Graphic design was transformed by Steve Jobs/Apple. We owe him a huge debt. In 1989 Postscript allowed desktop computers and printers to accurately render colors, designs, images, and most importantly, typography. This innovation led to a paradigm shift in the creation of marketing materials, videos, and interactive media.
My first professional setup was a Mac IIcx, an Apple Laserwriter, a Radius 19 inch monitor that weighed about 200 lbs., a 14.4 mbps modem. I paid $25,000 which included a service contract an a few other bells and whistles—and I was happy to pay it. We transmitted our ads and page layouts to a service bureau in New Jersey by dedicated modem, and received monochromatic Linotronic output pages the next day by messenger. It reduced our typesetting costs by 10 fold overnight.