TIAH: 2000s - page 3

Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs returns following liver transplant

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Why Salesforce chief gave up AppStore.com for Apple
September 9 marked the start of Steve Jobs' final run at Apple.
Photo: Ben Stanfield/Flickr CC

September 9: Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs returns to Apple following liver transplant September 9, 2009: Steve Jobs makes his public return to Apple after successful liver-transplant surgery.

Appearing onstage at Apple’s fall event, Jobs receives a standing ovation that lasts almost a minute. He then opens the keynote on an unusually personal note by discussing his health.

Today in Apple history: iTunes Music Store hits 10 million downloads

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Avril Lavigne's
Avril Lavigne's "Complicated" becomes the 10 millionth iTunes song download.
Photo: Avril Lavigne

August 8: Today in Apple history: iTunes Store hits 10 million music downloads September 8, 2003: Apple reveals that the iTunes Music Store recently sold its 10 millionth song download. The tune in question? Avril Lavigne’s “Complicated.”

Come to think of it, “You fall and you crawl and you break and you take what you get and you turn it into [success]” describes Apple pretty well in the late ’90s and early 2000s.

Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs unveils Rokr E1, the first iTunes phone

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The Motorola Rokr E1 was Apple's doomed
The iPhone's terrible ancestor proved disastrous from Day 1.
Photo: Apple

September 7: Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs unveils Rokr E1, the first iTunes phone September 7, 2005: Apple and Motorola launch the Rokr E1, the first Cupertino-sanctioned cellphone to run iTunes.

Even the high-profile demo goes wrong, and Apple CEO Steve Jobs is very unhappy with the results. The compromised device shows what an error it is to let an outside designer create a phone under the Apple banner. The company won’t make the same mistake twice.

Today in Apple history: iPod shows it has life after iPhone

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The first iPod touch, released in 2007.
Apple released three new iPods, including the first iPod touch, in 2007.
Photo: Apple

5SeptSeptember 5, 2007: Apple introduces its first new iPods after the release of the iPhone. The lineup includes the third-gen iPod nano, the newly renamed iPod Classic and — most significantly — the debut of the iPod touch.

In doing so, Apple sets out to demonstrate that there is still plenty of life left in the iconic portable music player.

Today in Apple history: $200 iPhone discount fuels fan backlash

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First gen iPhone
The iPhone won plaudits. Its price reduction? Not so much.
Photo: Traci Dauphin/Cult of Mac

September 5: Today in Apple history: $200 iPhone price cut incurs fan backlash September 5, 2007: Just months after the first iPhone went on sale, Apple ditches its bottom-tier 4GB model and cuts the price of the 8GB version by $200.

A rare misstep (considering Apple’s usual mastery of the press), this tone-deaf PR move backfires immediately. Early adopters rage about shelling out premium prices for their first-generation iPhones. Fortunately, Apple makes good.

Today in Apple history: iMac G5 takes a page out of the iPod’s playbook

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The iMac G5 looked like the world's biggest iPod.
The iMac G5 looked like the world's biggest iPod.
Photo: Matthew Pearce/Flickr CC

August 31: Today in Apple history: iMac G5 takes a page out of the iPod's playbook August 31, 2004: Apple launches the iMac G5, a distinctive, white plastic computer that looks a little like the world’s biggest iPod.

Housed in a 2-inch-thick enclosure reminiscent of Apple’s Cinema Displays, the new all-in-one machine bridges the gap between the pleasing plasticity of the iconic G3 iMac and the minimalist form factor of the ultra-slim aluminum Macs that will follow.

Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs gets embroiled in stock-backdating scandal

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Steve Jobs-inspired art
Steve Jobs' stock demands changed some people's view of the tech innovator.
Photo: Jason Mercier

August 29: Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs gets embroiled in Apple stock-backdating scandal August 29, 2001: During a meeting, Apple’s board of directors awards Steve Jobs new stock options that will become part of a stock-backdating scandal several years later.

When the matter eventually ends up in court, Apple’s former general counsel pays $2.2 million to settle charges that she backdated stock options for Jobs, herself and others — and created fake paperwork to hide this fact.

Today in Apple history: FireWire wins Apple its first Emmy

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FireWire lands Apple its first Emmy.
FireWire lands Apple its first Emmy.
Image: The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences/Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

August 22: Today in Apple history: FireWire wins Apple its first Emmy August 22, 2001: Apple takes home a technical Emmy for developing FireWire, the high-speed serial port that allows users to transfer data quickly between a Macintosh and another device, such as a digital camera.

“Apple enabled the desktop video revolution with its invention of FireWire,” says Jon Rubinstein, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, in a press release. FireWire plays a key role in Steve Jobs’ “digital hub” strategy at Apple. However, the technology’s origins go back much further than that.

Today in Apple history: Apple fan Jerry Seinfeld joins the dark side

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Microsoft ad
"What's the deal with bad advertising?"
Photo: Microsoft

August 21: Today in Apple history: Jerry Seinfeld appears in failed Microsoft ads August 21, 2008: Microsoft recruits comedian Jerry Seinfeld for a series of ads. It’s a naked attempt to shake the company’s reputation as a stodgy oldster (as opposed to Apple’s trendsetting hipster image).

Microsoft pays Seinfeld a reported $10 million for the ads. However, thanks to the Mac’s appearance in virtually every episode of Seinfeld over the years, the comedian remains the world’s most famous Apple fanboy.

Today in Apple history: Power Mac G4 gets a mirrored redesign

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iMac G4 Mirrored Doors
This was the ultimate Mac power setup in 2002.
Photo: Apple

August 13: Today in Apple history: Power Mac G4 gets a Mirrored Drive Doors redesign August 13, 2002: Apple unveils the final face-lift for its Power Mac G4, the so-called “Mirrored Drive Doors” model.

The distinctive-looking computer borrows visually from the previous “QuickSilver” G4, released a year earlier. However, it adds a different front panel, with a mirrorlike finish for the media drive doors. It’s the last visual redesign of Apple’s Power Mac G4.

Today in Apple history: Dev defends I Am Rich, his totally useless $1,000 app

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I Am Rich
The I Am Rich app could be yours for the bargain price of $999.99.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

August 10 Today in Apple history: Dev defends I Am Rich, his totally useless $1,000 app August 10, 2008: The developer of I Am Rich, a pointless iPhone app that sold for a whopping $999.99, defends his notorious creation as “art.”

After Apple removed I Am Rich from the App Store in the wake of controversy over the app’s outrageous price and total lack of usefulness, its creator, German developer Armin Heinrich, says he made it as a sort of joke.

Today in Apple history: Original Mac Pro packs serious Intel power

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Mac Pro
The original Mac Pro took productivity to new levels.
Photo: Apple

August 7: Today in Apple history: Original Mac Pro packs serious Intel power August 7, 2006: Apple unleashes the first Mac Pro, a high-end desktop computer that completes the company’s transition from PowerPC to Intel processors.

Built for computation-heavy tasks like 3D rendering and professional audio and video editing, the quad-core, 64-bit Mac Pro serves as a replacement for the Power Mac G5 (from which it borrows its aluminum “cheese grater” design).

Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs acknowledges MobileMe failure

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MobileMepic
MobileMe was the failed precursor to iCloud.
Photo: Apple

August 4: Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs acknowledges MobileMe failure August 4, 2008: Steve Jobs owns up to mistakes in launching MobileMe, spinning Apple’s bungled cloud service rollout as a learning opportunity.

“It was a mistake to launch MobileMe at the same time as iPhone 3G, iPhone 2.0 software and the App Store,” Jobs writes in an email to Apple employees. “We all had more than enough to do, and MobileMe could have been delayed without consequence.”

Today in Apple history: The last iBook laptop goes on sale

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Rugged and pearly white, the iBook G4 becomes the last of its line.
Rugged and pearly white, the iBook G4 becomes the last of its line.
Photo: Hannes Grobe/Wikipedia CC

July 26: Today in Apple history: White iBook G4, the last laptop in the popular lineup, goes on sale July 26, 2005: Apple debuts the opaque white iBook G4, the last of its laptops to launch under the iBook name.

The portable computer adds Apple’s scrolling trackpad for the first time. It also incorporates Bluetooth 2.0 as a standard feature, and becomes the last Apple laptop with a PowerPC chip.

Today in Apple history: Mighty Mouse goes wireless — with lasers!

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Mighty Mouse
The images Apple submitted to the FCC of its new mouse.
Photo: Federal Communications Commission/Apple

July 24: Today in Apple history: Apple Mighty Mouse goes wireless -- with lasers! July 24, 2006: The world gets its first glimpse of Apple’s new wireless Mighty Mouse, a multibutton Bluetooth device with super-accurate laser tracking.

Photos of the accessory come to light through an Apple filing with the Federal Communications Commission. Apple will launch the device the very next day.

Today in Apple history: World’s first third-party iPhone app arrives

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Hello World
An intrepid hacker gets the iPhone to say "hello." While the message is simple, the meaning is profound.
Image: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

July 20: Today in Apple history: World's first third-party iPhone app arrives July 20, 2007: Just a month after the original iPhone goes on sale, the first third-party app gets compiled and launched for the new platform.

Called “Hello World,” the software serves more as a proof of concept than a serious tool. But it demonstrates that third-party apps will become a cornerstone of the new iPhone economy. It’s a shame Apple doesn’t get the memo.

Today in Apple history: iPod gets a new Click Wheel

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The fourth-generation iPod brought key improvements like the Click Wheel, but still left some people disappointed.
The fourth-generation iPod brought key improvements, but still left some people disappointed.
Photo: National Museum of American History Smithsonian Institution/Flickr CC

July 19: Today in Apple history: Fourth-generation iPod gets Click Wheel interface July 19, 2004: The fourth-generation iPod brings neat innovations to the popular audio device, including the Click Wheel interface recently introduced on the iPod mini.

“The best digital music player just got better,” says Steve Jobs in a press release on the day the product launches. And yet some people feel disappointed by the upgraded music player.

Today in Apple history: iMac G4 gets super-sized screen

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The iMac G4 brings a
The iMac G4 brings a "breathtaking" giant screen to desktops everywhere.
Photo: Apple

July 17: Today in Apple history: iMac G4 brings super-sized screen July 17, 2002: Apple ships a new super-sized iMac G4, offering a 17-inch widescreen LCD display that becomes the envy of most computer users at the time.

“The best consumer desktop just got even better,” says Steve Jobs of Apple’s new all-in-one computer in a press release. “Having this gorgeous 17-inch flat screen floating in mid-air right in front of you is simply breathtaking. There’s nothing like it in the PC world.” He wasn’t wrong!

Today in Apple history: Nike+iPod Sport Kit puts fitness tracking in your pocket

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The Nike+iPod Sports Kit was a nifty innovation.
The Nike+iPod Sport Kit was a nifty innovation.
Photo: Apple

July 13: Today in Apple history: Nike+iPod Sport Kit brings fitness tracking to your pocket July 13, 2006: Apple releases its first activity tracker, the Nike+iPod Sport Kit, which combines Cupertino’s popular music player with a smart pedometer.

The product marks Apple’s first step toward the kind of mobile health-tracking initiatives it will pursue in the following decade — most notably through its iOS Health app and the Apple Watch.

Today in Apple history: iPhone 3G brings a big speed boost

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iPhone 3G
Did you own the iPhone 3G?
Photo: Apple

July 11: Today in Apple history: iPhone 3G goes on sale, brings big speed boost July 11, 2008: The iPhone 3G goes on sale. Expectations for the smartphone sequel run high, and Apple delivers with the addition of GPS, faster 3G data and a higher-quality build.

To make things even better, Apple’s second smartphone runs on a new mobile operating system. iPhone OS 2 introduces a better Mail app, turn-by-turn navigation and a little something called the App Store.

Today in Apple history: App Store opens its virtual doors

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App Store
What was the first app you ever downloaded?
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

July 10: Today in Apple history: Apple launches the iPhone App Store July 10, 2008: Apple launches the App Store, an online hub that lets iPhone owners browse and download apps made by third-party developers.

Transforming the iPhone from a locked-down platform to a generative one, the App Store means that every iPhone user can have his or her own “killer app” depending on the software they want — from social networking to composing music to playing games.

One of the most significant launches in Apple history, the App Store opens up a whole new revenue stream for Cupertino. It’s hard to believe that Steve Jobs was originally dead-set against it!

Today in Apple history: Apple reclaims top spot in education

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On this day in 1998, the world says
The easy-to-use iMac spurred Apple's return to dominance in schools.
Photo: Apple

July 9: Today in Apple history: Apple reclaims top spot in education July 9, 2001: Apple earns the title of No. 1 computer manufacturer in the education market, with twice as many machines in schools as runner-up Dell Computer.

It’s a big turnaround from a couple of years earlier, when Dell overtook Apple and Steve Jobs was accused of abandoning this important market.

Today in Apple history: Apple ships its last Mac with a CRT monitor

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eMac
This is the day the era of bulky CRT Macs ended forever.
Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

July 5: Today in Apple history: Apple ships its last Mac with a CRT monitor July 5, 2006: Apple discontinues its low-end eMac product line. The action signals the end of the cathode ray tube era for Macs.

After more than a quarter-century using CRT monitors, Apple shifts to the superior LCD technology still used for Macs today. When it comes to screens, thin is definitely in!

Today in Apple history: End of the line for Power Mac G4 Cube

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Mac G4 Cube
Apple announced it was putting the G4 Cube "on ice."
Photo: Apple

July 3: Today in Apple history: Apple stops making Power Mac G4 Cube July 3, 2001: Apple suspends production of its Power Mac G4 Cube, one of the most notable busts in Apple history — and the first major flop following Steve Jobs’ glorious return to the company.

Although Apple leaves the door open to possibly reintroducing the remarkably clear G4 Cube at a later date, this never happens. The stylish computer is superseded by Apple’s upgrade to G5 processors and then to Intel Core-based Macs.