Steve Jobs put a Lisa mouse in a time capsule that vanished until 2013
In 1983, Steve Jobs placed the mouse from Apple's new Lisa computer into a time capsule buried in Aspen, Colorado, after speaking at a design conference. The capsule, intended to be opened in 2000, was lost due to site changes and only rediscovered in 2013 by a National Geographic crew. The Lisa computer was significant for being one of the first commercially available computers with a mouse and graphical interface.
Why it matters
This story offers a fascinating historical anecdote about a tech visionary and a pivotal moment in personal computing history. It highlights the early days of Apple's innovation and the evolution of user interfaces, underscoring the long-term impact of design choices.
In 1983, Steve Jobs left behind an unusual piece of Apple history in Aspen, Colorado. After speaking at the International Design Conference, he put the mouse he had used with Apple’s new Lisa computer into a large time capsule being buried on the Aspen Institute grounds. The capsule was meant to be opened in 2000, but the plan went wrong. Changes to the surrounding site meant that its exact position was eventually lost. For years, the tube remained underground without anyone knowing precisely where to dig. Three decades after it was buried, a National Geographic television crew working with people connected to the original project finally located it.
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