It seems that Apple Inc. has decided to take over the world by releasing one product after another. Almost every second person on the planet owns at least one Apple product, whether it's a computer, phone, watch, or tablet—such is the power of this globally renowned brand.
Starting production in 1976 as a computer company making monitors, Apple expanded its product range at the beginning of the new millennium, giving birth to the iPod, iPhone, iPad, and, more recently, the iWatch. Notably, Apple ranks among the top 10 brands favored by youth. The company's co-founder, Steve Jobs, passed away in October 2011, prompting many to predict difficult times ahead for Apple. However, these predictions have not materialized—since then, Apple's products have only grown in popularity, and the company now boasts a dominant market share across all types of electronic gadgets. Despite daily news updates about Apple, there are still many fascinating and little-known facts about this company.
For example, the original logo did not feature a bitten apple but was instead related to the famous physicist Isaac Newton. Additionally, the creator of the iPod initially presented the idea to two of Apple's biggest competitors, who thought the logo would be a complete failure—until the apple was bitten. Moreover, Apple possesses more cash reserves than the GDP of 136 countries.
Here are 20 mind-blowing facts about Apple, the company that introduced the world to the Mac, iPhone, iPod, and iPad.
20. The Company is Named After a Fruit
Steve Jobs visited an apple farm in the early 1970s while he was on an apple diet, which was the decisive factor in choosing the company's name.
Jobs said that the name "Apple" was fun, spirited, and non-threatening. The record company that helped The Beatles achieve global success, Apple Corp, sued the computer company for allegedly stealing their trademark. The companies finally reached an agreement over the use of the name "Apple" in 1978, although it followed several court sessions.
Jobs may have been a fan of The Beatles, but he always maintained that his decision to name the company was not connected to his love for the band.
19. The Original Apple Logo Features Sir Isaac Newton
While the first Apple logo was almost immediately replaced by the "rainbow apple" - which was then used until August 1999 - the original logo featured Sir Isaac Newton. The logo showed the English physicist and mathematician sitting under a tree with an apple over his head - which, as legend has it, fell on Isaac Newton's head and helped him discover the law of gravity.
18. The Photos You See in Iphone Ads Always Show the Time "9:41"
Steve Jobs unveiled the first generation iPhone on June 29, 2007, at precisely 9:41 AM. For this reason, every time an iPhone is shown in an ad, the time will remain unchanged - "9:41," in memory of this historic moment. Pay attention to iPhone ads and see for yourself.
17. Upon Accepting the Itunes Terms of Use Agreement, You Must Also Agree to Not Use Apple Products to Create Nuclear Weapons
There are over 800 million iTunes account holders worldwide - and each of them, regardless of their location, has agreed to not use Apple products to create nuclear weapons. The agreement includes a clause stating that anyone who signs up for an iTunes account is waiving the right to produce atomic bombs. So, try using a different Apple app if you can.
16. Everything You Say to Siri is Stored and Analyzed by the Company
Every person who has used Apple's iOS operating system has at least once used voice commands, and has been extremely disappointed in Siri. The personal assistant and all-knowing navigator allows the user to talk to their phone, and in theory, the phone should flawlessly execute commands. Every command given to Siri is stored and analyzed for up to two years in Apple's central database.
15. The First Image on a Macintosh Was Disney's Scrooge McDuck
When Apple was developing the Macintosh in the early 1980s, the company experimented with various images in order to establish the highest resolution capabilities of the display.
The first image that was displayed on a Mac prototype was none other than Disney's Scrooge McDuck. It is quite fitting that the first image on Apple and Mac computers was Scrooge McDuck sitting on a bag of money, playing the violin - something that the company's owners could easily replicate in real life.
14. The First Apple Computer Was Sold for $666.66
The original 4K Apple I went on sale in July 1976 for $666.66 - or about $2,760 in today's money - which caused an uproar in the Christian community, with many claiming that the price was chosen for a devilish reason, as it is the "number of the beast."
However, co-founder Steve Wozniak firmly maintained that the reason for choosing this price was that the actual price of the Apple I was around $667.00. The number $666.66 was simply "easier to type."
13. Philips and Realnetworks Turned Down the Idea of Creating an iPod
The idea of creating the iPod actually belongs to inventor Tony Fadell - he only sold the idea to Apple after his proposal was rejected by two other major electronics companies.
In the late 1990s, Fadell approached Philips and RealNetworks with the idea of a digital music player - the only problem was that there was no future for its invention.
Steve Jobs and Apple were so impressed with the embodiment of this idea that Fadell was eventually added to Apple's list of inventors. The iPod was released in October 2001 and achieved tremendous success.
12. The Apple is Worth $479 Billion
When the 100 largest publicly traded companies in the world were valued by their market capitalization in 2014, Apple Inc came in first place with an unexpected valuation of $479 billion.
The second-largest company, Exxon Mobil, lagged behind by $57 billion, valued at $422 billion - while Microsoft became the third-largest company. It was valued at $340 billion. Google secured fourth place with a valuation of $313 billion.
11. The LCD Display is Not Made by Apple
Apple and Samsung compete with each other in the production of smartphones, displays, music players, and computers, and also actively sue each other for alleged copyright and patent infringement. However, Samsung supplies parts to Apple.
In fact, Samsung develops and manufactures the LCD displays that Apple uses in its iPads. And at the same time, these two companies are actively suing each other.
10. Apple CEO Tim Cook is the First (and Only) Openly Gay Fortune 500 CEO
Tim Cook joined Apple in 1998 as Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales, worked his way up to Senior Vice President of Worldwide Operations, then to COO, and finally was appointed CEO in August 2011.
A member of the Nike Board of Directors and the National Football Foundation, Cook became the first CEO of a Fortune 500 company - the 500 companies in the US with the highest gross income - to openly announce that he is gay.
No other CEO of a Fortune 500 company has openly stated their non-traditional sexual orientation, which means that Cook is the first to dare to do so, and the only one to date.
9. The Company Has About $100 Billion in Cash Reserves
Over the years, Apple has been able to generate a huge cash reserve of $100 billion - meaning the company has more money than the GDP of 136 countries in the world. In addition, Apple has cash reserves higher than the GDP of Iceland, Côte d'Ivoire, Serbia, and Slovenia combined.
8. Apple Coded the iPhone as "M68" and the iPod as "DALSIMMER" During Production
In the electronics industry, every potential innovation must be hidden and protected at the development stage so that competing companies do not understand what is actually being created.
In order to keep the two special innovations a secret during production, Apple coded the iPhone as "M68" and the iPod as "DALSIMMER" so that even people within the company did not know what was being developed.
7. The Apple Logo Has Nothing to Do with the Bible
The popularity of the company in the 1980s gave rise to many rumors around it, most of which are absurd. Some claimed that the Apple logo has a direct connection to the Bible.
The bitten apple logo has nothing to do with Adam and Eve biting the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. Steve Jobs simply liked the way the apple looked.
After choosing the company name, Jobs asked designer Jean-Louis Gassée to develop a corresponding logo. As a result, two logo options were presented: one was a whole apple, the other was a bitten one. Steve Jobs liked the second option better, it had a more artful look.
6. Workplaces Where Top Secret Innovations Are Developed Are Walled Off
As it has become clear, secrecy is paramount at Apple HQ when new products are being developed - this is classified information even within the Apple team itself.
When an employee is working on a new innovative product that is being kept secret by the company, walls are erected around their workspace, and the windows are covered with frosted glass.
5. The Apple Logo on Early Laptops Was Upside Down
Until the 1990s, the Apple logo on Apple Macintosh laptops would turn upside down when the laptop lid was opened.
Steve Jobs really thought that this position of the logo - facing the user - would help customers open the laptop from the correct side. However, in this position, when the lid was opened, the logo was upside down.
However, as Apple products began to appear on television screens, and were increasingly shown in movies and television shows, the company realized that their products looked ridiculous with an upside-down apple. Therefore, the logo was flipped over in the early 1990s.
4. Apple Released a Video Game Console in 1995 Called "PIPPIN"
Apple Pippin, or as it was also called - PiPP! N, was a video game console released by Apple in 1995. However, Pippin was a resounding failure, selling only about 42,000 units worldwide. The console was based on the PowerPC 603 processor and was compatible with CD-ROMs. It also had a number of features that were ahead of its time, such as a built-in web browser and support for multiplayer gaming. However, the Pippin was ultimately doomed by its high price tag, lack of popular games, and poor marketing.
3. The Company's First Product Was a Wooden Circuit Board Kit
Apple was founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne in Jobs' garage in Los Altos, California. The company's first product was a wooden circuit board kit called the Apple I, which was designed and sold by Wozniak. The Apple I was a bare-bones computer that required users to assemble their own components. It was sold for $666.66.
2. The Company Was Almost Bankrupt in the Early 1990s
In the early 1990s, Apple was on the verge of bankruptcy. The company was losing money, and its market share was declining. In 1997, Jobs returned to Apple as CEO and helped to revive the company by introducing a number of new products, including the iMac, iPod, and iPhone.
1. Apple is One of the Most Valuable Companies in the World
Today, Apple is one of the most valuable companies in the world. The company is worth over $2 trillion and has a market capitalization of over $3 trillion. Apple is also one of the most popular brands in the world. Its products are used by millions of people around the globe.
This concludes the 20 fascinating facts about Apple. I hope you learned something new about the company and its history.
