Apple introduced the Macintosh in January 1984 with a television advertisement directed by Ridley Scott and a graphical user interface that made computing accessible to non-specialists. The Mac's WYSIWYG word processing and desktop publishing tools gave writers, poets, and small presses unprecedented control over the design and production of their work. It helped democratise professional-quality typesetting and literary publishing.

The introduction of the Apple Macintosh in 1984 made digital writing intuitive, significantly boosting creative output for poets. This innovation allowed writers like David Foster Wallace to experiment with new forms and styles, reshaping contemporary literature.