Today, on April 1, back in 1976, Apple was founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, which eventually led to reading these very words on a website that covers everything about the company.
That means it’s Apple’s 47th birthday today, and the company has done quite a bit since its inception, which began with two people in a garage in Palo Alto. We’ve seen the rise of the personal computer, mainly thanks to the Macintosh, and we can carry around a thousand songs in our pocket thanks to the iPod.
With Apple allegedly getting its newest product, the Reality Pro VR headset, ready to be announced at WWDC 2023, we at iMore thought of our favorite products from throughout the company’s history.
Pick 1 - iPad Pro 11-inch (Gen 1 2018)
John-Anthony Disotto — How to Editor
Thinking about the 1st generation 11-inch iPad Pro makes me nostalgic beyond belief. That iPad, which I believe is still the best value for money in an iPad today (buy one-second hand, it’s still a speed demon), is the epitome of my final years at university.
Combined with Notability, Apple Pencil, and a Magic Keyboard, my trusty iPad Pro became my only device as I marched toward my degree. I loved that thing and, to this day, question why I sold it after I graduated—recording lecturers using Notability’s record feature that synced up the audio with my writing made for the perfect study tool and a godsend for interviews.
Now, I use my M2 iPad Pro, and it’s fantastic, but for some reason, its older sibling still has my heart, and I can’t help but feel a sense of regret when I think about the good times we shared.
Pick 2 - MacBook Pro 13-inch (2011)
Tammy Rogers — Staff Writer
My first MacBook - the one that kickstarted my love of macOS and those sumptuous aluminum shells. This wasn’t the first unibody MacBook Pro, but it’s the first one I laid my hands on. I got mine in my first year of uni, a couple of years after it came out, and it served me and my needs perfectly for the four years I studied.
The hard drive died, so I replaced it with an SSD. The RAM got borked somehow, so I replaced it. It was my trusty university companion, and without it, I would not have graduated. It may not be the most memorable Apple product, but I miss it immensely. If I could have it serve my needs now, I absolutely would. After all, it still turns on. So maybe…
Pick 3 - iPhone (1st generation)
Stephen Warwick — News Editor
I’ve probably cheated here by choosing the original iPhone, but it is without a doubt the most impressive (and important) product Apple has ever made. Apple’s iPhone continues to excel today and drives millions of customers through the doors of Apple Stores each year, but the very first iPhone was such a marvel of design and engineering in a way I don’t think we often appreciate now.
The multi-touch display, the curved back, the glass screen, and more were all hugely ahead of their time. Apple’s iPhone successes across the years are largely down to just how revolutionary the original iPhone was and how much it shook up the smartphone market, arguably even creating it.
The original design was a thing of beauty, and I find myself almost daily lusting after an original iPhone on eBay.
Pick 4 - iPod (3rd Generation)
Daryl Baxter — Features Editor
Pre-iPod, I would carry around a Creative MP3 disk player, which allowed me to play files from a burned CD - however, it was so slow at loading tracks, and having to swap CDs constantly frustrated me to no end.
So when I saved up some money for an iPod in April 2003, it really did feel like a breath of fresh air once I switched it on and synced some music from iTunes.
I loved, and still love, everything that the iPod brought. It had a simple but brilliant interface, the click wheel felt great, and the fact that every song loaded up in less than 3 seconds rather than 10 was a big deal at the time.
It’s said that when Apple launches a new product, it’s best to wait until the second or third generation so that the kinks and user feedback have been taken on board - but here, it felt like it had hit a home run when the iPod debuted in 2001, and so for this third-generation model, Apple made a great product even better.
While I carry an iPod Video with me today, I’ve always got a soft spot for the third-generation model. The iPod 3rd Generation introduced me to Apple at the very beginning, which made me pursue a career in technology and led to you reading these very words.
Back to the Future
While it’s fun to look back on the past with Apple, WWDC always announces the future of its updates, while hinting toward upcoming products.
This year’s event seems as though it’s gearing up for something new, alongside iOS 17 and the other upcoming software updates.
The VR headset has been rumored for years, and it feels as though WWDC 2023 is finally going to be the time and place where we all get to see what it looks like, what it’s called, and if we’ll all be buying one by Christmas.
Whether we’ll be looking back at the headset when Apple reaches its hundredth birthday though, remains to be seen.
WWDC is an exciting time that shows the best of Apple and its community. As the company’s most important event of the year draws nearer, we’re excited to see what the future entails - whatever it is, we’ll be ready for it.
