Today marks the 39th anniversary of Apple’s founding. While most tech companies that old have either come and gone or have settled into a comfortable position of mediocrity, Apple is more successful today than ever.
In light of Apple’s birthday, so to speak, below are a few facts about Apple you likely weren’t aware of.
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1. Apple had three co-founders
While most people believe that Apple was co-founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, there was actually a third co-founder named Ron Wayne. Wayne, who happened to work with Jobs at Atari, was brought on board because he was a bit older and was familiar with all of the corporate documentation one needs to file when getting a business up off the ground. Wayne was initially given a 10% stake in Apple but ultimately sold it just two weeks after receiving it.
2. Apple began working on the iPad before the iPhone
Though the iPhone preceded the iPad by a few years, the iPhone’s creation actually stemmed from work Apple was already doing on tablets. During a 2010 interview at All Things D, Jobs explained that he had grand visions of developing a tablet long before the notion of Apple entering the phone business was even on anybody’s mind.
I’ll tell you. Actually. It started on a tablet first.
I had this idea about having a glass display, a multitouch display you could type on. I asked our people about it. And six months later they came back with this amazing display. And I gave it to one of our really brilliant UI guys. He then got inertial scrolling working and some other things, and I thought, ‘my god, we can build a phone with this’ and we put the tablet aside, and we went to work on the phone.
3. The original Apple computer cost $666.66
Think Apple is the devil? Well, perhaps you’ll be interested in knowing that the original Apple 1 computer retailed for a bizarrely priced $666.66.
4. Apple laptops introduced the trackpad and built-in Ethernet
These days, every laptop comes equipped with a trackpad. But back in the early 90s, most laptops featured clunky trackballs that protruded about two inches above the keyboard. When Apple unveiled its PowerBook 500 series in 1994, everything changed. The PowerBook 500 was the first laptop to feature a trackpad while also being the first laptop to support built-in Ethernet.
5. Six U.S. states do not have Apple retail stores
From Turkey to Australia, Apple retail stores can be found across all corners of the globe. Here in the U.S., some states like California have over 50 individual Apple stores. And yet, there remain six states with not even one to speak of. They include, West Virginia, Wyoming, North and South Dakota, Vermont, and Montana.
6. Jony Ive used to have a mustache
Jony Ive wasn’t always the smooth clean shaven all-star designer he is today. Going back a few years, Apple’s famed designer sported a moppy head of hair along with a mustache.
Here’s a photo of him from Macworld 1999.
What’s that you say? You want more of a mustachioed Jony Ive? Well, yearn no more. Here’s a video.
