I came across this presentation on Youtube. I found it to be very informative, providing details I never consider. I am posting it for your consumption if you care watch.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Has Apple Really Invented Anything?
- Thread starter IGregory
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Have we not been down this road several dozens of times, coming to the conclusion, that it is not what it is all about?
So what, if Apple did not invent anything, does that mean using existing technology to create new devices and paradigms is not worth it?
So what, if Apple did not invent anything, does that mean using existing technology to create new devices and paradigms is not worth it?
Yeah, not watching.
Apple creates consumer devices in a nice package.
However, when it comes to hardware and standards, they don't develop anything.
Apple creates consumer devices in a nice package.
However, when it comes to hardware and standards, they don't develop anything.
It's a trick question 
Companies don't invent anything; people do.
Companies provide facilities and marketing, they rake in the revenue and their CEOs take the credit, but it's a relative handful of engineers and developers who do all the inventive and design work.
It's often the same group of people over decades, too. Many went from Xerox or HP or IBM, to Apple and Commodore, some to NeXT, back again to Apple, then some over to Palm and Microsoft and Google.
Those are the people who should be getting more publicity, IMO.
Companies don't invent anything; people do.
Companies provide facilities and marketing, they rake in the revenue and their CEOs take the credit, but it's a relative handful of engineers and developers who do all the inventive and design work.
It's often the same group of people over decades, too. Many went from Xerox or HP or IBM, to Apple and Commodore, some to NeXT, back again to Apple, then some over to Palm and Microsoft and Google.
Those are the people who should be getting more publicity, IMO.
If we want to get technical no one invented anything since pretty much every invention has been derived off of another at some point in time. Ignoring that....
Did Apple invent anything? Yes.
They brought a home computer with a GUI interface to the masses.
They created a fantastic, easy to use music player (ever use pre-iPod mp3 players? I did. Not pretty).
They created the iMac, the Mac Pro, Macbook Air, Macbook Pro, and Macbook. Are they computers? Yes, but Apple created them.
They created Mac OS, the iPhone (ever use a pre-iPhone smartphone? Garbage, all of them (which was mostly Blackberries).
They created the "usable" tablet industry in the form factor you see the iPad in.
They created a working system of digital content delivery. Like or hate iTunes, it was revolutionary and ended DRM on music.
Why people constantly try and downplay Apple's achievements is beyond me. Its a very revolutionary company who continues to make revolutionary products. If you don't like them, don't buy them.
Did Apple invent anything? Yes.
They brought a home computer with a GUI interface to the masses.
They created a fantastic, easy to use music player (ever use pre-iPod mp3 players? I did. Not pretty).
They created the iMac, the Mac Pro, Macbook Air, Macbook Pro, and Macbook. Are they computers? Yes, but Apple created them.
They created Mac OS, the iPhone (ever use a pre-iPhone smartphone? Garbage, all of them (which was mostly Blackberries).
They created the "usable" tablet industry in the form factor you see the iPad in.
They created a working system of digital content delivery. Like or hate iTunes, it was revolutionary and ended DRM on music.
Why people constantly try and downplay Apple's achievements is beyond me. Its a very revolutionary company who continues to make revolutionary products. If you don't like them, don't buy them.
Most thing are innovated, rather than invented, especially when it comes to computers and computer devices. Computers were invented many many years ago. Apple is a manufacturer and innovator, just like most computer and device companies.
Claiming apple never invented anything is akin to claiming that say, whoevever invented the digital watch never invented anything because electronic circuits had already been invented.
Or that whoever invented the gas furnace didn't invent anything because the camp fire was already invented.
If you go back far enough ALL invention borrows from and builds on previous invention.
Apple take existing technology, re-package, streamline, and repurpose it, and invent new things with it.
Or that whoever invented the gas furnace didn't invent anything because the camp fire was already invented.
If you go back far enough ALL invention borrows from and builds on previous invention.
Apple take existing technology, re-package, streamline, and repurpose it, and invent new things with it.
- Objective-C (back in the NEXT days - apple today is essentially NEXT)
- Zeroconf
- NAT-PMP
- OpenCL
- launchd
Just for a few software inventions.