Top 5 Apple Products that Changed Technology Forever
Apple Products have taken a giant presence in the world of technology. The company has proven many times that it has taken a lead in innovation. Below I listed my top 5 Apple Products that set a new standard for tech companies.
1. iPod (2001)
I will never forget switching from using a portable CD player to the iPod. It was a big change in my music listening experience. At first, I thought it was convenient to be able to take CDs anywhere I went. But once I switched to the iPod, I immediately lost it. I found it incredible how a device significantly smaller than the portable CD play can hold many more songs than a CD! It really heightened my standards for how music should be enjoyed!
Although MP3 players have been around before the iPod, this apple invention still made something remarkable. It is one of the first, if not first, MP3 players that had massive commercial success. Like me, the iPod has helped ease the transition from portable CD players to smaller media players. This means Apple has been responsible for birthing this new era of digital music listening. A massive accomplishment if you ask me!
After the worldwide success of Apple’s digital music player, many media companies have followed and made their own MP3 players. Thus making this a new trend for the 21st Century. I find this invention to be a true cultural reset!
2. Apple Macintosh (1984)
Before the 1980s, computers were super chunky. They took up a lot of space and were not super convenient to use. During this time, personal computers were starting to gain traction on the market. Most computers during these times did not have a graphical user interface or even a mouse. You would usually get a big modem and a chunky screen.
Right before the Apple Macintosh came out, the company released a commercial during the Superbowl XVII. It was a massively produced commercial based on George Orwell’s 1984. It was a big deal because it was the first cinematic-type marketing move for a computer. This commercial has helped the company garner exponential success for the Macintosh. It was even one of the first to diss a competitor. In this case, they have dissed IBM, their arch-nemesis.
Aside from commercial success, the computer itself was a marvel to look at. It is one of the first all-in-one computers to be made. Meaning that the screen and modem are all together in one place. It is the first commercially available system to even have a mouse! It is also the first successful computer to have a graphic user interface, making it easy for consumers to utilize the machine. Overall, it is a computer that has transformed home computing for the better.
3. iPhone (2007)
Cellular phones in the early 200s were convenient. They offered a great portable alternative to using landlines. Apple users will usually have a cell phone and an iPod in their purse. Texting loved ones while listening to music on another device. It does sound great being able to do all of this on the go. But no one has asked if they can combine these two devices into one. And in 2007, Apple has outdone itself with this cultural reset of a phone!
When announcing the iPhone during the Macworld event, Steve Jobs has coined this device as a three-in-one. He named it a “widescreen iPod with multitouch abilities, revolutionary mobile phone, and a breakthrough internet communicator” all in one device. I will never forget how amazed I was by this release. As a little kid who owned an iPod, I never thought I’d be able to see an iPod, phone, and mini-computer. Three Apple Products in one!
Consumers went totally bonkers when this device was released in June 2007. Lines to buy the iPhone formed as early as the day before it went for sale. There are several videos on Youtube depicting massive crowds, stampedes, and even fights, all happening in the Apple Store. During that release day!
4. iPad (2010)
The 2000s proved to be such a great decade for Apple. First, with newer Mac computers that continued to innovate the world of computing. Second, the iPod: transforming the way we listen to music. And third, the iPhone: making the most revolutionary device. Making multiple aspects of entertainment, calling, and computing combined into one. Now it’s 2010. What does Apple have in store next?
This is when the iPad comes into play. Taking many great aspects of the iPhone and enlarging them (literally). This time, the computing part of the iDevice shines brightly. Now that the iPad has the size of a laptop screen, consumers can now get that iPhone experience that is computer size. Many users have even said that it can replace your own laptop or desktop computer. It is this advanced!
This massive touchscreen device is the first commercially successful tablet to hit the market. Reaching the same heights as the iPhone did in 2007. The Apple Stores were under chaos once again, and lines reached way out the door. It was an intense day for the company!
5. M1 Macs (2020)
For the longest time, Apple’s Mac Computers have utilized third-party processors. Meaning that the chips they use to power themselves are produced by another company. In the 80s, Apple has used processors made by Motorola. And between the late 90s and 2019, Macs have been using Intel Core Processors. The most popular processors in the market. Meanwhile, Apple has used its own in-house processors of its iPhone, iPad, and other devices. Named Apple Silicon, these chips have been known to be super powerful. Even more powerful than Intel. Leaving many people asking: “when will the Macs get Apple Silicon.”
2020 is here! A new decade! Meaning new years to innovate and excite. And in November of 2020, Apple has finally introduced the M1 Chip: a new in-house processor that will replace the Intel ones. And this is a big deal because these M1 Macs have taken a massive leap in performance. Exponentially massacring previous models, including the 2019 Intel Models.
In November of 2020, Apple has released the M1 versions of the Mac Mini, Macbook Air, and Macbook Pro. The M1 Macbook Air is the one I own. Heck, I am even typing this article using this computer!
Do you go crazy for any of these Apple Products when they first came out? If so? Let us know which of these Apple Products impressed you the most!
Featured Image Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh#/media/File:Steve_Jobs_and_Macintosh_computer,_January_1984,_by_Bernard_Gotfryd_-_edited.jpg
