Thanksgiving will be here in only a few short days, and it's a time of year to reflect on everything good in our lives that we're thankful for. But with this post, there's a small twist: instead of giving thanks for the good things in life, we'll be looking at the good things about Apple.
Computers
First up on the list of things to be thankful for is the computer, Apple's way of solidifying its almost 30 years as a tech leader:
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Apple I - no list of things to be thankful for would be complete without mentioning the first Apple computer, going on sale only four months after Apple Computer, Inc. was formed.
1984 - aired during the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII, this 60-second commercial is hailed as a classic and a masterpiece of advertising for its emotional depth, creativity, and brilliance of execution. With a bang of an entrance, it was the first time Apple inured itself to the public.
No more floppy disks - in 1998, Steve Jobs released the iMac G3, successfully wagering that floppy disks were on their way out.
iBook - although the 1991 PowerBook was technically the first laptop from Apple, they really broke into the laptop market with their brightly-colored iBooks, which proved to be an instant hit with people looking for portability and ease of use.
17" PowerBook - bigger was better, judging from public response in 2002 that made this laptop the fastest on the market for a little while.
MacBook Air - at the opposite end of the size spectrum is the Air, a super light, super flat laptop that's forgettably-light without sacrificing power and speed.
Cell Phones
Next on the list is mobile phones, arguably the most important invention that's freed us from our homes and made us more nomadic than ever:
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iPhone - the first iPhone was released in 2007, giving cell phone users a revolutionary way of using phones not just for calls, but for, well, everything.
App Store - the store in the sky held thousands of apps, ranging from the uber popular Angry Birds to more utilitarian apps.
Jailbreaking - for some users, unlocking and jailbreaking their phones were a must, letting them use their iPhones on any network in any country.
Siri - love her or hate her, Siri changed the way commands are given and information retrieved.
MP3 Players
Music listening has progressed at lightning speed in the last 50 years, moving from vinyl and 8-tracks to whole catalogues on a credit card-sized device:
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iPod - it may not have been the first MP3 player, but it was the first good one. Released 12 years ago, it featured a wheel that made scrolling through songs ridiculously easy. It also helped that it came with killer copywriting: "The coolest thing about the iPod is that your whole music library fits in your pocket."
iPod Shuffle - there wasn't much memory on the Shuffle, but it was tiny and took up as much room in your pocket as a lighter.
iPod Touch - known as "the phone that wasn't a phone", the Touch could do everything an iPhone could do...except make calls.
Tablets
The world had laptops, and the world had phones, but the world didn't have anything in between...until Apple started in on tablets:
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Newton MessagePad - it was the prototype upon which future tablets were formed, featuring handwriting recognition software and the ability to view information in both portrait and landscape formats.
iPad - the design for the iPad actually started before the iPhone, but was shelved because Steve Jobs thought it could- and should- be implemented on the phone first. But in 2010, the iPad came out with great fanfare, setting the benchmark for tablets everywhere.
iPad Air - only released less than a month ago, the iPad Air featured an A7 chip- the same chip in the iPhone 5 and the first time it was seen in a tablet. It weights just over a pound and hits far above its weight, giving users iOS 7, Siri and the thinnest and lightest iPad yet.
This Thanksgiving, treat yourself to a Pad and Quill leather or luxury case for the Apple product you have, and take a second to remember how its revolutionized technology. You can browse our selection here, and once you've made your choice, enjoy a 30 day money-back guarantee.
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