Apple

Apple, Inc. was founded on 1 April 1976 in Cupertino, California, originally under the name Apple Computer. Three men stood at its birth:

Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne.

Jobs and Wozniak attended the same high school and met in 1971. Both later dropped out of university to work in IT. Wozniak joined HP and Jobs went to Atari, where he met Ronald Wayne. The turning point came in 1975 when Jobs and Wozniak saw the Altair 8800 computer at the Homebrew Computer Club.

Wozniak realised he could build such a computer himself at home. And so, in 1976, the Apple I was born.

Founding of Apple Computer

Wozniak's creation intrigued Jobs so much that they decided to start Apple to manufacture and sell computers. Ron Wayne joined them as the third partner to help with administration. However, he left Apple after just twelve days. He disagreed with Jobs' business plan and sold his share to the remaining two partners for 800 dollars.

How the Apple logo came to be

Ronald Wayne designed the original Apple logo, which depicted Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree. Shortly afterwards, the logo changed to the world-famous bitten apple. The shape of the Apple logo has remained the same since 1977, with only its colour changing. Originally, the apple featured rainbow colours, before Apple switched to a blue theme in 1998 and a black-and-white version 5 years later.

The first Apple computers

The first Apple I computer gained popularity mainly among members of the California-based Homebrew Computer Club. In 1977, it was replaced by the new Apple II model. It featured a plastic body and a colour monitor, which was a completely revolutionary feature at the time. In 1980, Apple Computer went public, with the company's shares rising by 32% on the very first day.

The battle between Apple and IBM

Apple faced difficulties in 1981 when the first IBM PC hit the market and took the top spots in sales charts. Jobs' team responded by launching the Apple Lisa, the first computer with a graphical user interface. However, due to its high price tag of 10000 US dollars, it was not a success.

It was not until the Apple Macintosh in 1984 that the company achieved some commercial success. Interestingly, Ridley Scott, famous at the time for the cult films Alien and Blade Runner, directed the television commercial for the first Macintosh.

Jobs and Wozniak leave Apple

However, the Macintosh did not sell nearly as well as top management had hoped. Following a conflict with the chief executive officer, Steve Jobs left Apple in 1985 and founded his own company, NeXT Computer. Wozniak also left Apple that same year.

Disputes between Apple and Microsoft

The company soon found itself in a dispute with Microsoft when Windows 1.0 was released. Apple did not like the striking similarity to their Mac OS system. Nearly a decade of legal battles followed, but the US courts did not grant Apple exclusive copyright to the graphical user interface.

Jobs returns to Apple

Steve Jobs eventually returned to Apple in the 1990s. Apple bought his company NeXT Computer in 1996, and Steve became the chief executive officer. In the years that followed, he focused on improving Apple's financial situation and developing new hardware.

A new era of iProducts arrives at Apple – iMac, iPod, iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch

After two years, Jobs restored the former glory of Macintosh computers – in 1998, he personally introduced the first iMac running Mac OS X. This was followed by a series of other successful Apple products.

iMac

iMac was first introduced in 1998. This elegant all-in-one computer impresses with its powerful hardware and optimised system.

iPhone

iPhone is one of the best-selling mobile phones today. Its first model was launched in 2007, and it has enjoyed unprecedented success ever since.

iPad

iPad enjoyed huge success upon its launch. This tablet filled the gap between the iPhone and the MacBook, gradually pushing most competing netbooks off the market.

MacBook

MacBook is the successor to the iBook personal computer range. These laptops combine unique elegance with high performance.

HomePod

HomePod is one of the company's biggest innovations in recent years. These wireless speakers focus on maximum sound quality and great design.

Apple Watch

Apple Watch is an elegant smartwatch with a range of features, including heart rate monitoring and step counting.

Apple TV

Apple TV is a multimedia centre suitable for any home. Simply connect the device to your TV to watch movies and videos via tvOS.

Apple Store vs. Apple App Store

Many people confuse the terms Apple Store and Apple App Store. While Apple Store refers to the physical retail shops, the Apple App Store is the online store where you can buy apps and games.