iPad
Main article: iPad On January 27, 2010, Apple introduced their much-anticipated media tablet, the iPad, which runs a modified version of iOS. It offers multi-touch interaction with multimedia formats including newspapers, ebooks, photos, videos, music, word processing documents, video games, and most existing iPhone apps.[163] It also includes a mobile version of Safari for web browsing, as well as access to the App Store, iTunes Library, iBookstore, Contacts, and Notes. Content is downloadable via Wi-Fi and optional 3G service or synced through the user's computer.[164] AT&T was initially the sole U.S. provider of 3G wireless access for the iPad.[165] On March 2, 2011, Apple introduced the iPad 2, which had a faster processor and a camera on the front and back. It also added support for optional 3G service provided by Verizon in addition to AT&T.[166] The availability of the iPad 2 was initially limited as a result of a devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan in March 2011.[167] The third-generation iPad was released on March 7, 2012 and marketed as "the new iPad". It added LTE service from AT&T or Verizon, an upgraded A5X processor, and Retina display. The dimensions and form factor remained relatively unchanged, with the new iPad being a fraction thicker and heavier than the previous version and featuring minor positioning changes.[168] On October 23, 2012, Apple's fourth-generation iPad came out, marketed as the "iPad with Retina display". It added the upgraded A6X processor and replaced the traditional 30-pin dock connector with the all-digital Lightning connector.[169] The iPad Mini was also introduced. It featured a reduced 7.9-inch display and much of the same internal specifications as the iPad 2.[170] On October 22, 2013, Apple introduced the iPad Air and the iPad mini with Retina Display, both featuring a new 64 bit Apple-A7 processor.[171] The iPad Air 2 was unveiled on October 16, 2014. It added better graphics and central processing and a camera burst mode as well as minor updates. The iPad Mini 3 was unveiled at the same time.[171] Since its launch, iPad users have downloaded three billion apps. The total number of App Store downloads is over 25 billion.[172][173] iPod
Main article: iPod The 2012 iPod Shuffle, iPod Nano,iPod Classic, and iPod Touch. On October 23, 2001, Apple introduced the iPod digital music player. Several updated models have since been introduced, and the iPod brand is now the market leader in portable music players by a significant margin. More than 350 million units have shipped as of September 2012.[174] Apple has partnered with Nike to offer the Nike+iPod Sports Kit, enabling runners to synchronize and monitor their runs with iTunes and the Nike+ website. Apple currently sells three variants of the iPod:
Apple TV
Main article: Apple TV The current generation Apple TV. At the 2007 Macworld conference, Jobs demonstrated the Apple TV (previously known as the iTV),[195] a set-top video device intended to bridge the sale of content from iTunes with high-definition televisions. The device links up to a user's TV and syncs, either via Wi-Fi or a wired network, with one computer's iTunes library and streams content from an additional four. The Apple TV originally incorporated a 40 GB hard drive for storage, included outputs for HDMI and component video, and played video at a maximum resolution of 720p.[196] On May 31, 2007, a 160 GB drive was released alongside the existing 40 GB model.[197] A software update released on January 15, 2008 allowed media to be purchased directly from the Apple TV.[198] In September 2009, Apple discontinued the original 40 GB Apple TV and now continues to produce and sell the 160 GB Apple TV. On September 1, 2010, Apple released a completely redesigned Apple TV. The new device is 1/4 the size, runs quieter, and replaces the need for a hard drive with media streaming from any iTunes library on the network along with 8 GB of flash memory to cache media downloaded. Like the iPad and the iPhone, Apple TV runs on an A4 processor. The memory included in the device is half of that in the iPhone 4 at 256 MB; the same as the iPad, iPhone 3GS, third and fourth-generation iPod Touch.[199] It has HDMI out as the only video out source. Features include access to the iTunes Store to rent movies and TV shows (purchasing has been discontinued), streaming from internet video sources, including YouTube and Netflix, and media streaming from an iTunes library. Apple also reduced the price of the device to $99. A third generation of the device was introduced at an Apple event on March 7, 2012, with new features such as higher resolution (1080p) and a new user interface. Apple Watch
Main article: Apple Watch The Apple Watch smartwatch was launched by Cook on September 9, 2014, and is scheduled to be released in early 2015. The wearable device consists of fitness-tracking capabilities that are similar to Fitbit, and must be used in combination with an iPhone to work (only the iPhone 5, or later models, are compatible with the Apple Watch). |
Mac
MacBook Air Main article: Macintosh See also: Timeline of Macintosh models, List of Macintosh models grouped by CPU type and List of Macintosh models by case type
iPhone
The first-generation iPhone, 3G, 4, 5, 5C and5S to scale. Main article: iPhone At the Macworld Conference & Expo in January 2007, Steve Jobs introduced the long-anticipated[176] iPhone, a convergence of an Internet-enabled smartphone and iPod.[177] The first-generation iPhone was released on June 29, 2007 for $499 (4 GB) and $599 (8 GB) with an AT&T contract.[178] On February 5, 2008, it was updated to have 16 GB of memory, in addition to the 8 GB and 4 GB models.[179]It combined a 2.5G quad band GSM and EDGE cellular phone with features found in handheld devices, running scaled-down versions of Apple's Mac OS X (dubbed iPhone OS, later renamed iOS), with various Mac OS X applications such as Safari and Mail. It also includes web-based and Dashboard apps such as Google Maps and Weather. The iPhone features a 3.5-inch (89 mm) touchscreen display, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi (both "b" and "g").[177] A second version, the iPhone 3G, was released on July 11, 2008 with a reduced price of $199 for the 8 GB version and $299 for the 16 GB version.[180] This version added support for 3G networking and assisted-GPS navigation. The flat silver back and large antenna square of the original model were eliminated in favor of a glossy, curved black or white back. Software capabilities were improved with the release of the App Store, which provided iPhone-compatible applications to download. On April 24, 2009, the App Store [181]surpassed one billion downloads.[182] On June 8, 2009, Apple announced the iPhone 3GS. It provided an incremental update to the device, including faster internal components, support for faster 3G speeds, video recording capability, and voice control. At the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 7, 2010, Apple announced the redesigned iPhone 4.[183] It featured a 960x640 display, the Apple A4 processor, a gyroscope for enhanced gaming, a 5MP camera with LED flash, front-facing VGA camera and FaceTimevideo calling. Shortly after its release, reception issues were discovered by consumers, due to the stainless steel band around the edge of the device, which also serves as the phone's cellular signal and Wi-Fi antenna. The issue was corrected by a "Bumper Case" distributed by Apple for free to all owners for a few months. In June 2011, Apple overtook Nokia to become the world's biggest smartphone maker by volume.[184] On October 4, 2011, Apple unveiled the iPhone 4S, which was first released on October 14, 2011.[185] It features the Apple A5 processor and Siri voice assistant technology, the latter of which Apple had acquired in 2010.[186] It also features an updated 8MP camera with new optics. Apple sold 4 million iPhone 4S phones in the first three days of availability.[187] On September 12, 2012, Apple introduced the iPhone 5.[188] It added a 4-inch display, 4G LTE connectivity, and the upgraded Apple A6 chip, among several other improvements.[189] Two million iPhones were sold in the first twenty-four hours of pre-ordering[190] and over five million handsets were sold in the first three days of its launch.[191] Upon the launch of the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C, Apple set a new record for first-weekend smartphone sales by selling over nine million devices in the first three days of its launch.[192] The release of the iPhone 5S and 5C was the first time that Apple simultaneously launched two models.[193] A patent filed in July 2013 revealed the development of a new iPhone battery system that uses location data in combination with data on the user's habits to moderate the handsets power settings accordingly. Apple is working towards a power management system that will provide features such as the ability of the iPhone to estimate the length of time a user will be away from a power source to modify energy usage and a detection function that adjusts the charging rate to best suit the type of power source that is being used.[194] In a March 2014 interview, Apple designer Jonathan Ive used the iPhone as an example of Apple's ethos of creating high-quality, life-changing products. He explained that the phones are comparatively expensive due to the intensive effort that is used to make them: We don’t take so long and make the way we make for fiscal reasons ... Quite the reverse. The body is made from a single piece of machined aluminium ... The whole thing is polished first to a mirror finish and then is very finely textured, except for the Apple logo. The chamfers [smoothed-off edges] are cut with diamond-tipped cutters. The cutters don’t usually last very long, so we had to figure out a way of mass-manufacturing long-lasting ones. The camera cover is sapphire crystal. Look at the details around the sim-card slot. It’s extraordinary![51] Software
See also: List of Macintosh software Apple develops its own operating system to run on Macs, OS X, the latest version being OS X Yosemite (version 10.10). Apple also independently develops computer software titles for its OS X operating system. Much of the software Apple develops is bundled with its computers. An example of this is the consumer-oriented iLife software package that bundles iMovie, iPhoto and GarageBand. For presentation, page layout and word processing, iWork is available, which includesKeynote, Pages, and Numbers. iTunes, QuickTime media player, and Software Update are available as free downloads for both OS X and Windows. Apple also offers a range of professional software titles. Their range of server software includes the operating system OS X Server; Apple Remote Desktop, a remote systems management application; and Xsan, a Storage Area Network file system. For the professional creative market, there is Aperture for professionalRAW-format photo processing; Final Cut Pro, a video production suite; Logic Pro, a comprehensive music toolkit; and Motion, an advanced effects composition program. Apple also offers online services with iCloud, which provides cloud storage and syncing for a wide range of data, including email, contacts, calendars, photos and documents. It also offers iOS device backup, and is able to integrate directly with third-party apps for even greater functionality. iCloud is the fourth generation of online services provided by Apple, and was preceded by MobileMe, .Mac and iTools, all which met varying degrees of success. |