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iPad prototype renderings from early-2000s revealed in Apple / Samsung court filings (update: comparison shots)
It's a strange bit of history that the concept of an Apple tablet led to what we know as the first iPhone. It's a fact that Steve Jobs made mention of back in 2010, at an appearance at All Things D, realizing that Apple was capable of building a handset based on the technology it pieced together for a multitouch display. Now, thanks to Apple / Samsung court filings (you know that whole little kerfuffle between the companies) and digging by the folks at NetworkWorld, some early concepts for an Apple slate have come to light. The dates of the mockups are a little nebulous at the moment, but during his deposition, Jonathan Ive, puts them at somewhere between 2002 and 2004. Check a few more angles and a stiff case usage in the gallery below. Update: Our friend Anand Shimpi of AnandTech pointed out that the first iPad prototype used a Pentium M processor. We sure have come a long way. Update 2: BuzzFeed obtained some color photos of the gigantic prototype placed next to an iPad 2. Head over there to see more.%Gallery-160618%
No Comment: Android tablet not actually endorsed by Steve Jobs
Amidst the legal and marketplace challenges to Android tablets, there are certainly a few bright spots: a British court ruled that Galaxy tablets aren't likely to be confused for Apple's iPad because the Samsung competitive devices "are not as cool." Yes, the judge really said that. But at least the Galaxy Tab is clear for sale in the UK, and the reviews for the Google/ASUS Nexus 7 are largely positive. Unfortunately, this generic Android tablet for sale on NoMoreRack is probably more indicative of the state of the offerings out there. Reader Dan sent us the link, and the specs are nothing to write home about (Android 3.0, 1.2 Ghz CPU, supports Flash 10.2, and it's not clear how "1080p Video" is going to work on that 800x600 screen); at least it's cheap at $141. The problem is not the crappy product -- the problem is that someone thought the best way to sell this POS would be to slap a picture of Steve Jobs on it. Apparently the ones who are crazy enough to sell discounted no-name Android tablets also think they can confuse consumers by clipping the face of Apple's late founder into their product images. "Now it looks just like an iPad! We'll sell a boatload of these things!" It probably won't work, but it does earn them today's more-in-sorrow-than-in-anger No Comment. Thanks Dan.
California fast-tracks Apple's new headquarters
Apple is building a new campus in Cupertino and the process should proceed smoothly now that the project has been given fast track status by California Governor Jerry Brown. "Apple's state-of-the art campus brings at least $100 million dollars in investment to California and generates no additional greenhouse gas emissions," said Brown in a statement sent to The Mercury News and reported on SiliconValley.com. Fast-tracking the project won't speed up construction, but it will make it easier for Apple to navigate the complicated approval process. This new fast track procedure was signed into law last fall as a way to improve the job market in California. Approved companies will be able to move quickly through the judicial review process and any challenges to the company's environmental impact report will be pushed rapidly through the court system. Apple is expected to break ground on the project in early 2013 and complete construction by 2015. [Via Mac Observer]
Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview ready for rent from iTunes
Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview hit Landmark theaters last year and made a second run again in May of this year. Now, the documentary is available on iTunes. The 1:12 film captured a 1995 interview of Jobs conducted by tech journalist Robert X. Cringely. During this time, Jobs was in between his positions at Apple and serving as the CEO of NeXT. Apple fans can rent the original and unedited interview for US$3.99.
Visualized: The iPhone five years after launch
In case you somehow missed it, today is an important milestone in technology nostalgia: it's the fifth anniversary of the original iPhone's launch. We'll let you explore the memories of that insane day on your own terms, but ComScore has produced a visual breakdown of just how ownership has grown and shifted over the years. It's not hard to see that adoption has been on an accelerating curve, especially after the 2010 launch of the Retina display-toting iPhone 4: as of this past May, about three quarters of owners have either the iPhone 4 or the iPhone 4S. And the 2007 edition? Only two percent of all iPhone owners are still actively holding on to the aluminum-clad debut model, which suggests most would rather have Siri than reminisce. Whether you're a fan or have since moved on to a competitor, the chart is a reminder of just how far one of Steve Jobs' biggest projects has come.
Vintage Apple I sells for $375,000
A rare piece of Apple history is no longer on the market. Last Friday, Auction house Sotheby's sold a working Apple I computer for US$374,500. The vintage computer sold for more than twice its estimated value after a bidding war broke out between two bidders, according to a CNN Money report. The lucky winner was an anonymous telephone bidder who will walk away with one of only six known units. Apple originally produced 50 Apple I's and the other 44 are missing. Also on the auction block was a letter Steve Jobs sent to Atari. The letter sold for $27,500, which like the Apple I was significantly more than it was valued.
Apple I fetches $374.5K at Sotheby's auction, Steve Jobs Atari note goes for $27.5K
Here's an update for all the collectors of vintage Apple Computer-wares out there. If you'll recall, it was a few weeks back when Sotheby's announced it would auction off an Apple 1 motherboard, cassette interface and its BASIC programming manual, originally set to fetch upwards of $180,000. Just this week, the hand-built piece of computing history from 1976 was sold to one lucky phone bidder for an even more massive $374,500. As Apple Insider notes, the computer is one of six that's accounted for out of 50 that are likely still out there -- ensuring these will only remain for folks with deep pockets indeed. Past that, a hand-written note from Steve Jobs during his time at Atari was also on the auction block, garnering $27,500 even though it was only estimated to sell for less than half that price. Knowing the cost of collecting a premiere piece (arguably) from the fruits of Woz and Jobs, it certainly makes that new MacBook Pro with Retina display seem like a grand bargain in comparison. Details at the links below.
WWDC chatter focused on products, not Jobs or Cook
Did you notice something a bit different yesterday at the WWDC keynote? Nick Bilton of the New York Times did -- the focus of chatter during and after the keynote was all about the products, not about the present or past CEO. Of course, this wasn't Tim Cook's first shot at a major announcement. Cook took the stage for the rollout of the third-generation iPad a few months ago, but the big news at that point seemed to be the fact that Cook was wearing a black button-down shirt that wasn't tucked into his jeans. Everything yesterday was focused, as it should have been, on the products. Whether it was the announcement of the Retina display MacBook Pro, Siri's comedy routine and new features, the completely new Maps app, or the nuances of Mountain Lion, the presenters -- including Cook -- took a back seat to the products. In my opinion, that's the way it should be. While Steve Jobs was a charismatic presenter, Monday's keynote put the spotlight where it should be -- focused brightly on the shining results of Apple's hard work.
Matthew Modine, Josh Gad join Ashton Kutcher in Steve Jobs movie
In case you haven't had your fill of entertainment news this morning, here's some more. We all know that Ashton Kutcher is playing the part of Steve Jobs in an upcoming biopic (the one that's not inspired by the Walter Isaacson biography of Jobs). Today we have news of other members of the ensemble. Matthew Modine (at right) is now slated to play the part of John Sculley, the former Pepsi CEO who took Jobs' place as CEO of Apple and who was the helm when Jobs was forced out of the company. This is a great casting pick -- Modine looks remarkably like Sculley, even more than Kutcher looks like a younger Jobs. They'll be joined by Josh Gad, who is set to play Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. The movie is expected to hit theaters this fall.
Judge refuses to bar Steve Jobs quotes from patent trial
Reuters reported on Friday that a judge has rejected Apple's request to have several incendiary quotes about Google's Android platform from former CEO Steve Jobs blocked from being used in the upcoming patent trial between Apple and Google's Motorola Mobility unit. In the Walter Isaacson biography of Steve Jobs, the late CEO expressed his fiery feelings about the patent litigation: "Our lawsuit is saying, 'Google, you f**king ripped off the iPhone, wholesale ripped us off.' Grand theft. I'm willing to go to thermonuclear war on this." Apple lawyers made a court filing last month asking to have any reference to the book blocked during the trial "to avoid any potential prejudice to Apple if Motorola attempts to use the book to appeal to the jury's passion." On Thursday, federal judge Richard Posner rejected Apple's request. In a separate order, he also forbid Apple from arguing that jurors should favor Apple over Motorola if they admire Jobs or like Apple products. Apple has separately asked a California federal judge to block quotes from the Walter Isaacson biography from being used in the upcoming patent trial against Samsung. That trial is scheduled for July.
Pixar president Dr. Ed Catmull, Oracle's Larry Ellison discuss Steve Jobs
Over the years, Steve Jobs was a big part of the annual D:All Things Digital conference and his presence at the recent D10 was sorely missed. In one long sit-down session, both Pixar President Dr. Ed Catmull and Oracle CEO Larry Ellison talk candidly about their interactions with Jobs and his influence on technology. In one part of the interview, Ellison focuses on Jobs's cutting personality and how that led to his removal from Apple in the early days of the company. Ellison called this removal "an incredible mistake" and said it influences how young CEOs do business today. In another clip from the interview, Catmull, who worked with Jobs at Pixar, and Ellison reflect on their 25+ years of friendship with the Apple founder. This clip is filled with insight into Job's personality and leadership skills.
Archive of Jobs videos makes iTunes go all things Steve
The mark that Steve Jobs left on the industry is a deep one, indeed. But aside from regular product announcements, we didn't see all that much of the Apple founder. Jobs's appearances at the All Things Digital conference certainly do a little to remedy the late-executive's notoriously private nature, and now you can watch them all from the comfort of your own Apple-branded media player. All Things D has released Jobs's six lengthy interviews in video and audio format via iTunes.
Aaron Sorkin discusses making the Jobs biopic
Filmmaker and writer Aaron Sorkin (probably best known for his work on The West Wing, though I really liked his dramacom Sports Night a lot) recently sat down with Walt Mossberg at All Things Digital to have a chat about his work on one of the new Steve Jobs biographical movies coming out. He talked frankly about his current attempts to try and give justice to the life and times of Apple's famous co-founder. Sorkin says, not surprisingly, that trying to live up to expectations on a movie like this will be hard: "This was a little like writing about The Beatles," he says. "There are so many people out there who know so much about him and who revere him, that I just saw a minefield of disappointment." Sorkin says the movie probably won't be a complete account of everything Steve Jobs, just because that's probably not the best way to really tell his story. Rather, "I'll probably identify the point of friction that appeals to me and then approach that." And of course, Sorkin has a little bit of experience writing about innovative tech figures already, having written the very well-done Social Network movie about Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook. It's still very early in the process, but Sorkin says that like Zuckerberg, he'll have to see Jobs in a certain light to try and make his story resonate: "I can't judge the character. He has to, for me, be a hero. I have to find the parts of him that are like me. I have to be able to defend this character. With someone like Steve Jobs, to put it as simply as possible, you want to write the character as if they are making the case to God why they should be allowed into heaven." [via Fortune]
AllThingsD releases all its D Conference interviews with Steve Jobs
Some of Steve Jobs most memorable clips come from the times he has appeared on stage with Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher as part of their annual D: All Things Digital Conference. To honor Jobs's memory, AllThingsD has released all its recorded interviews with Steve Jobs. The six clips span the years between 2003 and 2010 and include one short, but especially candid interview with Bill Gates. There's also a highlight video that shows the best of his appearances. It's a wonderful walk down memory lane that's worth checking out, especially knowing what we know today about Apple and its climb from a struggling company with a hot music player to one of the top companies in the world. The compilation is available on iTunes for free.
Apple I up for auction: buy a bit of Apple history for the bulk of your net worth
Attention Apple lovers: here's your chance to get your hands on an original piece of company history, but the past has proven that you better have a lot of extra cash lying around. Sotheby's auction house is offering a working Apple I computer, which is the original design that was built by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak back in 1976 -- by hand. It's expected to fetch between $140,000 - 180,000, and those dollars buy you a mobo, cassette interface and the original BASIC manual to get you programming partying like it's 1979. This isn't the first Apple I to hit the auction block, but with only 200 of the things in existence, the winning bidder will join the upper echelon of Apple enthusiasts. So, if you've got cash to burn and fancy yourself the ultimate fanboy, head on down to the source link for the full details. [Thanks, Deepa]
Aaron Sorkin talks about future Steve Jobs movie, impact of technology on his writing
You don't have to look far to get a grasp on who Aaron Sorkin is -- he wrote A Few Good Men, The American President, The West Wing, Moneyball and The Social Network, for starters -- and he showed up at D10 to talk creative media, how the digital age impacts his writing and his impending movie about late Apple CEO Steve Jobs. While not involving hard technology news, the interview was exceedingly refreshing, and it delved deep into the world of tech as it impacts his upcoming show about a fictional newsroom (The Newsroom on HBO). The highlights included a frank quote that whoever ends up playing Jobs in his movie -- not to be confused with the one already in production with Ashton Kutcher -- will have to be "good, and intelligent." He also confessed to being fully engaged in the "three screens" movement, but wasn't too prideful to admit that he taps into the brain of his 11-year old daughter for lots of technological help. Pretty wild for a guy that many would label "genius." For more from the interview, head on past the break.
Tim Cook joined Apple because even 'when customers got mad at Apple, they'd continue to buy'
It's epic storytelling time at AllThingsD 10 as audience Q&A has begun, with Apple CEO Tim Cook opening up on why he came to join the company in the first place in response to a question from Lance Ulanoff of Mashable. To hear him tell it, an executive search firm came calling and he wasn't pressed -- until five minutes into his meeting with Steve Jobs. We'll let him tell it: It was a very interesting meeting. Steve had hired an executive search firm to find someone to run operations. They kept calling, and eventually I said 'Okay, I'll talk.' I flew out Friday on a redeye for a Saturday morning meeting with Steve. The honest-to-God truth, five minutes into the conversation I wanted to join Apple. I was shocked. Why did I want to do it? He painted a story and a strategy that he was taking Apple deep into consumer when I knew others were doing the exact opposite. I never thought following the herd was brilliant. He told me a bit about what would late be named the iMac, and I saw brilliance in that. I saw someone unaffected with money, and that has always impressed me when people do indeed have it. Those three things to me to throw caution to the wind and do it. I went back, and resigned immediately. Did I see the iPad and iPhone? No. What I saw was this: Apple was the only technology company that I knew of, including the one I was currently at, that when a customer got mad at a company, they'd continue to buy. If people got mad at Compaq, they'd buy Dell. If you were mad at Dell, you'd buy IBM. But an Apple customer was a unique breed; there's this emotion that you just don't see in technology in general. You could see it and feel it at Apple. When I looked at the balance sheet of the company, I thought I could do something in turning around a great American company. Whether you call it the reality distortion field or simply a strong brand attachment, it was enough, along with Steve Jobs' vision, to lure Tim Cook to work at Apple even when things weren't going so well back in 1998. Can he keep the shield generators running as CEO? Time will tell.
Rating Tim Cook's performance as Steve Jobs's replacement
All eyes have been on Tim Cook since he took over as CEO of Apple. Most early reports have been favorable, including this latest one from Don Reisinger who is writing for eWeek. Reisinger presents ten reasons why Tim Cook is considered a topnotch CEO. Contributing greatly to his success is the way Cook inherited Apple. He stepped immediately into the CEO position and took over the company seamlessly. There was no downtime or uncertainty when Jobs stepped down. Cook was ready and rearing to take over. Now that Cook is in the driver's seat, he's been adept at handling controversy in China, while still keeping investors happy with outstanding financial performance and dividends. Employees are also pleased with their leader and have given him a 97 out of 100 rating on Glassdoor.com. Besides these points above, Reisinger presents several more reasons why Tim Cook is an excellent CEO. You can read the remaining points on eWeek's website.
Sotheby's selling original Steve Jobs note to Atari
Sotheby's is selling another a piece of Apple history that'll appeal to collectors. The auction house is offering a memo Steve Jobs sent to Atari in 1974. The memo contains changes Atari could make to its World Cup Soccer arcade game that'll add variety to the game. The memo has pencil-drawn circuit diagrams and paddle information for the engineers. It's written on Atari letterhead and signed by Jobs under All-One Farm Design, a company name inspired by an Oregon apple orchard/hippy commune frequented by Jobs. The auction begins at US$15,000, but it could fetch a lot more than that. Last year, Sotheby's sold the original Apple contract signed by Steve Jobs for $1.6 million. [Via TechCrunch]
Apple sends letter to neighbors about new "spaceship" campus
Apple wants its new spaceship-style campus to be as free from controversy as possible. To quell any discontent from its neighbors, the company is reaching out to Cupertino residents and asking them for feedback about the project. In a document obtained by 9to5Mac, Apple tells residents how and why it's building this new campus. According to the document, the research facility will accommodate 13,000 employees with additional 300,000 feet of space for expansion. The facility will be used for research and won't include any industrial or manufacturing work. It will be built according to LEED standards and will include a large solar array that'll cover the roof. It will open its doors to employees in 2015, but it won't be open to the public. After reading about the new campus, residents can fill out a postage paid response card or visit the Cupertino.org website to leave their feedback, ask questions or share their concerns.
