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Apple @45: How these Apple products changed the tech industry and more
Gadgets Now Bureau02 Apr, 2021, 02:15PM IST
Apple I: The first computer designed by Apple
Designed and built by Steve Wozniak, Apple I was launched in 1976 at $666.66. It started off Apple’s momentous journey and the next four years Apple’s revenues grew quite fast.
iPod: Changed the music ‘game’ forever
MP3 players existed before and after iPod. But none had the cool quotient of iPod. First launched in October 2001, the iPod not only was a game-changer but started the cult of Apple in many ways. The iPod sold 100 million units across the world in its first six years.
Being first doesn’t matter, getting right does
One of the most common critiques levelled at Apple is that it always gets features that have been around. FaceID, TouchID to name a few fall under that category. But no one got it right the way Apple did. The simplicity and ease of use in Apple’s products and services remain unmatched, which is why Apple may not be the ‘first’ but it is often right.
Macintosh: The start of something ‘new’ which shook Apple
In 1984, Apple launched Macintosh and it was a big deal simply because it was the first personal computer sold without any programming language. Apple made an ad for Macintosh called 1984 which is considered one of the best commercials of all time. Macintosh started off well but Steve Jobs had several run-ins with the then CEO John Sculley. Ultimately, Jobs resigned in 1985 and sometime later Wozniak also left the company.
Apple Watch: ‘End’ of swiss watchmakers dominance; the company becomes the world’s biggest watchmaker
It’s a good pub trivia question: do you know which is the biggest watchmaker in the world? As you would’ve guessed it is none other than Apple. First launched in 2015, the Apple Watch has become huge and is the most sold watch in the world. Loaded with health and fitness features, Apple with the Watch is eyeing more innovations in the health space.
Apple Stores: Retail outlets could also be cool
In 2001, Apple opened its first Store in Mclean, Virginia. An Apple Store was unlike any other retail stores and remains so. Apple Stores all over the world have become landmarks. In fact, it is said that the 5th Avenue Apple Store in New York gets more visitors than the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building.
App Store: The world has never been the same
Getting software or “applications” was a nightmare before the App Store came along. It gave developers and consumers a platform where getting apps was ridiculously simple. In typical Apple style, the company wasn’t the first to launch a marketplace for apps. But it did in style and with so much ease that App Store remains synonymous with apps.
MacBook Air: Thin became in
Before the MacBook Air came on the horizon, laptops had to be lugged around. When Steve Jobs unveiled he took it out of a Manila envelope. MacBook Air changed the design of laptops forever and continues to be a popular product in Apple’s portfolio.
iPhone: Smartphones were never the same again
In 2007, Apple introduced the first iPhone to the world. The smartphone industry since then has always been Before iPhone and After iPhone. The iPhone caught the imagination of almost everyone who wanted a smartphone. In the first 30 hours of going on sale, Apple had sold about 2.7 lakh iPhones. Since then the iPhone is one of the most recognised products in the world, has sold millions across the world and remains Apple’s flagship product.
iPad: The only tablet that was and is still cool
The iPad ushered in a new product category for Apple — tablets. The first iPad wowed the world. So much so that The Economist put Jobs on the cover in a Jesus-like illustration with the headline: The Book of Jobs — Hope, hype and Apple’s iPad. Many big companies tried to beat Apple at the tablet game but the iPad remains as strong as ever and the tablet market remains littered with corpses of failed Android tablets.
Privacy matters: For Apple and it should for users
Apple has always been at the forefront of privacy. Be it the devices or software and services, Apple has been extra cautious with user data. Other tech companies — Facebook mainly — has always been at loggerheads with Apple over it. However, Apple remains privacy-focused and CEO Tim Cook even referred to it as a ‘fundamental human right.
Macintosh 128K iMac: The first product under Jobs 2.0
In 1998, Apple introduced Macintosh 128K iMac, its first product under Jobs’ second stint at Apple. The product was also designed by Jony Ive — the ‘star’ design head who changed Apple’s design philosophy.
AirPods: By cutting the cord, Apple struck a chord
On the face of it, the AirPods are too simple. Apple had wired EarPods — the earphones that came bundled with iPhone — and it cut the cord to make AirPods. However, the AirPods started a craze that shows no end in sight. Every brand worth its salt has gotten into the true wireless space but no one has managed to beat Apple as it remains the leader by far in the market.
The ‘fanboy’ culture
Companies have had customers — and loyal ones — but no one had fanboys. Except for Apple. There’s a cult of Apple — strong as ever — and there are millions who swear by the company and its products. Other brands have their loyal set of consumers but none come close to Apple — which does annoy a lot of people as well.
The first company to hit $2 trillion market cap
In the US, Apple has hit several financial milestones. In terms of market cap, Apple has been the first company to hit a valuation of $1 trillion and then it touch $2 trillion as well.