In Homage to Apple Computer

The Apple 1, Apple's first personal computer.

It's only fair that I pay Homage to Apple Computers, or just "Apple" as they are called now-a-days, as I begin my blog. I am no Fan-boy of Apple by any stretch, but I do have a large amount of respect for the company. In-fact there's no way you can be a geek, with out really knowing what Apple has done for the world literally, and to the world of computes. Apple didn't invent the first computer, but much like what Henry Ford did back in his day in the early 1900's for the automobile industry, Apple has done to computers and for the computer industry in the late 1970's and surprisingly still continuing to do through out our day today some 30 plus years later.

If you are too young to remember when Pong was the first game console to be sold for home entertainment or begging your mom for a quarter so you can play Space Invaders on an arcade machine, than let me give you a small re-cap of Apple Computers. Prior to Apple, computers in general were very large, and primarily used in Universities, Government agencies, and large corporations who could afford them. The average person didn't own one - in fact the idea of having a computer at home was thought of as being ridiculous by the companies who made them. Still, in the early to mid 70's electronic tinkering was popular amongst technical hobbyists and kits could be purchased so moderately smarter than average folks can buy and build their very own "mini-computer" such as the Altar 8800.

When Apple Computers was founded 1976 (purely on the back and know how of Steve Wozniak - again another story for a another time) they mimicked what had already been done in the past and sold the Apple I computer kit to computer groups and other hobbyist, and the rest as they say is history. Apple continued with their innovations, with the Apple II, and adding other features such as the mouse, a GUI interface with the Macintosh, desktop publishing, fire-wire (way before the USB days) and so on. As much as I can't stand many of Apple's mythology ways, they have made general computing DUMBER - and I use that term dearly. Apple has been a key source in bringing computers - if not actually selling their brand to everyone, than just the idea to the average non-technical person which led other computer manufactures to follow behind. Apple Computers single-handedly had to show the world their out-of-the-box thinking of how using computers can be different, new and an exciting experience. They believed that computers should be easy to use and even fun and they have successfully help moved this idea along the way. Whether from an MP3 player, to re-defining what a phone can do, and even re-introducing an old idea with a new flare in the form of a tablet computer they call an iPad, they have helped the average folk become computer literate with out them ever knowing they were becoming so, and be a part of the new technological age - or how I like to see it - moving into the Star Trek age - that being technology everywhere and in everyplace to help man go where no man has gone before!