Happy half-century birthday to Apple Inc which is celebrated tomorrow, April 1, 2026. The company founded by Steve Jobs, Steve “The Woz” Wozniak and Ronald Wayne is already 50 years old and at the time of this article being written, it is the company with the second highest market value in the world behind NVIDIA.
In these 50 years, Apple has contributed a lot to the world of technology and is responsible for popularizing various trends and new product categories. All of this was successfully done even though it was almost bankrupt and was hit by a major storm after the death of Steve Jobs. Below is a list of their 10 greatest contributions to the world of technology.
1.Apple iPhone
Apple iPhone Gen 1 – AP
The biggest contribution is definitely the iPhone because it changed the landscape of mobile phones immediately. Physical buttons were replaced with capacitive touch screens that support gestures. There is no longer the obstacle of physical keys in applications. It quickly became an all-in-one multimedia machine and is why you are most likely reading this article on a smartphone.
The evolutionary shift in mobile phones can be seen before and after MacWorld 2007. The iPhone's impact on the world of phones, computers, economics, media and the internet can be compared to the Devonian Explosion on the life on Earth. It all started with Steve Jobs saying "the widescreen iPod with touch controls, the evolution of mobile phones and an innovative internet communication tool" on January 9, 2007.
2.iTunes and iPod - The Digital Music Revolution
All Apple iPods
Before iTunes the music industry was almost extinct due to piracy after the launch of Napster. Millions of songs could be downloaded through P2P sharing. Metallica tried to become the champion of artists until Napster died but other applications mushroomed to fill its place. iTunes launched in January 2001 with only 200,000 songs.
Within a week, 1 million songs were sold for 99 cents each. To prevent piracy, the FairPlay DRM system was used. People now have a way to buy digital music “legally” to support their favorite artists and record labels, and the iPod was saved from extinction.
Then in October, the iPod was launched to play purchased music. I still remember 2001 because in the blink of an eye, my Sony Discman and Creative Nomad (32MB) music players became dinosaurs compared to the futuristic iPod that could store 1000 songs! A big evolution because at that time, the majority of MP3 music players could only store tens of songs.
3. Apple Lisa – Introduction to GUI
Apple Lisa – Ted Thai
In the article about the iPhone above, I touched on how the device screen changed the way people interact with phones. No longer were dedicated physical buttons needed for navigation. In 1983, Apple revolutionized the way people interact with personal computers with the introduction of the Apple Lisa.
The Lisa was the first desktop computer sold to the public with a graphical user interface (GUI). Before the Lisa existed, Xerox produced a prototype that caught the attention of Steve Jobs who visited the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC). The Lisa was the first seed planted that later grew into the iPod, iPhone and iPad. After 43 years, modern computers still use GUI as an interface.
4.iPad – Realizing Tablet Computers
The Apple iPad was launched in 2010 but I'm sure many people don't realize that iPad technology was actually developed before the iPhone. After seeing the first prototype of the iPad, Steve Jobs bypassed Apple's design team to develop a phone first. As Mat Salleh said, "the rest is history".
Since the beginning of Apple's opening, Steve Jobs wanted to produce a tablet computer that was easy to use and carry everywhere. In Water Isaacson's book, the idea had already sprouted in his head through the Bashful concept in 1983 which was equipped with a stylus. Then in 1993 the Apple Newton was also launched with a stylus but it was not well received.
When Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, he realized that the technology for Bashful didn't exist yet and the Newton had such a poor user experience that he discontinued it in 1998.
It was only after powerful processors, a touchscreen that didn't require a stylus, an ecosystem of apps, and software specifically designed for touchscreens were in place that he launched the iPad to the world. All tablet computers before the iPad failed. Once again, Apple created a new product category that the industry followed.
5.App Store – App Economy
Lessons learned after launching iTunes were used by Apple to launch the App Store in 2008. Yes, the first generation iPhones did not have an app store because Steve Jobs said that various services should be accessible using Safari via web apps only.
The App Store was launched simultaneously with the iPhone 3GS with only 500 apps. There are now around 2 million apps and growing due to popularity. The introduction of the App Store created a new term “App Economy” especially after Apple allowed in-app purchases (IAP) in 2009.
Developers became rich by selling fart sound apps, burps and virtual beer drinking (iBeer). Without the App Store there would be no Instagram, WhatsApp and Snapchat. The existence of certain apps such as Angry Birds, Instagram and Fruit Ninja could determine the success of a new operating system. Meego and Symbian, for example, failed due to the lack of popular app support.
6. AirPods – Popularizing Wireless Earphones
Apple AirPods 2016
Before AirPods, every phone purchased came with a pair of wired earphones. After AirPods, the phone you buy now if you're lucky still has a charger. The first domino of minimalist equipment in the box of electronic devices was dropped by Apple with the AirPods.
Although it was initially a joke, Apple's move has now become a trend. Phones need to be thinner and the audio jack needs to be removed. Apple's "courage" now makes Bluetooth headphones and earphones no longer a luxury accessory. Purists may say that Bluetooth is of lower quality than wired earphones. But in reality, it's a small sacrifice to no longer have to deal with tangled cables and free yourself from cables.
Apple started with 0% of the Bluetooth earphone market in 2016. Last year it was in first place with 23% of the market all because of AirPods.
7.Apple Silicon - Using Arm Chips in Computers
2020 was an annus horribilis for the inhabitants of the earth due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But at the end of the same year, Apple Silicon was launched for the MacBook Air, starting the era of ARM-ericana pax as Apple proved that they no longer needed Intel and X86 chips.
High power can be achieved without overheating and using a lot of battery. I still remember the first time I used the MacBook M1 and was surprised to still have 20% battery left after working from the morning. Apple's initial effort paid off with Mac sales skyrocketing that year. Now the Arm architecture is also being used in Windows computers after several previous efforts were less than successful. Apple blazed the trail and others followed safely.
8. iMac G3 – Computers Don't Have to Be Boring
The iMac G3 proved that desktop computers didn't have to be boring with its beige color options in 1998. Steve Jobs and Jony Ive showed the world that computers could be offered in bright colors like the rainbow.
This design element continued on the iBook before being used again in the modern iMac and more recently the MacBook Neo. It could also be argued that the iMac popularized AIO computers for those looking for a stylish, compact, powerful computer that didn't take up much space.
