Inspiration for Steve Jobs
Apple’s iSlate portends another great tech innovation. But how much of Steve Jobs’ genius is borrowed? From the Macintosh to iPods, a GALLERY of the forgotten devices that inspired them.
Getty Images
The pointing, clicking, dragging, and windows that differentiated Apple's user-friendly Lisa interface from the command lines of its counterparts was invented after Jobs visited Xerox PARC and saw Alto Personal Computer (1973).
Plus, full coverage of Jobs: tributes, photos, videos, and more.
Getty Images
The Mac, which offered a refreshing unibody alternative to the three-or-more piece PC wasn't the first one piece. The Osborne 1 won that distinction in 1981.
Getty Images (2)
Apple did not create the first touchscreen smart phone. That honor goes to IBM for its Simon—a touchscreen smart phone that offered access to the Internet, such as it was in 1993.
AP Photo
iChat is the Macintosh version of the program ICQ, developed in Israel by Mirabilis in 1996, before being acquired by AOL.
This home entertainment interface is a copy of—and vast improvement on— Microsoft's Digital Media Edition for Windows XP (2003).
Getty Images
Apple's version of Microsoft's 2000 "System Restore," took the one-touch restore to new heights by adding a visual representation of previous systems, as well as the ability to restore not just software, but documents.
Spaces gave Mac users the ability to switch between multiples screens, just like Amiga users of 1985.
This groundbreaking application is a copy of Casady & Greene's SoundJam MP from 1999. But at least Apple bought the company before re-releasing their product.
A stylish 2001 remake of the Rio (1998), which was itself based on the relatively unknown and unsuccessful MPMan, made in Seoul by SaeHan Information Systems earlier that year.
AP Photo (2)
Steve Jobs' own Newton personal digital assistant finally comes back to life. While tablet computing has been developed—poorly—by scores of other companies since, maybe Apple can score its biggest hit yet by copying itself.
Getty Images; AP Photo
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.