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But Jobs had more than one job, as it were. While Disney computers were becoming best known for their high-end graphics and sound users, Jim Henson and Steve Jobs were growingly increasingly interested in a much humbler audience: kids. Specifically, Henson wanted to produce a small, cheap, simple windowing-GUI-based system that “even a 4-year-old can figure out.” Much as he had with Sesame Street, Henson wanted to give the underprivileged children a fighting chance at education, this time computer literacy, and thus he and Jobs brainstormed a new closed system with big, colorful, and soft keys, an extremely simple and intuitive mouse-and-GUI system, and a colorful, non-threatening appearance. Furthermore, it would be dirt cheap, with bulk discounts for educators and some charity discounts or giveaways such that “every elementary school in the world” should be able to afford a lab of a couple dozen computers. Jim quickly sketched out a small, dome-shaped computer with Mickey Mouse ears on the monitor. Jobs took it to the Imagine, Inc., team, and they set to work.
The idea grew into “Project Mickey”, an idea that was quickly blessed by both Consumer Products VP Bo Boyd and Marketing VP Jack Lindquist due to the positive branding and potential profits that came with it. The Imagine, Inc., team soon developed the Magical Integrated Computer Kernels for the Education of Youth (MICKEY) system, a fully integrated computer system with mouse ears on the monitor and the mouse alike, and the red, yellow, white, and black color pallet of the eponymous mouse. It had limited expansion capability and only a relative handful of software applications (the games were universally educational), but the primary goal was to teach basic computer literacy to the very young. Introduced at the 1988 Disney EXPO, schools across North America bought the system, as did some schools in South America, Europe, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea. Nintendo even began license-builds of MICKEY for the Asian market. Private sales were noteworthy as well, with an entire secondary market emerging for “used MICKEYs”. [6]
I already can picture some backlash from groups accusing Disney of getting kids addicted to the internet from increasingly younger ages, sadly.
 

[1] Estridge and his wife were killed in our timeline on August 2nd, 1985, after their flight crashed on takeoff following a rare wind sheer event. Even the tiniest of literal butterfly flaps can change this, so as such he and his wife are still alive in this timeline.
A correction or two needs to be made to this footnote, @Geekhis Khan. First, the flight (Delta Flight 191, here's a link to the Wikipedia page for more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_Air_Lines_Flight_191) they were on was landing at Dallas-Fort Worth (it was bound for a final destination of Los Angeles IOTL--among the dead were Estridge and his wife, four IBM employees, four summer interns, and six family members of IBM employees; 73 of the dead were from South Florida) Airport and, second, it was due to a microburst (which is a wind shear (not sheer) event, to be fair). IMO, without Delta 191, some crash involving a microburst was bound to happen (the crash caused reforms in the way wind shear and microbursts were handled--plus, the trial had the first use of computer graphics as evidence in federal court)...

Good update, though, and glad to see Estridge live ITTL...
 
Some very interesting changes to the computer timeline there. MICKEY especially- which seems similar to the BBC Micro we had in the UK, just slightly less programmable.

Wonder if Elite plays on the MICKEY?
 
the colourful keyboard reminded me of this:
640px-Enterprise128_01_%28edited%29.jpg
 
I already can picture some backlash from groups accusing Disney of getting kids addicted to the internet from increasingly younger ages, sadly.
Needless to say.

A correction or two needs to be made to this footnote, @Geekhis Khan. First, the flight (Delta Flight 191, here's a link to the Wikipedia page for more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_Air_Lines_Flight_191) they were on was landing at Dallas-Fort Worth (it was bound for a final destination of Los Angeles IOTL--among the dead were Estridge and his wife, four IBM employees, four summer interns, and six family members of IBM employees; 73 of the dead were from South Florida) Airport and, second, it was due to a microburst (which is a wind shear (not sheer) event, to be fair). IMO, without Delta 191, some crash involving a microburst was bound to happen (the crash caused reforms in the way wind shear and microbursts were handled--plus, the trial had the first use of computer graphics as evidence in federal court)...

Good update, though, and glad to see Estridge live ITTL...
Fixed, thanks! I need to stop relying on my memory when I write these things.

Some very interesting changes to the computer timeline there. MICKEY especially- which seems similar to the BBC Micro we had in the UK, just slightly less programmable.

Wonder if Elite plays on the MICKEY?
You'd have to ask @Kalvan if it would be compatible...not my specialty. Probably wouldn't port it unless it counts as "educational".

a OS called GOOF (graphical object oriented filesystem) ;)
Consider that stolen.

Where's footnote 5 in your latest update supposed to be located, @Geekhis Khan?
You have two [3]s and no [5].
Fixed. Had to make a lot of consolidations and the numbering got Goofed up. 👍
 
I already can picture some backlash from groups accusing Disney of getting kids addicted to the internet from increasingly younger ages, sadly.
I don't, the Internet as we know doesn't exist yet at the time MICKEY comes out and by the time it does Disney may change the way parents view the Internet.
IMO, without Delta 191, some crash involving a microburst was bound to happen (the crash caused reforms in the way wind shear and microbursts were handled--plus, the trial had the first use of computer graphics as evidence in federal court)...
If we're lucky this could happen to a cargo plane, that way we minimize the number of deaths and still learn of about the effects of microbursts on planes.
Some very interesting changes to the computer timeline there. MICKEY especially- which seems similar to the BBC Micro we had in the UK, just slightly less programmable.

Wonder if Elite plays on the MICKEY?
I really love the existence of MICKEY and I think that this could be the butterfly that alters my life. I would be about 5/6 years old when it comes out and still young enough for any school I'm at to have classes to learn to use it (I hope).
 
This Tech Grrl idea/movement really sounds like the stuff we will see a movie about in the late 90's/00's...
Unlikely, unless you can think of an OTL example. Despite Disney putting the effort in to avoid discriminating against worthy talent, the tech industry especially is a 'boys club', even through to today, possibly even more than the entertainment industry (which is saying something).
Fujitsu-Tandy-Hitachi
FTH could be a real contender if this partnership keeps up, potentially dominating the Pacific market even if IBM remains top dog everywhere else.
I assume Virgin/Atari are still making PCs with that bold red stripe like their consoles (assuming I'm remembering those old posts correctly)?

Consider that stolen.
Gives a new definition to TTL's "GOOF troop".
I hope the mouse ears on MICKEY machines are detachable/replaceable given the quality of plastics back then. I suppose it likely the first run MICKEY machines would have had a problem with the ears breaking off during shipping (or being broken off by end users, they are kids after all, it's why GameBoys are so legendarily tough) so potential solutions are making the ears stronger, softer/bendable, or replaceable with a sliding snap fitting. My preference if for the last one since you can replace an ear without replacing the whole face plate, plus you can sell other sorts of ears to 'personalize your own digital friend'. I bet they won't be able to keep the cat ears in stock and good luck finding a pristine pair of white rabbit ears that haven't turned yellow from sunlight exposure on the vintage collector's market these days!

You can tell a thread's steaming along when the notification system borks and I miss two whole updates!
 
You'd have to ask @Kalvan if it would be compatible...not my specialty. Probably wouldn't port it unless it counts as "educational".
considering the community you described, it certainly would get ported.
not officially, but no doubt there will also be external suppliers, plus it has been ported to so many machines, not being ported to the mickey would be surprising.
and a trade game could be considered somewhat educational
 
To quote Fenslerfilm's GI Joe PSA parodies, "I don't know much about computers, other than, other than the one we got at my house, and my mom put a couple of games on there and I play 'em." But this was an interesting thread! Maybe MICKEYs can have a games bundle pack with Alter Ego, Elite, and mayhaps Zork?
 

marathag

Banned
My preference if for the last one since you can replace an ear without replacing the whole face plate, plus you can sell other sorts of ears to 'personalize your own digital friend'. I
Or like the olde Compaq, they are clip on speakers
 
I really love the existence of MICKEY and I think that this could be the butterfly that alters my life. I would be about 5/6 years old when it comes out and still young enough for any school I'm at to have classes to learn to use it (I hope).
Oh, I imagine your Elementary School Computer Lab will have several of these to teach you computer literacy. I'd be 13/14 around this time and suddenly aware of my own emerging self-righteous teenage prickdom, so I'd of course be way too grown up for something as "little kid" as a MICKEY. Sheesh. Of course once all the girls are talking about how "cute" the MICKEYs are, I might have started faking interest in them...

FTH could be a real contender if this partnership keeps up, potentially dominating the Pacific market even if IBM remains top dog everywhere else.
I assume Virgin/Atari are still making PCs with that bold red stripe like their consoles (assuming I'm remembering those old posts correctly)?
FTH FTW apparently! Even I don't yet know what Kalvan has planned for FTH.

Yes, absolutely still the Big Red Stripe. That's Critical Branding right there. Needless to say Hackers have their own fun with the Virgin BRS.

I hope the mouse ears on MICKEY machines are detachable/replaceable given the quality of plastics back then. I suppose it likely the first run MICKEY machines would have had a problem with the ears breaking off during shipping (or being broken off by end users, they are kids after all, it's why GameBoys are so legendarily tough) so potential solutions are making the ears stronger, softer/bendable, or replaceable with a sliding snap fitting. My preference if for the last one since you can replace an ear without replacing the whole face plate, plus you can sell other sorts of ears to 'personalize your own digital friend'. I bet they won't be able to keep the cat ears in stock and good luck finding a pristine pair of white rabbit ears that haven't turned yellow from sunlight exposure on the vintage collector's market these days!
They're probably made from that late '80s "unbreakable" comb plastic that would bend, but not break. Even so, Ear Damage would be an ongoing issue, and even the comb plastic could become fragile if it's in the sun for a long time, which would be likely given that desks get put next to windows. I'd say that the first round famously had "ear issues" and that they had to change the later production runs with a more forgiving plastic. As to detachability, they'd have to be detachable for shipping anyway (otherwise they'd take up too much space). A whole aftermarket for mod kits could be a thing.

considering the community you described, it certainly would get ported.
not officially, but no doubt there will also be external suppliers, plus it has been ported to so many machines, not being ported to the mickey would be surprising.
and a trade game could be considered somewhat educational
I imagined there might not be an official port, but as to hack, oh yea, totally. The RATZ will RAT HACK anything. I expect all kinds of underground mods. I expect Leisure Suit Larry and Strip Poker and all kinds of utterly inappropriate RAT HACKS just because someone can.
 
Unlikely, unless you can think of an OTL example. Despite Disney putting the effort in to avoid discriminating against worthy talent, the tech industry especially is a 'boys club', even through to today, possibly even more than the entertainment industry (which is saying something).
Ogrebear was pitching an idea about a movie that centers around a Tech Grrl, which is actually something that Jim Henson would do for Disney, no questions asked, since he has his daughter Heather and her friend Jeri as inspiration for a movie like this. A film where a woman discovers her knack for computers and decides to go to take a STEM major at her college only to face severe bullying and derision from her male peers and professors, only to overcome those odds with the help from her own talents and her friends.

Wait...is this like Legally Blonde but for STEM???

A film like this in the 90s or early 2000s would've been mindblowing for female audiences and a source of empowerment sorely needed for a field like STEM.
We should totally make this happen!

Very interested to see where the next generation of computers will go for the 1990s and the 2000s but the World Wide Net would definitely change the entire landscape, that's for sure. However, with Disney's push for computer literacy through the MICKEY computer is certainly admirable and could lead to a generation already used to computers and the net, which would change a bit about 90s culture just slightly (ok maybe a lot....).

Imagine a 90s Net tutorial video where they show a MICKEY 2.0. Maybe Disney would've produced one ITTL with Mickey, Kermit, or Waldo C. Graphic.
 
considering the community you described, it certainly would get ported.
not officially, but no doubt there will also be external suppliers, plus it has been ported to so many machines, not being ported to the mickey would be surprising.
and a trade game could be considered somewhat educational
Considering MICKEY is intended younger kid to learn how to use computers and computer language I doubt it'll officially support Elite.
Or it could happen to a more crowded plane ITTL...
I was trying to kill the least number of people as possible, you monster:p.
Maybe MICKEYs can have a games bundle pack with Alter Ego, Elite, and mayhaps Zork?
Why does every one want a computer made for kids 8 or younger to support games intended for kid 12 or older.
Is Barney the dinosaur still a thing ITTL?
Maybe Jim Henson proves one does not need to be overly simplistic when edutaining preschoolers and kindergarteners. This might also butterfly away the Teletubbies too.
 
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