There was one special computer in my computer lab at junior high. It was green, not gray, and round like a bubble — just totally different from the rest.
Everyone would rush to the room and push to get in front of it. The dial-up at home was a pain in the butt and our parents didn’t want us hogging the phone line, so class in the computer lab was our time to feel cool! Especially if you got to “work” on the funky green desktop.
Back then, we never imagined that Apple computers would take over the world by the time we were adults. Though Apple was started in 1976, it became a household name when the iPhone was released in 2007. Created by two Steves, Jobs and Wozniak, Apple was formed to change the way people viewed computers. And I would say they more than succeeded in that goal, having made $365 billion in revenue in 2021 driven in part by 20 million Mac and Macbook units being sold.
Since those initial personal desktop computers, Apple has expanded its range to include laptops, smartphones, tablets, wearables, and more. Each year, a new version is revealed and people have been known to camp overnight outside Apple stores to get their own. That excitement we used to feel going to the computer lab has never died out.
And in 2021, Apple went back to its roots and offered a series of color iMacs, bringing back memories for an entire generation!
Though Apple is nostalgic for many of us, it’s also an innovative market leader that can’t be ignored.
Yes, it’s a total pain to have to upgrade your expensive device every few years, and the fact that their technology is a completely walled garden can be frustrating. Also, just let us delete the Stocks app already — and remember the time they downloaded U2’s album on everyone’s iPhone?! But I guess that’s the consequence of their commitment to innovation — sometimes you’re gonna get it wrong.
At least Apple continues to be a brand for visionaries and disruptors. There’s really no other tech brand that comes close to that positioning. Samsung may be selling more smartphones than Apple right now, but can you tell me what Samsung’s brand stands for?
Register now to access more exclusive content, stay up-to-date on brands, news and events, and join our exclusive brand communities.
