Editing Openai/69652b3b-6060-8012-b9d6-d53b92886725 (section)

== gpt-5-2-thinking ==
=== User: there was an alarm desk accessory on the original macintosh in 1984. ===
there was an alarm desk accessory on the original macintosh in 1984. it had a nice mailbox flag affordance. when the flag is up, the contents of the DA are hidden, flip it down to reveal what was hidden. can you find me a writeup of this or screen shot. it might have been a different desk accessory or a different year.

=== Assistant: !https://static1\.howtogeekimages\.com/wordpress/wp\-content/uploads/2021/06/mac\1\desktop\accessories\2\.jpghttps://ts… ===
!https://static1\.howtogeekimages\.com/wordpress/wp\-content/uploads/2021/06/mac\_1\_desktop\_accessories\_2\.jpg<ref>{{cite web|title=https://static1\.howtogeekimages\.com/wordpress/wp\-content/uploads/2021/06/mac\_1\_desktop\_accessories\_2\.jpg|url=https://tse3.mm.bing.net/th/id/OIP.HWjzLLzo6dypV9QGDxqkKwHaEj?w=474&h=474&c=7&p=0|publisher=tse3.mm.bing.net|access-date=2026-01-13}}</ref>

What you’re remembering is almost certainly the Alarm Clock desk accessory from the early Mac System Software (System 1 era and later). A small “lever/flag” control would toggle the window between a compact view (just time) and an expanded view that revealed the date/time/alarm-setting controls—very much like a mailbox-flag affordance.

Sources with the interaction described:
* Washington Apple Pi Journal (April 1984) describes the Alarm Clock DA and explicitly calls out the “lever” that opens the “Change” portion of the window (“Pointing to the lever and clicking…” reveals additional areas). APPLE2.ORG.ZA - Mirrors<ref>{{cite web|title=APPLE2.ORG.ZA - Mirrors|url=https://mirrors.apple2.org.za/ftp.apple.asimov.net/documentation/magazines/washington_apple_journal/washingtonapplepijournal198404.pdf|publisher=APPLE2.ORG.ZA - Mirrors|access-date=2026-01-13}}</ref>
* Huntsville Macintosh Users Group handbook glossary defines the “lever” as the little arm in the Alarm Clock DA that, when clicked, makes additional panels appear for setting time/date/alarm. hmug.org<ref>{{cite web|title=hmug.org|url=https://www.hmug.org/Docs/HMUG_Handbook-2_92wd4.html|publisher=hmug.org|access-date=2026-01-13}}</ref>
* Low End Mac has a System 1 desk accessories writeup (including Alarm Clock) and includes a screenshot of the DA. Low End Mac<ref>{{cite web|title=Low End Mac|url=https://lowendmac.com/2005/innovative-macintosh-system-1-0/|publisher=Low End Mac|access-date=2026-01-13}}</ref>