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uk Technology Picture Galleries iPod Although Apple's personal music player, launched in 2001, was by no means the first MP3 player, it's the one that had the most impact. The first model could only store around 1,000 songs, but the idea of being able to create playlists and shuffle through tracks felt revolutionary. Apple's iPod arguably kick-started the digital music revolution. Later models of the device added photo- and video-viewing capabilities, while the iPod touch offers the complete multimedia experience, even allowing users to download applications and games on to their touch.

Graphical User Interface Apple built on the pioneering work of the team at Xerox Parc to produce the first commercially successful computer to use a graphical user interface -- the Macintosh. Launched in 1984 with Ridley Scott's famous advertising campaign, the Macintosh swept aside an era of command prompts and strings of code, and instead ushered in a new dawn of accessible computing. It used a "desktop" metaphor to guide users around the computer, with documents represented as sheets of paper, and with it, helped shift computers away from scientists in the research lab in to the homes of "normal" people.

iMac The iMac, which first appeared in 1998, marked Apple's resurgence as a major tech player. Under the guidance of chief designer Jonny Ive, Apple ripped up the computer design rule book, doing away with dull beige boxes and instead replacing them with fun, translucent machines in shades such as "Bondi Blue" that hinted at the aesthetic Apple would become so well-known for in recent years. The iMac range is still going strong and remains at the forefront of computer design: recent models have included the iMac G4, which mounted the screen on a base a little like an anglepoise lamp, and the modern incarnation of a glass, aluminium and polycarbonate monitor perched on a sleek, curved foot.

iTunes On the face of it, Apple's music software is simply a way to organise songs and playlists, and download tracks. In truth, it's a Trojan horse for Apple's entire product line. For many PC users, iTunes was their first contact with anything Apple made, and the ease of use and efficiency of the software, plus its seamless integration with the iPod, provided a satisfying user experience for many -- this "halo effect" even prompted some users to switch to Mac computers. And iTunes has played a huge role in the digitisation

of the music industry -- its dominant market position, and its decision to sell songs as single tracks as well as complete albums, has been blamed for killing off the traditional album release. Record labels have been forced to adapt to an agenda set by Apple, rather than by themselves.

Mac OS X While Microsoft continues to sell more computers than Apple, critics have regularly argued that its Windows operating system lacks the innovation and features that characterises Apple's desktop software. Apple's OS X operating system, which debuted in 2001, remains at the cutting edge of computing. Praised for its elegance, ease of use and simple interface, features such as Cover Flow-style Finder, Spotlight search function, iChat instant-messaging and video conferencing software and suite of productivity tools have won praise from users and critics alike.

iPhone This was the gadget Apple fans had been waiting for -- the touch-screen "Jesus phone" that combines an internet browser with a music and video player, as well as the ability to make and receive phone calls. Launched in 2007, the iPhone -- with its two megapixel camera and inability to cut and paste text -- was in many ways less fully featured than other mobile phones available at the time, and yet it grabbed the headlines. This was due, in no small part, to the good looks and ease of use of the iPhone, and because the handset packed such obvious untapped potential -- potential that started to be realised last year with the launch of the App Store, and with it, the ability for iPhone users to easily add extra software, games and applications to their handset. More than 1.5 billion apps have been downloaded since then, and countless other telecoms companies, including RIM, Nokia and Microsoft, are now launching their own stores to compete with the iPhones. It may not be the most high-tech handset on the market, but where the iPhone leads, others follow. Newton Before the iPhone was even a twinkle in Steve Jobs' eye came the Newton, a touchscreen personal digital assistant. Commercially, the Newton was a damp squib, but it is still fondly remembered by long-time Apple users for its neat interface and handwriting recognition. The Newton may be resurrected, in spirit if not in name, with the possible future launch of an "iTablet" -- the mythical touch-screen tablet computer that Apple is rumoured to be working on.

Apple II

The Apple II, built between 1977 and 1993, was one of Apple's most popular personal computers and was widely used in US schools, as well as being one of the first computers to find a place in people's homes. It introduced the world to VisiCalc, a pioneering spreadhsheet program, and the long lifecycle of this machine underlines the esteem and affection in which it was held.

) MacBook Air When Steve Jobs pulled the super-thin MacBook Air from a manila envelope, tech experts and consumers alike were left salivating at the prospect of an ultra-light, ultraportable and fully-featured laptop with a full-size keyboard. The Air was the world's thinnest laptop, a mere 1.94cm thick at its widest point. It ran the Mac OS X operating system, was easy to type on, and beautifully designed. At more than 1,000, though, it wasn't in the same class as cheap netbooks such as the Asus Eee PC, but it arguably prompted other manufacturers, such as Samsung and Dell, to bring out rival devices. Mobile workers everywhere rejoiced.

The iPad Apple's so-called "Jesus tablet" was everything that everyone didn't need on its launch in January 2010. Less than a year later, Apple had invented a new market and intentionally spawned hundreds of poor-man copycats. Dubbed "the oversized iPhone" with a 9.7in screen, Apple's lean-back device would be the saviour of the media industry. Research group Gartner last month forecast that tablet computers will see an explosion in sales over the next four years, selling 60% as many units as PCs by 2015 and Apple's iPad will still have almost half the market by then. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/oct/06/apple-top-10-products

Apple's top 10 products Steve Jobs's legacy includes groundbreaking computing and technology products from the Apple II to the iPhone. Here are 10 of the best
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Share 72 reddit this Comments (64) Josh Halliday guardian.co.uk, Thursday 6 October 2011 11.56 BST Article history

Apple's iPad and the iPad 2 helped the technology firm invent a new market. Photograph: Beck Diefenbach/Reuters Apple II Handbuilt by Steve Wozniak the bearded sidekick to Steve Jobs the Apple II was released in 1977, just 12 months after the very first Apple computer, the Apple I. Unlike that Apple I, which was assembled in Jobs's parents' garage, the Apple II signalled the Apple co-founder's early drive. Some years later, he was reported as saying: "My dream for the Apple II was to sell the first real packed computer." The Apple II duly became the fastest-selling personal computer of its time, fetching $79m in sales in 1979. The first Macintosh The Macintosh 128K was released in January 1984 "with all the showbiz of a car launch". And what a launch it was. No technology company would have dared dream about flaunting a personal computer in a multimillion-dollar Superbowl slot, but Apple did. The Macintosh 128J was different thought it wasn't especially for business or bespectacled engineers; it was comparatively easy to use. The iMac Three years after his return to Apple in 1998, Jobs urged the world to "think different". But no one anticipated the iMac, the computer that kickstarted Apple's fortunes and propelled the company to where it is today. As the Guardian review from 14 May 1998 noted: "nobody who attended last week's product launch expected to find the most radical Macintosh since the original hit the streets 14 years ago There isn't even a floppy drive." The iPod Unveiled a decade ago this month, the iPod is the one device that transformed Apple from a computer company into a mass-market electronics giant and would later spark a revolution in digital music. Though many who bought it had to hack their computers to store music on it, the first-generation iPod was a stylish MP3 player boasting a 10-hour battery life and space for 1,000 songs. "Listening to music will never be the same again," said Jobs at its launch in October 2001. The iPod nano Steve Jobs discontinued the iPod mini at the height of its popularity in September 2005. His indefatigable drive for design and efficiency saw it replaced with the much smaller nano. Apple reinvented the nano in September 2010 with its sixth iteration. At 21.1g the new nano was 15g lighter than its predecessor and half the height. The iPhone Less than half a decade after the iPod, Apple was already the biggest name in digital music. After months of rumour and anticipation, Jobs, in January 2007, unveiled what would quickly become Apple's killer product. The phone was a hit with techies and non-

techies alike. A typically fervent Stephen Fry reviewed the iPhone four months after its launch. "Beauty. Charm. Delight. Excitement. Ooh. Aah. Wow! Let me at it," he wrote in the Guardian. With the fifth incarnation unveiled earlier this week, the excitement has not yet dissipated. iTunes Until Jobs unveiled iTunes in January 2001, no one had been able to convince music label executives that people might pay for songs online. Announced at the back end of a 90-minute keynote to launch the new Macintosh, iTunes was an unexciting "all-in-one digital music program" that brought together MP3 playback, internet radio and CD writing. This week Apple began letting people access their digital music across any of their devices wirelessly. It is the beginning of Apple's cloud revolution. The iPad Apple's so-called "Jesus tablet" was everything that everyone didn't need on its launch in January 2010. Less than a year later, Apple had invented a new market and intentionally spawned hundreds of poor-man copycats. Dubbed "the oversized iPhone" with a 9.7in screen, Apple's lean-back device would be the saviour of the media industry. Research group Gartner last month forecast that tablet computers will see an explosion in sales over the next four years, selling 60% as many units as PCs by 2015 and Apple's iPad will still have almost half the market by then. iOS App Store Apple announced a new milestone for its App Store in July this year: 15bn downloads (of more than 500,000 apps) since it launched in July 2008. The App Store has become the cornerstone to the iPhone's success, with the world's media giants all scrambling for a prominent place on the smartphone of choice and spawning a new market forsoftware developers. Pundits called it the future of mobile consumption, and Apple has since expanded its App Store to OS X computers, potentially ushering in a new age of software development. One more thing: Apple stores Apple opened its first retail store on 19 May 2001, in Glendale, California. As of July this year, Apple had opened more than 350 stores worldwide, with the largest in London's Covent Garden. Most thought Apple's move into physical retail space was madness but they did not foresee that the philosophy, design and layout of the stores would encapsulate what drives Jobs. Customers have since flocked to the Genius Bar. Sony: The Leader in Product Innovation

The new millennium is here and Sony has plenty to celebrate. The companys approach doing what others dont has paid off, in the form of great products that people covet.

Throughout its history, Sony has demonstrated an ability to capture the imagination and enhance peoples lives. The company has been at the cutting edge of technology for more than 50 years, positively impacting the way we live. Further, few companies are as well positioned to drive the digital age into homes and businesses around the world for the next 50 years and beyond.

Sony innovations have become part of mainstream culture, including: the first magnetic tape and tape recorder in 1950; the transistor radio in 1955; the worlds first all-transistor TV set in 1960; the worlds first color video cassette recorder in 1971; the Walkman personal stereo in 1979; the Compact Disc (CD) in 1982; the first 8mm camcorder in 1985; the MiniDisc (MD) player in 1992; the PlayStation game system in 1995; Digital Mavica camera in 1997; Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) player in 1998; and the Network Walkman digital music player in 1999.

Today, Sony continues to fuel industry growth with the sales of innovative Sony products, as well as with the companys convergence strategy. Examples include: VAIO notebooks that raise the bar in both form and function; digital cameras that capture pictures on a floppy disk, CD-R or Memory Stick; a handheld device that lets you store and view photos as well as moving photo; MiniDisc recorders with a digital PC Link to marry high quality digital audio with downloadable music; DVD/CD multi-disc changers that playback both audio and video; digital network recorders that pause, rewind and fast-forward "live" television using a hard-disc drive; and Hi-Scan flat screen TVs that deliver near HDTV picture quality through Digital Reality Creation (DRC) circuitry. But Sony is not just the market leader in consumer electronics.Through research and development, the company has made considerable inroads in the areas of professional broadcasting (with the creation of the Betacam, DVCAM, HDCAM and 24P formats); mobile communications (with digital phones and the CLIE handheld); PCs (with VAIO notebook and desktop computers); storage and media (with the invention of the floppy disk, AIT and DTF drives, and the Memory Stick) and, now, the Internet. Sonys future brand success will be determined by how the company meets the challenges of change. Sony has always led the market in terms of innovation. But in a digital networked world, products will no longer be developed with just hardware in mind. The convergence of technologies consumer electronics, computing and telecommunications is a reality, with new competitors forming and consumer mindshare up for grabs.