50 years of Apple, the company that revolutionized the market with its philosophy of personal technology

This April 1st 50 years have passed since the founding of Applea company that has managed to win over the public with its diverse range of devices and services, always at the forefront and references for the rest of the companies in the sector.

On the occasion of the anniversary, Apple CEO Tim Cook reflected in a letter on the brand’s milestones and philosophy: “We have spent five decades redefining what is possible and putting powerful tools in people’s hands“.

Apple has been able to integrate its philosophy that “technology had to be personal” in every device it has launched on the market, since its first computer model, the Apple I, that served for “show the world the formula for a useful and affordable computer”as Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak noted; and then with the first personal computer, the Apple II, based on an 8-bit architecture with MOS 6502 processor for a greater commercialization.

After the failure of Apple Lisathe first commercial computer with a graphical interface, due to its high price, Apple took another revolutionary step with the release of the Macintosh 128K in 1984. “Macintosh makes Lisa technology available to a broad audience for the first time, at an unmatched price and size,” said then-Apple Chairman and Co-Founder Steve Jobs.

It was not until 1989 when Apple launched its first laptophe Macintosh Portable. However, between its weight of 7 kilos and its high price, it did not achieve the expected commercial success.

The 1990s were a turbulent time within the company, even fearing bankruptcy. However, after the return of Steve Jobs to the company, Apple reemerged with the launch of the iMac G3a computer with a innovative design that managed to break with the traditional beige with a translucent blue model.

The iMac G3 was the the company’s first computer to incorporate USB ports. During the five years it was on the market, Apple managed to sell more than 6 million units of this model.

TOWARDS A MOBILE ECOSYSTEM

Beyond computers, Apple presented the Newton Message Pad in 1993, a personal digital assistant that recognized users’ handwritingwithout much precision, which was parodied in The Simpsons. However, it was the first Apple device to use a CPU ARM and served as dock for iPhone and iPad.

Beginning the new millennium, Apple launched the iPodhe first MP3 player in having capacity for a thousand songs and autonomy for ten hours of listening. Next to him came iTunesan online platform that revolutionized the music distribution business by allowing users play, organize, buy and download content.

However, Apple’s most revolutionary device arrived in 2007: the iPhoneand mobile phone that broke all the rules by presenting a touch screen and no keyboard. Apple got combine a phone, your iPod, and an Internet communications device with email or web browser.

“The iPhone is a revolutionary, magical product that is literally five years ahead of any other mobile phone,” said then-Apple CEO Steve Jobs. “We are all born with the best pointing device – our fingers – and the iPhone uses them to create the most revolutionary user interface since the mouse,” he added.

While the iPhone took Apple to another level, the company did not stop innovating its range of computers. Steve Jobs surprised the market when he took a computer out of an envelope in 2008. It was the MacBook Airhe “world’s thinnest” laptop at the time, with a maximum thickness of 1.93 cm and 0.4 cm at its thinnest point. “We’ve created the world’s thinnest laptop without sacrificing the full-size keyboard or spacious 13-inch display,” the CEO said during the presentation.

That same year the App Store within iTunes, with 500 applications initials that could be downloaded and transferred to the iPhone. One year after its launch, the number of applications exceeded 50.000.

In 2010, the company introduced the iPadand hybrid between the iPhone smartphone and the MacBook laptop. “The iPad creates and defines an entirely new category of devices that will connect users to their applications and content in a much more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before,” Jobs noted at its launch.

TIM COOK ERA: MORE SERVICES AND ACCESSORIES

Months before the death of Steve Jobs on October 5, 2011, Tim Cook took over as CEO of the company. After a period marked by the launch of revolutionary products, Apple entered a phase in which its services and accessories would be the protagonists.

In 2014 the company announced Apple Paya new way to make payments through the iPhone and later on other devices thanks to the design of its NFC antennahe chip Secure Element and the Touch ID technology. A year later it presented the streaming service Apple Music. “All the ways to enjoy music come together in a single app, offering a revolutionary streaming service,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, during the presentation.

The commitment to streaming services intensified in 2019, when it was launched AppleTV+an à la carte catalog of original content such as movies, series and documentaries; Apple Arcadewhich Apple highlighted as the first gaming service by subscription for mobile phones, computers and televisions; and Apple News+which gives access more than 300 digital publications.

On the other hand, Apple entered the world of wearables with the smart watch Apple Watch, the “most personal” device of the company, which included a Corona Digital to navigate the device without covering the screen. The Apple Watch became the best-selling smartwatch of 2015, exceeding 51% market share.

Within the Tim Cook era, one of the most notable products has been the wireless headphones AirPods, presented in 2016 after dispensing with the jack port on the iPhone 7. Compatible with all devices in the Apple ecosystem, the AirPods were characterized by automatically connecting to them. Protagonists of memes at their launch, these devices have evolved until they reached the AirPods Max 2, presented in March.

As an accessory, Apple presented in 2021 the AirTaga round, customizable device with which users can locate any device through the ‘Find’ service.

On the technical side, the company has achieved greater independence since 2020 thanks to its own processors for Mac, Apple Siliconalso allowing computer compatibility with iPhone and iPad ‘apps’.

PRESENT AND FUTURE: MIXED REALITY AND THE CHALLENGE OF AI

Apple’s last big release came in 2024, with the viewfinder mixed reality (MR) Apple Vision Pro“the most advanced consumer electronics device ever created,” as Tim Cook called it, which uses spatial computing to immerse users in digital worlds.

However, Apple has found its weakness in artificial intelligence. Although in 2024 it presented the Apple Intelligence system, which allows you to improve your texts, summarize notifications, emails and messages, and interact with Siri in a more natural and effective way; has fallen behind in the AI ​​race against the competition.

Currently, the future of this intelligent ecosystem and the Siri assistant depend on a agreement with Google and the use of its AI technology.