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Found Footage: Steve Jobs demonstrates NeXT Step
Here's a great piece of Apple history. In this video (check it out after the break), Steve Jobs gives a demonstration of a NeXT computer. You'll remember that Steve formed NeXT in 1995 after being ousted from Apple. Years later, in 1996, Apple purchased NeXT after Steve's return. Much of the current Mac OS X system is built on the OPENSTEP foundation. You needn't look too closely to see the predecessors of Mac OS X, like the dock, the services menu, the home directory and windows that display their contents while being dragged. It's also interesting to hear Steve put the Mac down on a couple of occasions. For a nice illustration of how NeXT features became a part of Mac OS X, look here. Looking at this, one could argue that Steve's dismissal from Apple was the best thing that happened to the Mac OS. [Via Reddit]
Apple I sells for $210K at Christie's auction in London
One of the first Apple computers ever made, the Apple I, has been sold at a Christie's auction in London on Tuesday. The Apple I, one of only 200 of its kind to have been made, was won by the Italian businessman and private collector Marco Boglione for $210,000. The Apple I was released in 1976 and originally sold for $666.66. The computer came with its original packaging, a signed sales letter from co-founder and current CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs, as well as an autographed letter by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who was present at the auction. Wozniak said of the Apple I, "It really was an important step, [even though] I didn't feel that way when I designed it." Wozniak added, "I'm very delighted for the gentleman who purchased it." According to Christies, the Apple I was the first personal computer to come with an assembled motherboard that worked out of the box. However, users still needed to provide their own keyboard, display and power supply. However, according to the BBC, the Apple I's processor works 1,000 times slower than the processor found in today's iPad. Francesco Boglione, the brother of the winning bidder (who was present at the auction), said that the Apple I would likely be restored to working order before joining a collection of other Apple computers owned by Marco Boglione who "...loves computers." A detailed picture of the Apple I can be viewed on Christies website here. [via AppleInsider]
TUAW TV Live: A brief history of notable Apple product announcements
Today on a special remote edition of TUAW TV Live, I'll be screening some amazing video clips for you that show Apple product releases of the past. It's hard to believe how far Apple and its product lines have come since the late 1990s. You'll see the first incarnations of some of the current Apple cash cows and marvel at how bad the specifications were on top-of-the-line equipment just a little over a decade ago. How can you join in on the fun? From your Mac or PC, go to the next page by clicking the read more link at the bottom of this post, and you'll find a livestream viewer and a chat tool. The chat tool allows you to participate by asking questions or making comments. If you're driving somewhere and would like to watch TUAW TV Live while you're stuck in traffic, please don't -- keep your eyes on the road! However, if someone else is doing the driving, you can watch the show on your iPhone by downloading the free Ustream Viewing Application. We haven't neglected our iPad users, since you can tune in to TUAW TV Live on your iPad! That link will send you to a non-Flash page, although you won't have access to our chat tool. And one final note -- if the show has started and you're seeing a previously recorded show instead of the livestream, you can always pop on over to ustream.tv/tuaw to join the show in progress.
Today at 5 PM ET: TUAW TV Live's Apple History 101 episode
On today's TUAW TV Live, I'll be taking you on a video trip down memory lane. If you're an old-time Apple geek like I am, you'll remember these product rollouts with a bit of nostalgia. Relative newbies are going to gawk in awe at Apple CEO Steve Jobs with more hair (and weight) than he has now. You'll laugh at the horrible specs of the equipment that is applauded and cheered at the events and shake your head at the design of some of the older product lines. To join me on this remote edition of TUAW TV Live (I'm out in Silicon Valley this week), drop by a few minutes before 5 PM EDT (2 PM PDT), and you'll see a full set of instructions on how to watch the show and join in on the chat. As part of today's show, I'll also be talking about computing on the road -- something I've been doing for way too long. I'll pass along some hints on how to make your mobile computing work for you. I'll see you at 5 PM EDT today, here at TUAW.com.
Happy 9th birthday, iPod!
Wow. It seems like just yesterday that we were all looking at Apple's new baby for the first time. No, I'm not talking about the new MacBook Air, but the device that seems to have jump-started Apple's meteoric climb to success. The iPod was first launched on October 23, 2001 and begat a family of highly-popular portable media players that continues to this day. The first model was a Mac-compatible device with a 5 GB hard drive and a capacity that put, in the words of Steve Jobs, "1000 songs in your pocket." Since then, we've seen iPods as tiny as the third-generation iPod shuffle and as large as the 160 GB, sixth-generation iPod Classic. The iPod touch has become a huge success as a web-surfing, game-playing, picture-taking "iPhone without the phone." The iPod even has some popular siblings now, the iPhone and iPad, both of which include and expand upon the media player roots of the iPod family. The name iPod was first proposed to Apple by copywriter Vinnie Chieco, who thought of the phrase "open the pod bay door, HAL" when he saw the first all-white prototype of the original device. Chieco thought the relationship between the media player and a personal computer was similar to the small space pods in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey and the large Discovery mothership. We'd love to have you share your memories of your iPods with us. Please leave those wonderful (or not) thoughts in the comments below.
John Sculley on Steve Jobs' guiding principles
In an unprecedented interview, former Apple CEO John Sculley discusses his relationship, past and present, with Steve Jobs. Initially pulled from Pepsi Co. by Steve Jobs in 1983, Sculley ran Apple with Jobs until Jobs was ousted in 1985. Sculley then ran Apple as the sole CEO until 1993. In the interview with Cult of Mac, Sculley notes that he isn't in contact with Jobs anymore, and he considers his time at Apple "ancient history." Still, Sculley went on to describe what he called Steve's methodology for building great products, which includes: Beautiful design (no surprises there) Customer experience Perfectionism Minimalism Again, there's not a surprise among the bunch, and John elaborates on these and other aspects of Steve's drive in the full interview. Sculley also goes on to note that it was "...a mistake" to make him CEO: "Looking back, it was a big mistake that I was ever hired as CEO. I was not the first choice that Steve wanted to be the CEO. He was the first choice, but the board wasn't prepared to make him CEO when he was 25, 26 years old." The whole interview is broken into several parts, starting here. It's candid and, as we said, unprecedented. Go and read it for a unique look at a significant figure in Apple history.
Bloomberg Game Changers to feature segment on Steve Jobs
The brand-new documentary series Bloomberg Game Changers will air its second episode on Thursday, October 14th at 9:00 PM ET with Steve Jobs as the subject. It will feature interviews with a who's who from Apple's history, including Steve Wozniak, John Scully, Robert X. Cringley and Guy Kawasaki. Additionally, Dreamworks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg and Michael Moritz will appear. The hour-long special will follow Steve's career from the infamous garage to the release of the iPad and everything in between. The first episode in the series featured Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and was very well done. Be sure to check it out episode two on Thursday, even if you think you know the story. You can watch a teaser video after the break.
A study of 17 Apple press invitations
Reporting for Fortune, Philip Elmer-DeWitt reiterates Dan Frommer's question: "Is Apple really going to announce a TV gadget at an event with a guitar on the invitation?" It's a legitimate question, as Apple's press events have the power to move AAPL's price. When rumors become expectations that ultimately aren't met, the stock price has shifted downward. In this case, the "TV gadget" Frommer refers to is the rumored iOS-powered Apple TV. With that in mind, AAPLinvestors compared the wording on the last 17 press invitations to what was ultimately introduced at each event. What they found was that Apple often takes liberty with their often cryptic text. For example, the September 2, 2008 invitation read "Let's Rock," and Apple introduced the fourth-gen iPod nano, the second-gen iPod touch, iTunes 8 and HD TV shows. HD TV is cool, but does it really "rock?" Also, the August 31, 2009 invitation read "It's only rock and roll but we like it." That afternoon Apple introduced iTunes 9, iPhone 3.1, the fifth-gen nano, the third-generation iPod touch and additional colors for the iPod Shuffle. Reading into Apple's terse press invites is part of the fun. So we still might see a new Apple TV next week. Who knows if we will, though. [Via MacDailyNews and Fortune]
Wired named the iPad... in 1999
Here's an interesting tidbit from WIRED. Way back in 1999, the magazine ran a short piece in the Hype List section reflecting on the company's recent financial turnaround. You'll remember that Apple introduced the iMac in 1998, which was a huge success. The piece was written in April of 1999, just 3 months before the clamshell iBook was introduced at Macworld Expo in New York City in July of 1999. Here's the interesting part. While reflecting on Apple's future, the snippet predicts that "The next iMac attack promises new lollipop laptops, a more serious series of professional machines and a wireless handheld dubbed the iPad." [Emphasis ours.] Betsy Mason (WIRED.com's science editor) posted a TwitPic of the article for all to see. It's an example of a lucky guess, of course (Apple was "i" crazy back then), but still a lot of fun. [Via ReadWriteWeb]
Thirty years of Apple in two minutes
Here's a great video compiled by Gary Katz of Mac M.D. Inc. Using photos of Apple machines in his own collection, Gary's video highlights the major design changes that have taken place over the past 30 years. Old timers (like me) will recognize some familiar hardware, including the 7200 (how I tore my hands up on that computer's insides), the fabled Lisa and the beloved/infamous Cube. The most jarring jump is when the iMac is introduced, breaking the cycle of beige. It's also amazing to see the enormous Mac Portable. What a beast! Thanks to Gary for sharing this video. We enjoyed the trip down Memory Lane.
Prototype Apple interactive TV box appears on Ebay
If you're in the market for an Apple prototype but don't have $5,000 to spend, consider Ebay. This week an Apple Interactive Television Box (AITB) showed up, and quickly sold for less than fifty bucks. Built between 1994 and 1995, the AiTB was meant to act as a sort of liaison between the consumer and an interactive television service. In practice, the user would select what s/he wanted to see with a remote. The AITB would then pass those choices on to a central server which provided the content. We assume Apple had a subscription model planned. You can view the manual here (PDF). Units exist in various states of completion, from non-functioning units with an ill-fitting case to near production models with FCC stickers. Even these won't boot, however, and the remote controls are especially difficult to find. The unit that recently sold on Ebay looks fairly complete. This is a nice piece that any collector would like to have. And you needn't visit a German bar to get it. [via AppleInsider]
Mercury-News: Apple tops the Valley for valuation
With the total market value of AAPL at about US$220 billion, over the past year Apple has managed to de-throne Google as Silicon Valley's most valuable company. By comparison, the search and cellphone-centric Big G has a market capitalization of about $174B as of today's prices. In a retrospective piece, the Silicon Valley Mercury News points out that Apple's market cap is up 107 percent from one year ago. There are only two companies in the United States with a market capitalization greater than Apple's: Exxon Mobil and Microsoft. Earlier this month, Apple's market cap passed that of Wal-Mart; the margin was $2.84 billion as of April 2nd, 2010 and is about $18B today. Needham & Co. analyst Charles Wolf notes Apple's success at riding out the USA's economic recession. "It's just mind-boggling. Thanks to the iPhone, it just sailed through the recession. It was just an incredible engine." For the latest on Apple's financial health, follow our live blog of its 2nd quarter analysts call, tomorrow at 2 pm PDT/5 pm EDT. AAPL is down about 1.5% today at 1 pm. [Via Macsimum News]
The story behind the iPad's home screen photo
When Steve Jobs revealed the iPad back in January, viewers stared in breathless amazement, none more so than Richard Misrach, the artist whose photo is the default home screen image. He was sitting at home watching a movie when his phone rang. It was his agent, and he couldn't believe what was happening. Soon, Richard's family and friends were all calling. Needless to say, Apple's decision to use his photo for this "magical revolutionary device" was a surprise. Misrach had submitted 10 photos for Apple to consider for "wallpaper" some time ago, but they had all been rejected, he told Art Info. There was no mention of the iPad at the time, but they eventually called back to say yes, they'd like to use his "Pyramid Lake (at Night)" photo. He describes the image as "...a long night exposure where the moon is lighting up the mountains in the distance. I shot it on an 8x10 camera, so the quality is really beautiful and you can see star trails going through the sky." Those trails have startled some users, but I think they look great. The photo itself was taken at a Native American Indian reservation in Nevada. Richard notes that this is the first time in his 40-year career that he's commercially licensed an image. He explains why with tongue-in-cheek style: "What's funny is that for years I actually used the photo as my own screensaver. So I guess they know what they're doing." [Hat tip to Beau Colburn]
Highest-resolution Earth photo looks familiar for a reason
Last month, Gizmodo posted an incredible image from NASA: The most accurate, highest-resolution photo of Earth taken to date. It's stunning, in all of its 2048 x 2048 pixel glory. In fact, there are two images: One showing the Americas and one showing Europe. Both make a great desktop image. They're also oddly familiar, and now Gizmodo confirms what many suspected: It's the same Earth image that's welcomed new users to the iPhone since its launch in 2007. NASA noted that the image has been public since 2002, and is the results of many months of work. "Using a collection of satellite-based observations," NASA shares on their Flickr page, "scientists and visualizers stitched together months of observations of the land surface, oceans, sea ice, and clouds into a seamless, true-color mosaic of every square kilometer (.386 square mile) of our planet." The image recently started generating a lot of traffic on the web as Apple fanboys realized the connection. Now, the next time you see that image on your iPhone, say thank you to the hard-working NASA employees who put it together.
Happy 26th Birthday, Mac!
Despite all odds, the Mac has survived to its 26th birthday. On January 24th, 1984, Steve Jobs pulled a 128K Mac out of its case in front of a crowd of reporters, turned it on, and let the computer introduce itself to the world. The rest, as they say, is history. We've seen our favorite computer go from an awkward infancy, to almost dying in its teens, and now being a profitable prodigy in adulthood. It has spawned a popular family of siblings, from the iPod series of media players to the iPhone. Somehow, it's fitting that we may see the birth of the newest member of the family later this week. Watching the "Story of Macintosh" video in the past few weeks has introduced the young minds behind the first Mac to most of the current generation. For those of us who are a bit older, the video served as a reminder of the brash individuals who created a computer that still speaks to those who "Think Different." Here's hoping that the Mac and all of its family may live a long and fruitful life.
Every "Get a Mac" ad in one place
It's hard to believe that Apple's "Get a Mac" ad campaign is already 4 years old. Since its introduction, the campaign has invited both parody and serious responses from competitors. Plus, poor* John Hodgman and Justin Long can't walk out the door without someone calling them either "Mac" or "PC." Some have been better than others (the Christmas ads are always a highlight), and Apple keeps several of each year's ads on their site. If you'd like to browse the full history of these ads, check out this page assembled by the folks at AdFreak. They've gathered every TV spot and sorted them chronologically. In case you were wondering, there have been 66 in total. The most ads aired in 2006 (19) and the fewest in 2009 (14). Enjoy the archive and have fun re-watching your favorites. *My sympathy is short lived, however. Consider their paychecks.
Welcome to Macintosh to air on CNBC on January 4th, 2010
If you missed Macworld Expo 2009 in San Francisco last January, then you probably missed the premiere showing of Welcome to Macintosh, an indie documentary that provides an intimate look at Apple's history. It's been shown at different times and places over the past year, and you can also buy it from iTunes, but now you can watch the documentary for free. On Monday, January 4th, 2010 at 9:30 PM ET, CNBC is broadcasting the documentary for the first time on a major network. Welcome to Macintosh features interviews with many of the early forces in Apple history, including Andy Hertzfeld, Guy Kawasaki, and Ron Wayne (often referred to as the "third founder" of Apple and the person who designed the original Apple logo). CNBC seems to be vying for the title of "The Apple Channel," as we reported yesterday that they're airing a special about the app revolution titled "Planet of the Apps: A Handheld Revolution" on January 7th. [via Macworld]
Apple maintains "Think Different" trademark
When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1996, the public's perception of the company was grim. To make a long story short, Steve's plans for resurrection included changing that, and the "Think Different" campaign was among the first steps. There were television ads, print ads and slogans printed on Apple packaging. The phrase was replaced with the "Switch" and "Get A Mac" campaigns, but didn't disappear for good. A portion of the poem from the TV ad can be found on the high-res version of the TextEdit icon in Leopard and Snow Leopard. Earlier this year, "Think Different" began appearing on 21.5" and 27" iMac boxes. This week, Patently Apple reports that the US Patent & Trademark Office has published Apple's new trademark application for Think Different (it's application 77882684 if you were wondering). It could mean a revitalization of the campaign, but it's more likely that Apple just wants to keep it in their stable. Many consumers still think of Apple when hearing "think different." Like most iconic aspects of pop culture, there have been many parodies. Here's my favorite. [Via MacNN]
Apple's original tablet
In 1979, the Apple II Plus was a badass piece of hardware, and the Apple Graphics Tablet was a flashy accessory. At $650US, it let users sketch with a wired stylus. Measuring 3/4 in x 15 1/2 in x 15 3/4 in, the Graphics Tablet was eventually discontinued when the FCC discovered that it caused radio frequency interference problems. Sure, the wired stylus is a kludge, as is the general design (don't look at the back), but remember that 1979 was 5 years before the first Macintosh was released and computer mice became ubiquitous. Edible Apple has some additional photos and an old ad promoting the tablet and Utopia software. Go and check out an interesting piece of Apple history -- complete with vintage scotch tape!
Found footage: History of Apple in 2 minutes
Here's a great video assembled by applemctom that presents the history of Apple (more or less) in two minutes. There are some huge leaps in time and some obvious errors (Apple Mac II? MacIntosh?), but that's OK. It isn't easy to cram decades of history into 120 seconds. There's much nostalgia for old-timers like me, as the Pippin and Newton make an appearance. Though I still use my Newt, I've never had the pleasure of a face-to-face meeting with a Pippin. The dark days described in the video (the early 90's after Steve left) is exactly when I started using Macs in earnest. It's amazing that I stayed a customer after bloodying my hands on a 7100's beastly innards. The video ends with the introduction of the iPhone, so don't expect to see anything beyond that. Still, it's a bit of fun. Check it out.
