days at Apple, Espinosa worked as the Macintosh documentation manager, where he developed documentation for QuickDraw, the Mac OS drawing API. In a moment of inspiration, he created a prototype for a calculator app, which he excitedly presented to Jobs. However, Jobs was not impressed, highlighting several design flaws, including the background color, line thickness, and button size. After receiving these critiques, Espinosa was determined to improve the design and repeatedly showed the calculator to Jobs for feedback.
Frustrated by the process, Espinosa developed a tool called ‘the Steve Jobs Roll Your Own Calculator Construction Set.’ This innovative program allowed users to customize graphic attributes such as line thickness, button size, and background patterns. When Jobs reviewed this new tool, he immediately engaged with it, making adjustments for about ten minutes before arriving at a design he favored.
Ultimately, the finalized calculator design was incorporated into System 1.0 and remained a staple of Mac OS all the way until the cessation of Mac OS 9 development in 2001. This story not only highlights the collaborative nature of innovation at Apple but also exemplifies the high standards set by Steve Jobs, which drove the company’s commitment to quality and user experience in its early software offerings.