Why is Apple called Apple? + logo & founders

Introduction

Of course, we all know what Apple is and what the company makes: computers, phones, tablets and smartwatches. None of these successful products has anything to do with fruit. So how did the name Apple originate? And how did the company become the huge success it is today?

How did the name Apple come about?

Apple got its name in the 1970s by founder Steve Jobs, who was inspired by his fruitarian diet and a visit to an apple orchard. He thought the name was simple and friendly and suggested that if no one came up with a better alternative he would call it Apple. Eventually the company was named Apple Computer, Inc. and only in 2007 was it changed to Apple Inc.

Part of the reason Apple is called Apple is also due to the phone book. Companies in the 1970s often chose names with an initial letter somewhere at the front of the alphabet. With a name like Apple, the company would finish above a number of competitors, such as Atari, Jobs' former employer. Jobs himself said in 1980 that he chose Apple because he liked apples, but also because Apple came before Atari in the phone book.

Competition from The Beatles

It is also said that the apple stands for Isaac Newton. Newton is said to have discovered gravity when an apple fell on his head. The link to Newton does not come out of the blue, as Steve Jobs himself designed the first logo for Apple. That consisted of a drawing of Isaac Newton under an apple tree. The latest theory surrounding the origin of the name Apple has to do with The Beatles, of whom Steve Jobs was a big fan. He allegedly chose the name Apple Computers in part because The Beatles' record label was called Apple Corps. Steve Wozniak warned against that connection, but they ended up staying with Apple. This caused them considerable trouble later, as it resulted in several lawsuits with the record label.

How did Apple's logo originate?

Rob Janoff designed Apple's logo in 1977. He drew an apple with a bite (bite) out of it. By doing so, he wanted to make it clear that it was an apple, not a cherry or tomato. The fact that "byte" is also a computer term was coincidental. There was also another theory going around about the origin of the bite from the Apple logo. It was said to be a tribute to computer pioneer and computer scientist Alan Turing, who died after taking a bite of apple with cyanide in it. This story is not true, but Steve Jobs once said he wished it were.

How did the company Apple come into being?

It's almost impossible to imagine now, but Apple once began as a hobby project of friends Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. Steve Wozniak designed a computer to which you could connect a keyboard and television. Together with Steve Jobs, he tried to sell the design to existing computer manufacturers. Those were not interested, so the two Steves along with Ronald Wayne decided to market the product themselves.

Detached floppy drive

On April 1, 1976, Apple Computers Inc. was a reality. Their first product was the Apple I, but in 1977 they came out with the Apple II, a personal computer with a monitor and external floppy disk drive. This was Apple's first truly successful product. The Apple II and III were followed in 1984 by the Macintosh, the first Apple computer for the general public and distinctive for its intuitive, user-friendly operation. After the launch of the Macintosh, things went downhill for Apple. Wozniak left Apple as a full-time employee in 1985, and Steve Jobs left the same year after an internal power struggle. Microsoft took over the market with its Windows operating system and Apple seemed to be losing the battle.

Successful turnaround

That changed in the 1990s. In 1997, Jobs returned to Apple to stem the tide of impending bankruptcy. Loss-making products were scrapped and Jobs' new iMac marked the turnaround for the company. With the introduction of the iPod in 2001, the iPhone in 2007 and the iPad in 2010, Apple grew into a billion-dollar company and one of the largest tech companies in the world. Apple is also the best-known brand worldwide and a prime example of a company with a strong brand identity.