The scrollbar page is interesting, but wish there was more detail and a more fluid navigation system.
That said, don’t miss the infomesh.org link (Information mesh was the one of the names in Tim Berners Lee’s original World Wide Web proposal). I especially liked the hackers.exe timeline.
[H/T @tperfitt]
[VIDEO] Laughing Squid highlights this Defunctland six-part series on young Jim Henson and the birth of The Muppets. The first of these is embedded in the main Loop post.
If nothing else, make your way to about 55 seconds in and pause. Remarkable to me how iconic that simple head shape is, how obvious it is, even without eyes, that that’s Kermit. And that shape, created from scraps, still lives.
Sam Henri Gold finds the neatest Apple nuggets. This one is an unreleased commercial for the iPhone 4s, and for Siri, Apple Maps, and iOS along the way.
https://twitter.com/samhenrigold/status/1183827595491790849
I love this spot. Wonder why it never aired.
[VIDEO] This was posted back in 2017, was filmed just a few weeks into Steve’s return to Apple back in 1997.
It reentered the conversation again because of comments about Apple’s core values Steve made at about 6:17 in.
The reemergence came, at least in part, due to Steve’s statement about core values and a perceived disconnect with Apple’s decisions on banning the HKLive app.
I found the whole video riveting. It’s 15 minutes long. If you’ve got a taste for Apple’s history, worth watching the whole thing. The video is embedded in the main Loop post.
[VIDEO] This video (embedded in main Loop post) flew around the internet over the weekend, woken from slumber, originally posted in 2014.
It’s a 5 minute chunk from a TED talk that does a terrific job explaining why Apple is different. I’d watch the entire thing, but if you’re pressed for time, the Apple part starts at about 2:19 in.
I love the thinking here, and I can’t help but think about privacy and health as two pillars of Apple’s current “why”.
This is a nice collection of tweets from Tony Fadell, curated by Filipe Espósito for 9to5Mac. I followed along on Twitter, but found myself wishing that someone would gather these in an easier to follow format, since they weren’t threaded on Twitter. And voila. Thanks Filipe.
My favorite bit:
I remember the day when Steve called me to the Board Room to personally sign a $4B purchase order for Samsung Flash for the Nano. “Are you sure we are ordering the right stuff? It’s going to work, right?” It was the biggest single order Apple had ever placed at the time.
I can only imagine the unbelievable pressure of that decision. A huge business gamble, one that paid off and paved the way for all future products.
On January 9th, 2007, Steve Jobs took to the Macworld stage and showed off the iPhone to the world.
The linked article is the Reddit page reacting to that reveal. It’s an amazing slice of history. There’s this Engadget review, worth reading all by itself, but then, best of all, are the comments below the Reddit post.
Enjoy.
[VIDEO] Disney CEO Bob Iger was a guest on Mad Money. It’s a long segment, well worth the watch (video embedded in main Loop post), but towards the beginning, Iger digs into his friendship with Steve Jobs.
There’s one moment in particular, where Bob talks about the pending purchase of Pixar, when Steve takes him for a walk, puts his arm around him, and tells him his cancer has returned. It’s poignant, and telling, an anecdote about integrity. Watch it.
A few months ago, BBC Radio ran a program on the 1970s, with a specific episode dedicated to the founding of Apple.
From the episode writeup:
Author and broadcaster Michael S. Malone tells the story of the Apple II personal computer, an invention which helped to revolutionise the way we work and play. “The stunning Apple II, with its new rainbow logo, put the scores of other, cruder personal computers in the shade, ” he says. “They looked like the past. The Apple II looked like the future, the only future, for personal computing.”
Follow the headline to listen to the episode. Then check out the comments included in the main Loop post. These came directly from Woz (and are published here, with Woz’s permission) and clarify some of the points made in the linked BBC Radio episode.
Nate D Sanders auction page:
Extraordinarily scarce Pixar Animation Studios poster signed by its co-founder Steve Jobs, sometime after 1995 when ”Toy Story”, the first computer-animated feature film, debuted. Jobs’ legendary vision is evident in his backing of Pixar, whose potential was immediately realized in the success of ”Toy Story”, earning three Academy Award nominations, breaking box office records and securing its reputation as one of the finest animated movies of all time. Poster measures 24” x 36”, signed by Jobs in black fiber-tip marker. In near fine condition. With JSA COA.
A minimum bid of $25,000. Ouch. That lets me out.
[Via 9to5Mac]
[VIDEO] Susan Kare is the designer behind the original Mac icons and fonts. Her work is foundational, incredibly influential.
The video embedded in the main Loop post was posted on Andy Hertzfeld’s amazing YouTube channel. Feels like time travel to me, a real moment in time.
Fascinating deep dive into Steve Jobs’ beloved bicycle analogy.
Here’s the quote:
“When we invented the personal computer, we created a new kind of bicycle…a new man-machine partnership…a new generation of entrepreneurs.” —Steve Jobs, c. 1980
After you read Steven Sinofsky’s excellent post, take a few minutes to read Steve Jobs’ original essay that started this whole thing off.
Clarus the Dogcow goes all the way back to the beginning of the Mac, a seminal bit of Apple lore. This is a great, fun read, filled with images and videos, digging into stuff deep at the heart of a lot of us old-timers. Nice job by Stephen Hackett.
[VIDEO] This Bill Gates interview came out about a month ago, but I just watched it this morning, thought it was worth sharing.
The whole thing is relatively short, all interesting, but the Steve Jobs bit kicks in at about 2:40 in. I definitely get a sense that Bill held a real reverence for Steve. The video is embedded in the main Loop post.
[VIDEO] If you love hearing stories about Steve Jobs and Apple, carve out some time and immerse yourself in master storyteller Scott Knaster’s one-man show, Adjacent to Greatness. The video is embedded in the main Loop post.
Ignore the production values and just listen to tales from someone who was in the room, a fly on the wall, at some very interesting moments in time.
[VIDEO] Called “In Search of Excellence”, this video (embedded in the main Loop post) is chock full of old school Apple, with lots of Steve Jobs’ takes on the world at that time. It was produced as part of a profile of six up and coming companies. This is the part of the series that featured Apple.
Delicious.
Newsweek, in an article from 1983:
Like a magician readying his best trick, Steve Jobs waited for the houselights to dim and the crowd to quiet down. A spotlight focused on a table where a bulky shape lay hidden beneath a buff-colored cloth. “The personal computer was created by a hardware revolution of the 1970s,” Jobs, the 27-year-old multimillionaire chairman and cofounder of Apple Computer, told 1,200 Apple stockholders gathered last week in Cupertino, Calif. “The next dramatic change will come from a software revolution . . . which Apple is introducing here today.” On cue, the cloth was lifted — revealing Lisa, a new $10,000 computer and a $50 million gamble for Apple.
Great read. Another inflection point for Apple, on the road to Macintosh.
[VIDEO] This is where it all began, a historic phone call. Don’t miss Jony Ive with that flip phone. Amazing moment in time. Video embedded in main Loop post.
[VIDEO] James Thomson (the mad genius behind PCalc and this cool dice rolling app) gave a very entertaining talk at Swift Live 2019, suitable for all audiences, anyone interested in the history of Easter eggs. The video is embedded in the main Loop post.
[VIDEO] This is a great look back at the development of Apple’s brand, starting with Steve Jobs return to Apple. I found it fascinating, all the way through. The video is embedded in the main Loop post.
And once you’re done watching, take a read of John Gruber’s take on the video.
[Via DF]
[VIDEO] First things first, it’s amazing to me that the very first iPod debuted in October 2001.
Think about that timing for a moment. This was a bit more than a month after 9/11 and the shock was still palpable. A difficult time to command public attention and roll out a new product, to say the least.
The video embedded in the main Loop post does a nice job showing off the difficulties of working with really old gear, from port incompatibilities to replacing dead batteries on a device that was not meant to be easy to open.
I know it’s a lot to ask, but I’d really love to see a video connecting that original iPod to an iPad running iOS 13. Hey, I can dream, right?
Enjoy.
John Gruber starts off with the story about Bill Gates calling out his approach to the smartphone market his greatest mistake ever. But he then moves on to thoughts on how Microsoft, more than any other factor, saved Apple at a time when Apple really needed saving.
Terrific read, great food for thought. Can’t help but wonder if Apple, with Steve Jobs and the iMac, would have still managed the improbable rise without that support from Microsoft.
[AUDIO] If you’ve never heard Apple founder Steve Wozniak speak before, this is a great listen. The audio is embedded in the main Loop post. Woz is so human, so himself, so natural. No pretense at all.
He does dig into Facebook at about 10:40 into the call, addressing the headlines that claimed he told the world to ditch Facebook.
Ross Perot was, indeed, a fascinating character. He ran for President back in 1992 and became a bit of a legend, part of popular culture. He’s also known for funding Steve Jobs’ NeXT venture to the tune of $20 million. Of course, Apple bought NeXT and Steve came back to Apple.
Ross Perot died yesterday and the linked story, from last year, reemerged. Perot was a compelling character and this a worthwhile read.
[VIDEO] This is a lovely bit of video (albeit low resolution) that’s been flying around the internet since Apple announced Jony Ive’s departure. The video is embedded in the main Loop post. It’s from a Hardware Roadmap session at WWDC 1997.
Striking how young everyone is.
Though the whole video is wonderful to watch, for the purposes of this post, jump to 30:21, where Phil makes a joke about giving everyone a free PowerBook, then goes on to introduce Director of Design Jonathan Ive.
22 years ago. How time flies.
Walt Mossberg and Katherine Boehret got their hands on that very first iPhone before it went public, back in June of 2007.
The linked review is a fun look at that very first model. Can’t help but be amazed at how far we’ve come. Great read.
Yet another in Niles’ “connect old stuff to an iPhone” series. This one belongs in a museum I think.
What’s next? I vote for Apple II floppies. Video embedded in main Loop post.
This little rabbit hole is an incredible labor of love from Sam Henri Gold. When I asked Sam how he pulled this all together:
I began the archive after the Every Apple Video Youtube channel went down in March(?) 2017, been updating it since. I’ve been sourcing from YouTube (both Apple’s own and other small personal channels ppl uploaded Apple vids to) as well as FTP servers and clips internet friends donated. I’m always looking for more donations!
Have anything to donate to the cause? You can reach Sam on Twitter.
Lovely sequence of images, starting with the Mac OS System 1 startup screen, the first so-called happy Mac.
Beautifully done.
This was a pretty amazing auction. The centerpiece was Gilmour’s “Black Strat”:
“The Black Strat,” a 1969 Fender Stratocaster which Gilmour used to record Pink Floyd albums “The Dark Side of the Moon,” “Wish You Were Here” and “The Wall,” sold for $3,975,000.
The winning bidder?
https://twitter.com/jimirsay/status/1141827314268954629
Jim Irsay is the owner of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts. What do you do with a guitar like that? Do you hang it on a wall? Will it ever be played again?