This Day in Apple History

It was hailed as both the "fastest personal computer ever" and the "first 64 bit personal computer." Both claims were debatable but Mac users were glad to see a computer based on an advanced chip in Apple's arsenal.Apple chose to wrap the G5 in a huge brushed aluminum…

Every one hates a monopoly, well any monopoly except the iPod/iTunes store. Monopolistic companies know they are disliked and while they might like to tell everyone to bite off they can't, blatant power abusing monopolies are nominally illegal.Microsoft certainly fit the old a monopoly abusing their power, what…

Riding the success of the iMac and the internet bubble Apple's stock was way up from the lows of the nineties. In fact, the stock price was in the low 's 100's when it came time to proceed with an announced stock split.Everyone who went to bed the…

If you were to ask people to describe a slim desktop computer with integrated an integrated monitor and speakers they'd likely point you in the direction of the nearest iMac. The truth is that the iMac wasn't the first time Apple tried to make a super stylish LCD based desktop…

The accolades Steve Wozniak deserves will never be matched by the accolades he actually receives. That doesn't mean he will be omitted from the history books like the inventor of the wheel or the first guy to build a fire, just that his influence is easily underestimated.One richly…

When John Sculley ousted Steve Jobs, Apple tried to keep Steve around as Chairman of the Board. So it was somewhat ironic that when John Sculley was ousted, Apple tried to keep him around as Chairman of the Board. Sculley hated the powerless position as much as Jobs did in…

It might not seem surprising if you remember the delays with the 500 MHz G4 PowerMacs, the delays in getting a top end G5 when they were first revealed, or the constant shortages of iPods for the first few years of their existence, but at one time, when Apple released…

Everyone knows the big bad trio in Macland: Microsoft, Dell, and Intel. Well, scratch Intel. Still, the Dell name certainly evokes a large amount of loathing from diehard Mac fans. On the other hand, Michael Dell knows a good thing when he sees it and his company is all about…

It seems ridiculous now but, at one time, being a popular dial-up destination was like printing cash. As the popularity of using dial ups grew, the common wisdom was that users would flock to the popular providers to interact with other users. Apple, naturally, wanted to get in…

Steve Wozniak is renowned for his skill at taking spare parts and turning them into functional computers. But before he had access to discarded parts, Woz designed computer after computer on the only thing he could afford--paper.It may be the stuff of Abe Lincoln doing his homework on…

When Bill Gates showed up on the big screen supporting Apple at MacWorld-Boston expo 1997, one of the things Microsoft got for the appearance was Apple's agreement to bundle Internet Explorer with all new Macs. The deal made sense for Microsoft, which was competing with Netscape at the time.

Apple television ads provide fodder for pundits to over analyze and over criticize. Apple's radio ads, on the other hand, were much less widely known or remembered.The ads were longish and they featured, naturally, a voiceover by Richard Dreyfuss. The main push of the ad was what you…

For those who don't remember the "Switch Ads," the drill was as follows: a former PC user stood against a white background and explained why they moved from the PC to the Mac.It was a simple concept but the execution was a source of great interest for computer…

When Apple ousted Steve Jobs, many of his duties eventually came under the purview of John-Louis Gassee. Eventually, like Steve Jobs, Gassee was ousted by John Sculley.Also, like Steve Jobs, Gassee dressed with a certain style (leather pants--think of the chafing) and spoke his mind. Unlike Steve, Gassee…

The "Think Different" campaign might not have been grammatically correct but it was well received. The ads featured luminaries such as Ghandi, Francis Ford Coppola (mistaken frequently for Steve Wozniak) and John Lennon. After highlighting the "difference makers" Apple urged the viewer to "Think Different."The point of the…