5. They Were In a Legal Battle With The Beatles for Nearly 30 Years
Apple Corps. is the multi-media company that was founded by The Beatles, which has hosted a consumer electronics division, a record label, and a film production company. Today, they are known mostly for the recent release of “The Beatles: Rock Band” video game as well as the entire remastering of The Beatles discography. So what was the beef between the company formed by The Beatles and Apple, Inc.? Certainly, nothing other than a trademark dispute over the usage of the word “apple.” The original settlement was that Apple, Inc. would not enter the music business, and that Apple Corps would not enter the computer business. Turns out that Apple, Inc., with its iTunes and iPod phenomena, would break that settlement. It seems, as of today, the two entities are on good terms.
4. Apple Once Had a Video Game System Called the “Bandai Pippin”
The Bandai Pippin: Photo by dhaun Via Flickr Creative Commons
The Bandai Pippin was Apple’s attempt in the 1990s to create a video game console system that would compete with the Super Nintendo, Sega Saturn, and other hot gamer items at the time. Unfortunately, the product performed terribly, selling less than 50,000 units in its entire lifetime. To put that into perspective, the PlayStation 4 sold four million units in 2013 alone, which roughly translates to 12,000 consoles per day, meaning that it sells what the Bandai Pippin sold over three years time in just a matter of 3.5 days. Yikes! The Bandai Pippin was discontinued in 1997.
3. The Very First Apple Computer Sold for $666.66.
According to the Wikipedia article for the Apple I, the very first Apple computer sold for $666.66. This is a very curious number and possible reference to pop culture; Steve Jobs reasoned that he liked the ⅓ markup over the production cost of the console, which was $500, and that he also enjoyed repeating digits. Although an interesting marketing gimmick if nothing else, only 25 units of the Apple I sold during its nine months on the shelves. Guess Apple went back to the drawing board on both the product and its pricing strategy after that point.
2. Apple Places Employees Into the Think-Tanks of Fake Projects Until They Prove Themselves Trustworthy
Photo by mikecogh Via Flickr Creative Commons
Apple wants to be as top-secret, secure, and confidential about their private projects as any other major corporation, so what do they do? They pay new hires the top dollars in the industry, only to place them into fake projects until they prove their value and trust to Apple. If an engineer is unable to perform at the levels expected of Apple, or if secrets are leaked out on a “fake” project and they are able to identify the culprit, the employee is fired immediately. Talk about an intense work atmosphere!
1. Bill Gates, the Owner of Microsoft, Saved Apple
Photo by Domain Barnyard Via Flickr Creative Commons
In the 1990s, between two decades of absurd profitability, Apple was in a dramatically sharp decline. Their products were less successful than they were in the 1980s, and their lead competitor, Bill Gates, was experiencing ultimate levels of success.
So did Apple go out of business because Microsoft was booming?
Not at all – in fact, the opposite happened. For some reason, Bill Gates wanted share in Apple, and so he invested $150,000,000.00 into Apple in 1997, in a move that probably completely saved the company from losing its legacy. Just think – you would probably not have your MacBook Pros, your iPhones, and your iPads today if it were not for the generosity of Microsoft saving Apple.
Cover Photo By luc legay
Microsoft saved apple because Microsoft was facing monopoly allegations. He knew that without his biggest competitor, he would lose the case. FACT