4.1. STEVE JOBS' 1984 INTRODUCTION OF MACINTOSH

Before the meek but iconoclastic hipsters in your neighborhood began wearing bowties, Steve Jobs was donning them with confidence. In an age when bowties were in enough to be out, rather than so out that they were in, this was definitely a bold move.

Jobs pulled a Mac out of a sack as if he were a magician—a moment of levity and showmanship that basically guaranteed that his once-yearly public addresses would be count-on-it stock boosts for years to come. And it has nearly been so. Add the Chariots of Fire theme song and you'll find yourself wanting to buy a new Mac based on a solid presentation given decades ago by the preeminent presentation god of the modern age. Jobs continues to show the importance of tension and release, buildup and discovery—and yes, hype—every year since.