Macintosh computer creator Raskin dead at 61

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) _ The man behind the Mac is dead. Jef Raskin, who conceived Apple Computer's groundbreaking Macintosh but left the company before it came out, was 61. <br/><br/>His family says

Monday, February 28th 2005, 10:46 am

By: News On 6

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) _ The man behind the Mac is dead. Jef Raskin, who conceived Apple Computer's groundbreaking Macintosh but left the company before it came out, was 61.

His family says Raskin died Saturday night at his home in Pacifica, California. In December, he told friends he had pancreatic cancer.

Raskin joined Apple in 1978. A year later he had an idea -- a computer that's priced affordably, targeted at consumers and extremely easy to use. His concept would eventually become the Macintosh.

Raskin led the project until 1981, when he had a falling out with Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. He left the company the following year. Another project member says there wouldn't be a Mac without Raskin.

Despite its revolutionary nature, the Mac unveiled in 1984 carried an almost unaffordable pricetag of nearly $2,500. But the concepts quickly penetrated the entire industry.