Introduction of Mac OS X, Jan 5, 2000:
Steve Jobs demonstrated Mac OS X to an audience of over 4,000 people during his Macworld Expo keynote today, and over 100 developers have pledged their support for the new operating system, including Adobe and Microsoft. […] The new technology Aqua, created by Apple, is a major advancement in personal computer user interfaces. Aqua features the “Dock” — a revolutionary new way to organize everything from applications and documents to web sites and streaming video.Fittingly, the Dock is probably the most out-dated feature of the present Mac OS.
Unveiling of a new iBook, PowerBook and Power Mac G4, Feb 16, 2000:
Featuring double the memory and hard drive size, all three new iBook models come standard with 64MB of memory and a 6GB hard drive. iBook Special Edition features a faster 366 MHz PowerPC G3 processor and, like iMac® DV Special Edition, comes in a stunning Graphite-color enclosure.750,000 downloads of iTunes & release of iTunes 1.1, Feb 22, 2001:
With almost one million Mac users managing their digital music with iTunes, we are witnessing a revolution in digital music on the Mac,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iTunes 1.1 now supports over 25 third-party CD burners, so even more Mac users can create and burn their own custom music CDs
Ah, the growing pains of dealing with third-party hardware. Back when anything less than a million was still something to brag about.
Apple Presents iPod, October 23, 2001:
Apple® today introduced iPod™, a breakthrough MP3 music player that packs up to 1,000 CD-quality songs into an ultra-portable, 6.5 ounce design that fits in your pocket. […] “With iPod, Apple has invented a whole new category of digital music player that lets you put your entire music collection in your pocket and listen to it wherever you go,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “With iPod, listening to music will never be the same again.”
Retailing for the price of $399, about the price of an iPad by today’s conversion rates.
Apple launches an ad campaign featuring “Real People,” June 10, 2002:
Apple launches an ad campaign featuring “Real People,” June 10, 2002:
“These are not actors—they’re real people who have switched from PCs to Macs, telling their story in their own words,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “More people are interested in switching from PCs to Macs than ever before, and we hope that hearing these successful switchers tell their story will help others make the jump.”
New iPod models and support for Windows XP, July 17, 2002:
“The award-winning iPod now comes in models that are more affordable, thinner and hold up to 4,000 songs in your pocket,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “But the biggest news is that we’re bringing the iPod to Windows users, so they can join this amazing portable digital music revolution.”
It wasn’t until Windows support that the iPod finally took off. The rest as they say, was history.
Launch of the iTunes Music Store, April 28, 2003:
The iTunes Music Store offers groundbreaking personal use rights, including burning songs onto an unlimited number of CDs for personal use, listening to songs on an unlimited number of iPods, playing songs on up to three Macintosh® computers, and using songs in any application on the Mac®, including iPhoto™, iMovie™ and iDVD™.[…] “Consumers don’t want to be treated like criminals and artists don't want their valuable work stolen. The iTunes Music Store offers a groundbreaking solution for both.”
It’s funny to see Digital Rights Management being touted as a ‘groundbreaking’ feature.
New “Mini” Retail Stores, Oct 14, 2004:
Apple® today unveiled its new "mini" retail store, a stunning all-new design featuring stainless steel walls and seamless white floors and ceilings. The mini store is half the size of Apple’s smallest store to date, which will allow it to be placed in a variety of new locations to introduce Apple’s innovative products to even more customers.Introduction of Mac Mini and iPod Shuffle, Jan 11, 2005:
“Starting at just $499, Mac mini is the most affordable way to enjoy Mac OS X and iLife,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Just plug in your display, keyboard and mouse and you’ve got an incredibly compact Mac for a price that almost anyone can afford.”
Apple® today introduced iPod® shuffle, a breakthrough digital music player based on iPod’s legendary shuffle feature which lets users experience their music in a million different ways. Smaller and lighter than a pack of gum, iPod shuffle comes with its own lanyard so it’s ready to wear right out of the box.The Mac Mini was Apple’s first sub-$500 Mac. Unfortunately today’s model retails for an entry-level price of $699. The iPod shuffle has since eliminated the lanyard… and all physical buttons.
The switch to Intel processors, June 06, 2005:
Apple® announced plans to deliver models of its Macintosh® computers using Intel® microprocessors by this time next year, and to transition all of its Macs to using Intel microprocessors by the end of 2007. Apple previewed a version of its critically acclaimed operating system, Mac OS® X Tiger, running on an Intel-based Mac®…With Apple now making their own processors, it may be only a matter of time before they shy away from Intel’s offerings.
If you enjoyed reading these press releases of the early oughts, you will love part two, spanning the second half of the decade. Part three covers the obscure, but equally notable announcements.
