BOOKS:: Defying Gravity
In October of 1990, John Sculley, CEO, led the press on a tour of the Macintosh factory in Fremont, California while intorcing the first low-cost Macs, including the Macintosh Classic and LC. Consumers and Wall Street analysts were pleased that Apple finally answered their call for it to increase its market share by slashing prices.
Larry Kenyon joined the Newton team as a networking specialist and is working on a problem with Michael Culbert, who developed sound software for Newton.
John Sculley departs a meeting with the Newton product marketing group, led by Manager Michael Tchao, center and Product Line manager for software and tools James Joaquin, left.
"In my years working with John Scully, in all kinds of extremely stressful situations I have never seen him blow up or lose his focus on the task at hand," reflects Regis McKenna public relations executive. When a collegue mentioned Sculley's bow tie, he told him, "I wear one because I am one of the few people I know who can actually tie one," a skill he learned in prep school.
Programming engineer Sarah Clark delivers a message to the War Room. Clark often rings her newborn baby to work. She pulls the curtains over the glass walls of her office so collegues can tell when it's nap time. May 1993.
Newton programmers shoot hoops while the sun sets in Cupertino before heading back to work.
Software engineer Paul Mercer shares a jubilant moment with Capps and colleagues, from left, Greg Seitz and Michael Tibbott, after the first successful run of the software on the Newton hardware prototype. April 1992.
Michael Tchao and his marketing colleagues Nazila Alasti and Susan Schuman test Newtons prior to a CeBIT press briefing. Tchao brought ten working Alpha units. Seven are still working. March 1993.
Seniror arhitect Michael Culbert, another twentysomething member of the team, began his engineering studies early; as a child he disassembled his parents' dishwasher. Culbert joined the Newton group close to its inceptioni, when the product was still referred to as a "monster in a box."
A contestant in a new TV game show called 'Quest', arrives by ferry in San Francisco, where he will compete in a high-tech scavenger hunt by using the Newton to get his clues. April 1993.
Barry Schiffman, senior director for telecommunications and licensing, right, discusses last-minute negotiations between Apple and its new strategic partner, Matsushita, with PIE Division chief Gaston Bastiaens prior to Bastiaens going on stage at CeBIT. March 1993.
Keith Yamashta reflects on the many new problems facing the Newton team while riding the Paris Metro on his way to help demonstrate Newton to Apple's European employees. October 1992.
Tricia Chan and Michael Tchao give each other high-fives after a successful demonstration and progress report to the press in Las Vegas. January 1993.
Lead software engineer Steve Capps takes a break from programming and lays a jaminator, the toy he invented that enables its user to play perfect solos along with rock-and-roll hits such as The Rolling Stones' "Start Me Up". May 1993.
