Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Apple Core
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 4 - Apple’s most painful product launch | 18 Sep 2024 | 00:55:17 | |
When Steve Jobs announced the iPhone 4 at WWDC 2010, it surprised no one. Tech blog Gizmodo had already spilled the tea two months earlier by publishing photographs of a lost prototype. Jobs was furious, but he found a way to turn the situation to his advantage. The design of the iPhone 4 set the standard for all subsequent models. And with innovative new features like FaceTime and the Retina Display, Jobs described it as the biggest leap forward since the original iPhone. iPhone 4 proved wildly popular, but the launch did not go smoothly. One month later, Jobs had to rush back from a family vacation in Hawaii to deal with “Antennagate,” a media frenzy over concerns about dropped calls. The institutional learnings Apple acquired from this PR nightmare continue to inform iPhone launches to this day. LINKS Original Gizmodo iPhone 4 leak coverage via the Internet Archive: Gourmet Haus Staudt: The guy who sold the iPhone 4 prototype to Gizmodo did a Reddit AMA: WWDC 2010 Keynote - iPhone 4 launch: Gizmodo Antennagate coverage: Jonathan Mann Antennagate song: Antennagate press conference: AnandTech iPhone 4 review: Kara Swisher’s Burn Book includes her account of asking Steve Jobs what he planned to do in the next ten years: | |||
| Safari - how Apple built the engine that powers almost every modern web browser | 03 Sep 2024 | 01:03:59 | |
Safari is one of Apple’s most enduring and popular apps, with versions running on Mac, iPhone, iPad, and even Vision Pro. But it wasn’t always the behemoth we know today. When it launched in 2003, Safari faced fierce competition from Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, a bruiser of a browser with over 95% market share. Safari didn’t seem to stand a chance. And yet, just twelve years later, Microsoft gave up the fight, scrapping Internet Explorer in favor of Edge, a new app based on code borrowed from Safari. So, how did Safari deliver this knock-out blow? In this episode we go back to an era when Apple championed standards, interoperability, and open source. We’ll learn why Steve Jobs argued passionately against proprietary platforms. And we’ll discover how Apple handed its crown jewels over to a bitter rival. This is a David versus Goliath story of a plucky little web browser that went on to conquer the world. LINKS Full video of MacWorld SF 2003, where Steve Jobs introduced the first Safari beta. Don Melton, former director of internet technologies at Apple, explains how Safari got it’s name. Clip of Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2007, where Steve Jobs introduces Safari for Windows. Webkit.org | |||
| Newton MessagePad - the little device that left a huge legacy | 14 Aug 2024 | 00:51:03 | |
Apple launched its first handheld computing device way back in 1993. With no internet access, flaky handwriting recognition, and an eye-watering price tag, the Newton MessagePad never stood much chance of success. But the writing was really on the wall with the arrival of the PalmPilot, a cheaper, more compact alternative, with a breakthrough text input system. Inspired by the “Knowledge Navigator” concept video Apple published in 1987, the Newton MessagePad was ahead of its time, featuring bleeding-edge technologies like Assist, which enabled users to control the device using natural language, much like Siri today. Although Steve Jobs scrapped the Newton on his return to Apple in 1998, its legacy lives on to this day. Apple’s investment in the Newton’s processor paid off big-time, providing vital working capital during the company’s darkest hour, and spawning a line of processors that powers every Mac, iPhone, and iPad today. Featuring special guest D. Griffin Jones from The CultCast and Cult of Mac. LINKS Doonesbury “Egg Freckles” cartoon: Apple Knowledge Navigator Video: Michael Tchao pitched the idea of the Newton to Apple’s CEO, John Sculley: How Newton’s handwriting recognition software was acquired on a trip to: Moscow: How Griffin uses his MessagePad 2000 for playing Dungeons and Dragons: Inkwell - Newton handwriting recognition in Mac OS X: Newton and the ARM processor: eMate 3000 Apple Newton Messagepad 2000 image: Apple eMate 300 image: | |||
| iWork - Steve Jobs’ secret weapon | 30 Jul 2024 | 01:02:34 | |
Steve Jobs was famous for his keynote presentations, which combined showmanship with beautifully designed slides to generate his trademark ‘reality distortion field.’ But what few people knew at the time was, he didn’t use a Mac to produce those slides. Not until 2002, at least. Instead he relied on a little-known app called Concurrence on his trusty NeXT computer. Jobs loved this app so much, he hired its creator to work on a top secret project at Apple. The result was Keynote, an app specially designed to meet Jobs exacting presentation requirements. Thanks to the power of Quartz, the Mac OS X graphics layer, the frame rate and silky-smooth 3D transitions of Keynote blew other presentation packages like PowerPoint out of the water. Keynote formed the basis of Apple’s iWork office productivity suite we know and love today. In this episode, we chart the thirty-year history of Apple office productivity apps, and consider what it tells us about the company’s changing business model. LINKS Concurrence screenshots Steve Jobs launches Keynote at MacWorld 2003 Roger Rosner demos iWork ’05 at MacWorld 2005 Apple announces completion of iWork suite with the addition of Numbers iPad launch Steve Jobs announces iWork with iCloud in his last keynote Plan for iWork overhaul announced at WWDC 2013 Eddy Cue announces complete rewrite of all iWork apps with full file compatibility at a Special Event in October 2013 | |||
| Nike+iPod Sport Kit - Apple's first foray into fitness | 14 Jul 2024 | 01:16:18 | |
Apple’s interest in fitness products goes way back. In 2006, before Apple Watch was even a twinkle in Tim Cook’s eye, Steve Jobs took the stage with Nike CEO Mark Parker at an ultra-exclusive venue in New York City to announce the Nike+iPod Sport Kit. With a sensor that went into special Nike running shoes, and a receiver that plugged into your iPod, Nike+iPod was a pioneering product that helped define the emerging category of fitness wearables. It set the stage for products that would follow, including Apple Health and Apple Fitness+. And by partnering with Nike, Apple broadened the appeal of its brand, learned how to successfully roll out services, and raised its marketing game. Nike+iPod Sport Kit set a template for product launches that Apple still follows to this day. LINKS Apple press release for Nike+iPod Sport Kit launch Design of launch event at Chelsea Piers Puma RS Computer Shoe Nike+ Air Zoom Moire | |||
| Mac OS 8 - A 'better than nothing' update that became a best seller | 14 Jul 2024 | 00:41:39 | |
When Steve Jobs returned to the company he founded in 1997, Apple was in disarray. After two failed attempts at a next-generation operating system, the Mac had been stuck on System 7 for years. The acquisition of Jobs' company, NeXT, offered a solution, with its NeXTSTEP operating system, which would form the basis of Mac OS X. But that was still three years away, and the Mac platform was already on life support. Jobs needed to take action fast. So, he salvaged bits from former failed projects and retrofitting them onto the aging System 7. The result was Mac OS 8. It wasn't a long term solution, but it did buy his engineers the time they needed to complete Mac OS X. Mac OS 8 proved to be a smash hit, selling 1.2 million copies in its first two weeks. The story of how this happened reveals an often overlooked side of Jobs - his ability to let go of his perfectionism and focus on what was possible, making pragmatic compromises that help to move platforms forward. Credits MacOS 8 Packaging Photo: ShrineOfApple | |||
| AirPort - How Apple made wireless networking happen | 14 Jul 2024 | 00:48:32 | |
In 1999, Steve Jobs needed one more product launch to complete the four-computer matrix he introduced on his return to the company three years earlier. That product was the iBook—a portable version of the hugely popular iMac G3. iBook had a striking design with eye-popping colors. But what really set it apart was AirPort, Apple’s proprietary version of WiFi, which ushered in the age of wireless computing. AirPort was such a revolutionary concept that Jobs wanted to prove no wires were required. So he persuaded VP of Worldwide Marketing, Phil Schiller, to jump from a great height while holding an iBook, during a live keynote event. Based on industry-standard WiFi technology, the story of AirPort's launch, development, and eventual demise, provides a valuable insight into how Apple thinks about emerging standards and adopts them in its products. LINKS iBook & AirPort launch at MacWorld New York 1999 AirPort Base Station Teardown AirPort Card Image @ Ashley Pomeroy 2020 | |||
| Leander Kahney - biographer of Tim Cook and Jony Ive | 27 Jan 2025 | 01:02:44 | |
In this special episode we interview Leander Kahney, editor of Cult of Mac, and author of New York Times best-selling biographies of Tim Cook and Jony Ive. During his three-decade career, working first at MacWEEK, then Wired News, and now as the editor of his own tech news website, Cult of Mac, Leander attended all the legendary Steve Jobs keynotes and interviewed some of Apple’s most senior executives. Leander regales us with a wealth of fascinating Apple insights and anecdotes. He also shares his origin story as a war correspondent. Plus we learn how Cult of Mac became a thing… And why he wishes he’d never called it that. MERCH STORE Check out our merch store on Teepublic for retro-geek t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, mugs, stickers, and more: LINKS: Subscribe to Leander’s Cult of Mac Newsletter: And check out Leander’s books: The Cult of Mac The Cult of iPod Inside Steve’s Brain Jony Ive: The Genius Behind Apple's Greatest Products Tim Cook: The Genius Who Took Apple to the Next Level The Cult of Mac, 2nd Edition | |||
| Apple Maps - the unnecessary apology | 18 Dec 2024 | 00:57:15 | |
Apple Maps launched alongside the original iPhone in 2007. Initially, it relied on map data from Google. But in 2012, when the two companies became smartphone rivals, Apple was forced to find an alternative data source. Opting to build its own map platform in-house, Apple attempted to replicate a product Google had developed over many years in a matter of months. Unsurprisingly, the results were not perfect. Users around the world reported bad directions, missing landmarks, and bizarre visual glitches. The fallout from the Apple Maps launch led to a rare apology from Tim Cook, and the departure of one of Apple’s most indispensable software engineers. But with the benefit of hindsight, the wisdom of Apple’s move into mapping has become clear. It enabled Apple to compete head-on with Android, and kickstarted Cupertino’s move into services. MERCH STORE Check out our merch store on Teepublic for retro-geek design t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, mugs, stickers, and more: LINKS The Verge report stating Apple’s deal with Google still had a year to run when Apple scrapped it: Tim Cook’s apology letter (via the Internet Archive): New York Times article on the brawl between Apple and Google in 2010: Wall Street Journal report on Apple’s acquisition of C3 Technologies from Saab: Cult of Mac on firing of Richard Williamson: Scott Forstall tells the story of his interview with Steve Jobs at NeXT: Adam Lashinsky’s Inside Apple: | |||
| Mac OS X - how Steve Jobs saved Apple’s crown jewel | 02 Dec 2024 | 00:59:25 | |
In 1996, Apple was in serious trouble. The Mac was almost obsolete. Its multitasking was flaky, it couldn’t handle multiple processors, and it kept crashing. Sales were tanking as users switched to Windows NT in droves. Apple appointed a new CEO, Gil Amelio, to turn things around. He tried to replace the Mac’s System 7 with a new modern operating system he called Rhapsody. Amelio’s strategy wasn’t bad, but he failed to anticipate how difficult it would be to persuade Mac users and developers to switch platforms. Fortunately, Amelio selected NeXTSTEP as the core foundation of Rhapsody, and the acquisition of NeXT led to the fateful return of Steve Jobs. Over the following two years, Jobs ousted Amelio, fixed his flawed Rhapsody strategy, added a shiny UI that looked so good you could lick it, and rename the whole thing Mac OS X. LINKS Gil Amelio’s book: On the Firing Line: My 500 Days at Apple MacWorld Expo San Francisco January 7 1997 - Steve Jobs first keynote after his return to Apple: WWDC, May 1998 at the San Jose Convention Center - Steve Jobs and Avi Tevanian introduce Mac OS X and Carbon: Macworld San Francisco January 2000 - Steve Jobs announces Aqua: Screenshot of iMovie running on Mac OS 9 with Aqua controls, before Aqua was announced for Mac OS X: Interesting article about Steve Jobs and object oriented programming: | |||
| NeXT - the secret to Apple’s salvation and success | 15 Nov 2024 | 00:56:41 | |
The iPhone in your pocket, the Mac on your desk, and even the watch on your wrist are all based on NeXTSTEP, an operating system developed by a long forgotten computer maker called NeXT. Steve Jobs founded NeXT in 1985, just months after his humiliating departure from Apple. Jobs was determined to beat Apple at its own game by proving his new company was the next big thing in computing. But it didn’t work out that way. While NeXT’s iconic cube-shaped workstations gained a loyal following, they never sold in large numbers. Despite many setbacks and failures, Jobs’ wilderness years at NeXT laid the foundation for decades of success that would follow. Apple’s acquisition of NeXT in 1997 proved to be one of the greatest mergers in business history. During his second tenure at Apple, Jobs oversaw the migration of the Mac onto his NeXTSTEP platform. Many of its quirky features, like the spinning beachball of death, are still recognizable in MacOS to this day. LINKS The full story of how Steve Jobs learned about 3M computers on a trip to Brown University - “What’s a megaflop?”: The NeXT logo, designed by Paul Rand: Try NeXTSTEP out for yourself on Infinite Mac: The NeXT Computer Tim Berners-Lee used to develop the world’s first Web browser at the Science Museum in London: Check out these pics of NeXT’s HQ and *that* staircase: NeXT cube Photograph by Rama, Wikimedia Commons, Cc-by-sa-2.0-fr Thanks to our sound engineer, Martin Algesten, for making us sound fabulous. | |||
| Apple Watch - what Tim Cook’s first product launch tells us about the future of Vision Pro | 28 Oct 2024 | 01:00:53 | |
These days, Cupertino describes Apple Watch as “the ultimate device for a healthy life.” But it didn’t start out that way. When Tim Cook originally launched the product in 2014, he positioned it as an “intimate way to connect and communicate.” Over its ten year history, Apple Watch has pivoted more radically than any previous Apple product. The user interface has transformed to such an extent that even the Digital Crown and side button no longer perform their original functions. The story of how and why this happened reveals a deeper truth about Apple’s evolution. Under Steve Jobs, the company toiled for years in secret to develop perfectly conceived products. Whereas, under Tim Cook, Apple has released products earlier and learned from consumer reaction. This approach could have profound implications for the future of Vision Pro. Featuring special guest D. Griffin Jones from The CultCast and Cult of Mac. Sound engineering by Martin Algesten. LINKS Griffin mentioned this book - The Apple II Age: How the Computer Became Personal by Laine Nooney: Jony Ive and the battle of the big tent: Apple Event September 2014 “Wish we could say more”: Apple Event March 2015 “Spring forward”: Graham wrote an article about the evolution of watchOS: Griffin’s YouTube video about how he uses Vision Pro: | |||
| iOS 7 - the battle for the future of software design | 19 Jun 2025 | 01:01:26 | |
In 2013, Apple launched a radical redesign of the iPhone’s user interface. iOS 7 represented more than just a fresh new look. It marked a major shift in Cupertino’s design philosophy, which arose from a bitter boardroom bust-up between two of Steve Jobs’ most trusted lieutenants. Since the launch of the Macintosh in 1984, Jobs had pioneered the use of skeuomorphism, a design motif where apps adopt visual cues from real world objects. Jobs shared this philosophy with tech genius Scott Forstall, who worked on the Aqua interface for Mac OS X, and subsequently led the development of iOS. In the power vacuum after Steve Jobs’ passing, Ive and Forstall became locked in a battle for the company’s future. When Ive won, he wasted no time in scrapping Forstall’s cherished skeuomorphism. In a matter of months his team had developed a radical new user interface design. iOS 7’s minimalistic style was quintessentially Jony Ive, and it established a visual language that continues to influence Apple to this day. APPLE CORE MERCH Check out our new merch store on Teepublic, featuring t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, mugs, stickers, and more in retro-geek designs: LINKS Video of WWDC 2013, where iOS 7 was launched: Nicholas Carlson for Business Insider in 2014 on Steve Jobs and Quicktime’s brushed metal: Buster Hein for Cult of Mac on the Passbook shredder: The Verge on apps that influenced the design of iOS 7: Joshua Topolsky’s hot take on iOS 7 for The Verge: Jony Ive designs things: Griffin’s website: | |||
| Sherlock - the mysterious case of how sherlocking became a thing | 05 Apr 2025 | 00:47:57 | |
Sherlock was introduced in 1998, as a tool for finding files on Mac OS 8.5. It used advanced search technology harvested from the carcass of Apple’s failed next generation operation system, Copeland. Sherlock revolutionized search on the Mac, enabling users to search within files for the first time. But its file searching prowess is not the reason Sherlock is remembered today. By competing with a similar third-party app called Watson, Apple was accused of putting an indie developer out of business, which coined the term “sherlocking.” Sherlock was a technical marvel, featuring a breakthrough user interface that continues to influence how we use the Internet to this day. But its reign was short-lived. Just seven years after its launch, Sherlock was replaced by Spotlight. APPLE CORE MERCH Check out our new merch store on Teepublic, featuring t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, mugs, stickers, and more in retro-geek designs: LINKS Original Sherlock page on Apple.com via WayBack Machine (you might need to scroll down to see it) Phil Schiller demos Sherlock 2 at WWDC 1999 (at 59:28) Sherlock 3 page on Appe.com, via WayBack Machine (you might need to scroll down to see it) Steve Jobs demos Sherlock 3 at Macworld New York 2002 (25:08) | |||
| Apple Park - a boondoggle or the greatest office ever built? | 27 Feb 2025 | 00:56:54 | |
In 2011, Steve Jobs made his final public appearance, presenting his plans for a second Apple campus to Cupertino City Council. He proposed a circular building, one mile in diameter, surrounded by beautifully landscaped grounds that concealed a subterranean parking garage. With a whopping $5 billion budget and a prestigious international architect attached to the project, Jobs’ ambition was to build “the best office building in the world.” Drawing on his learnings from Pixar’s headquarters, Jobs believed the “donut-shaped” design would result in to unexpected encounters that prompted innovation. Completed in 2017, Apple Park quickly an iconic part of the brand, featured in every product launch video. But the building’s Pentagon-style “groundscraper” design epitomizes car-dependent suburban bureaucracy rather than innovation, and with the rise of post-COVID home working, large campus sites have become less relevant. So, in this episode, we explore the history of Silicon Valley office parks and consider if Jobs achieved his goal of building the world’s best office. MERCH STORE Check out our merch store on Teepublic for retro-geek t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, mugs, stickers, and more: LINKS: Video of Steve Jobs’ presentation to Cupertino City Council The Glendenning Barn History of the Apple Park site Hewlett Packard’s Garage on Apple Maps Steve Jobs’s parents’ garage on Apple Maps The A1844 Door Assembly With Reader Satellite image of Apple Park by Apple Maps. | |||