Showman: Steve Jobs launches a new iPhone.
Macintosh (1984)
The first Apple personal computer available to the public, specifically designed for personal use. The Macintosh, nicknamed “the Mac”, came with a graphic interface and a mouse. Both are bare minimums by today’s standards, but in the 1980s Steve Jobs described them as “insanely great”.
The computer and its floppy disk port spawned Apple’s now legendary advertising campaigns, with inspiration from George Orwell’s 1984, and directed by Ridley Scott.
iMac (1998)
The initial range of candy-coloured, transparent iMacs, the iMac G3, was the first at-home computer produced with the idea of getting people on the internet. Adverts for the computer said “I” stands for “internet, individual, instruct, inform, inspire”.
For the iMac, Apple removed the floppy disk port, a controversial pieces of tech at the time and Apple’s first foray into setting the standard for what is and isn’t necessary for personal computing.
Mac OSX (2001)
Mac OSX had the graphic display that makes Apple what it is today. The company’s core strength is buttery smooth graphics that are easy on the eye and beautifully vibrant retina display making it a cut above the rest. The system, less clunky than Microsoft’s, was intuitive, with its swipes, taps and swooshes.
iMac G4 (2002)
Nicknamed “the Lamp”, the iMac G4 is a favourite among Apple fans for the amount of technology squeezed into the swivel arm connecting the screen to the base, known as the “hemisphere”.
Apple is known for making all-in-one computers where every component of the machine is in a single case, but this changed when the G4’s flat-panel screen showed computers can be dramatically slender.
iPod (2001)
The iPod changed Apple from being simply Apple Computers to a larger tech company beyond personal computing. For the Sony Walkman generation, it was a game-changing way to listen to music and was the first music device aimed at the younger generation. The first iPod held 1 000 songs and fitted in your pocket. It was the perfect mixture of old and new.
Different models of the iPod ushered in new technology, such as the iPod Touch; the iPod Shuffle, which didn’t have a screen; the iPod Nano, where you could rotate the screen orientation, and the ultimate music workhorse, the iPod Classic, with its centre dial.
Apple now has an annual reveal to release new products.
iTunes (2003)
Started simply as a programme to manage your music during the era of ripping music from CDs to your computer, iTunes became the world’s go-to source for buying music in the pre-streaming world. Songs were only R10 a piece and you didn’t have to purchase an entire album to hear your favourite song. You truly owned your music.
Outside of radio and music publications, iTunes became the place to see what songs were chart-toppers, while giving the stage to up-and-coming artists. But beware of asking people about the early Windows version of iTunes!
Apple TV (2007)
When the small black box was launched in 2007, as a gadget to watch movies available on iTunes, Netflix and YouTube, no one expected this to be Apple’s first step into entering the streaming wars with Apple TV+. At the end of Jobs’s career he was setting his sights on the television industry, which had made it almost impossible for people to click on a simple device to watch what they wanted when they wanted.
This was Apple’s contribution to killing off DVDs and bringing in on-demand movies and series and, eventually, streaming.
iPhone (2007)
It is hard to keep up with annual iPhone releases but it’s always a spectacular event when Apple holds its keynote events announcing the latest and greatest iPhone.
The 2007 keynote came to a crescendo when Jobs shouted, “An iPod, a phone and an internet communicator!” until the room roared with goosebump-inducing applause. The world has seen many interations of the iPhone, from curves to sharp corners, buttons that come and go, and the yearly addition of more and better cameras.
iPad (2010)
Instead of trying to reinvent the computer-to-tablet pipeline, Apple simply integrated its already familiar iOS into the iPad. Apple was not the first tech brand to introduce a handheld computer in the form of a tablet but it did it the best. It’s a laptop, a whiteboard, an artist’s canvas, a portable TV and an e-book all in one — and more. It’s no wonder so many people opt for an iPad over a laptop these days.
Apple Watch (2015)
Apple’s first piece of wearable tech came in different models, including editions made with Nike and Hermès, and with a hefty price tag (aka Apple tax).
There were high expectations on Apple Watch to stand out and outperform other wearables and it did not disappoint, largely because of its seamless integration with the iPhone.
Over the years, the watch has improved and matched the features of other top wearables.