Apple Form Factor Evolution1967 Through 2007
We've fallen in love with Apple. And it's mostly thanks to the ubiquitous iPod. In October 2001, as Apple's chief executive, Steve Jobs, clad in trademark stonewash jeans, white trainers and black roll-neck sweater, unveiled the very first iPod, not even he could have foreseen the runaway success it has become.
Six years and 110 million iPods later, it seems you can't walk down a street or board a train without seeing someone wearing white earphones, staring into the middle distance.
For many people who thought that Apple was just a type of fruit, the iPod was the first time they had come into contact with the California-based technology giant. Established in 1976 in sunny Cupertino, Santa Clara, by Steve Jobs, Ronald Wayne and Steve Wozniak, Apple's main business was making and selling computers. They were a favourite among the burgeoning technology community in Silicon Valley, but lost out to Bill Gates's Microsoft empire when it came to the home computer market; Gates's computers were cheaper and ran a simple operating system - Windows. Personal computers loaded with Microsoft Windows became the obvious choice for most consumers, and Apple, while still relatively successful, became a niche brand for the technology cognoscenti.
The importance of the iPod is almost impossible to over-exaggerate. While initially only compatible with Apple Mac computers, a Windows-compatible version was soon launched, and Apple began to seep into the public's conciousness. The iPod range has been updated, refreshed and improved upon with admirable regularity, culminating in this year's biggest technology announcement: the launch of the iPhone.
Apple call it the best iPod they've ever made, and they're right: with its intuitive touch-screen interface, the wireless-enabled iPhone also allows you to surf the internet, download and listen to songs from the iTunes music store, watch videos on its widescreen display, write emails and a host of other tasks. Apple sold more than 1?million iPhones in the first 74 days of US release.
The success of its iPod range, and the iPhone, is having a positive "halo effect" on the other areas of its business too. Familiarity with these devices is giving consumers a valuable insight into the Apple brand, which is "committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software and internet offerings".
Sales of Apple's Mac computers have sky-rocketed in recent years. The eye-catching designs of chief designer Jonathan Ive have transformed the image of computers from boring beige boxes to beautiful objects of lustful pleasure. And Apple's decision to use Intel chips within their machines has also had an interesting additional benefit: it allows Mac owners to install a Windows operating system on their Apple laptop. Suddenly, people who loved the look and feel of Apple machines, but were worried about learning to use a new operating system, or being unable to use Windows-only software on a Mac, can have the best of both worlds. While Apple denies it's trying to poach customers from Microsoft, it accepts that the ability to dual-install operating systems is a compelling reason why more people are choosing Macs: Apple sold almost 2.2?million computers between July and September this year alone, a huge 34 per cent increase on the same period last year.
But despite winning the hearts and minds of consumers all over the world, Apple is not without its faults. Early iPod models were beset with battery problems, which shook consumer confidence, and in the past Greenpeace has attacked Apple for its failure to use recyclable components within its devices. Steve Jobs also scored a rare own goal when he sensationally slashed the price of the iPhone in the US, just weeks after Apple fans had queued through the night to be one of the first to get their hands on the phone. He faced a customer revolt and was forced to offer a rebate to disgruntled customers.
With its eye for clever design and determination to make technology as simple and successful as possible, Apple has won a legion of new fans in recent years. Whether its products are a triumph of style over substance, of hype over reality, is a debate that will rumble on. But one thing's for certain: you can't help falling in love with Apple's products.
Paw relation with plenty of bite...
And there is nothing poor about this operating system. Leopard, Apple's latest version of its OS X, has purred its way into the hearts of Apple users since its launch in October.
Crucially, for the non-Mac-literates, this is the first Apple operating system to allow the installation of a Windows OS, such as Vista or XP, alongside it. The innovation has been met with favourable reviews. David Pogue of The New York Times wrote: "Leopard is powerful, polished and carefully conceived. Happy surprises, and very few disappointments, lie around every corner.
This Leopard has more than 300 new spots - and most of them are bright ones." And Claudine Beaumont, the Telegraph's own Digital Channel Editor, said of it: "Leopard represents evolution rather than revolution; [its] new features are compelling and largely a success."
It all adds up to a swing towards Apple not seen before. Installed free with new machines, but costing £85 for a single version and £129 for a family version, allowing it be installed on up to five computers, the new Leopard could be key in clawing new devotees to the Apple brand.
Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connected/main.jhtml?xml=/connected/2007/11/18/dlapple18.xml
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