The year 2004 was a turning point for Apple. Indeed, the company created a solid financial base to work with, and began experimenting with new parts from new suppliers. As a result, new designs were developed over a short amount of time, with the release of the iPod Video, the iPod Classic and other products. In the summer of 2004, the iMac G5 replaced the iMac G4 after a few iterations increasing the processing speed and screen sizes of the latter from 15″ to 17″ to 20″. Apple’s Xserves were updated to use the G5, and replaced the Power Mac G5 as the main building block of Virginia Tech’s System X. By the way, Apple’s Xserves was ranked in November 2004 as the world’s seventh fastest supercomputer. A new iMac based on the G5 processor was announced on August 31, 2004 and marketed in mid-September. The first Apple store opened in Ginza district of Tokyo, Japan in 2003, was followed by a store in Osaka, in August 2004.
History of the Apple Computer Corporation
Apple History 2004
January 2004: Apple releases the iPod mini, which while smaller in capacity than the original iPod, was smaller than many cellphones.
March 30, 2004: In the quarter ending March 30, Apple earned US$46 million, or 6¢ a share, on revenue of US$1.91 billion.
April 2004: In the first year alone, the iTunes Music Store sold more than 70 million songs, and by July this number had increased to more than 100 million. The iTunes Music Store had a 70% market share among all legal online music download services. iPods had moved from expensive toys to must-have Christmas presents, and Apple found itself in the position of having a monopoly for the first time in several decades.
April 16, 2004: Apple releases updated eMac computers. They feature 1.25 GHz G4 processor, 17-inch monitor, 256 MB RAM, 40 or 80 GB hard drive.
April 19, 2004: Apple Computer announces new PowerBook computers. They feature 12.1- to 17-inch LCD screens, 1.33 GHz to 1.5 GHz G4 processor, 60-80 GB hard drive.
April 19, 2004: Apple announces new iBooks computers. They feature 1-1.2 GHz G4 processor, 30-60 GB hard drive, 12.1- or 14.1-inch LCD screen.
May 18, 2004: The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Fairly Oddparents TV show. A Power Pals computer logo looks similar to the Mac OS logo.
June 2004: Apple opens the iTunes Music Store in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.
June 7, 2004: Apple Computer announces the AirPort Express wireless network station. Price is US$129.
June 9, 2004: Apple introduces a new Power Mac G5 computer. It features dual 2.5 GHz IBM PowerPC 970FX processors, 1.25 GHz front-side bus, liquid cooling system, 512 MB RAM, 160 GB hard drive, ATI Radeon 9600 XT graphics card with 128 MB RAM, 8X SuperDrive. Price is US$2999.
June 9, 2004: Apple Computer introduces a new Power Mac G5 computer. It features dual 1.8 GHz processors, 256 MB RAM, 80 GB hard drive, Nvidia GeForceFX 5200 Ultra graphics card with 64 MB RAM, 8X SuperDrive. Price is US$1999.
June 28, 2004: At Apple Computer’s Worldwide Developer Conference, Apple debuts the Mac OS X 10.4 operating system. A major new feature is systemwide search technology “Spotlight”. Code-name during development was Tiger.
July 1, 2004: Apple Computer stops taking orders for iMac G4 computers, with new iMac G5 computers to be introduced soon.
August, 2004: Apple Computer begins shipping the 2.5 GHz Power Mac G5 computer.
August 31, 2004: At the Apple Expo in Paris, France, Apple Computer unveils the new Apple iMac computer based on the G5 processor. It features 17- or 20-inch color LCD display, 1.6 or 1.8 GHz PowerPC G5 processor, 256 MB RAM, 512 KB L2 cache, 80 or 160 GB hard drive, DVD-ROM/CD-RW or DVD-R SuperDrive, 64 MB NVidia GeForce 5200 graphics, 10/100 BaseT Ethernet, three USB 2.0 ports, two FireWire 400 ports, AirPort. The 2-inch thick display contains the computer components. Price range is US$1299 to $1899. The new computer was made available in mid-September. This model dispensed with the base altogether, placing the CPU and the rest of the computing hardware behind the flat-panel screen, which is suspended from a streamlined aluminum foot. This new iMac, dubbed the iMac G5, was the world’s thinnest desktop computer, measuring in at around two inches.
September 2004: Market share of personal computers worldwide during January to September: Dell Computer 16.4%, Hewlett-Packard 13.9%, IBM 5.2%, Fujitsu 3.8%, Acer 3.2%, Toshiba 3.2%, NEC 2.6%, Gateway 2.2%, Lenovo 2%, Apple 1.9%. Market share of personal computers in the US during July to September: Gateway 5.2%, Apple Computer 3.3%.
October 2004: In an effort to court a broader market, Apple opens several mini Apple stores. The company seeks to capture markets where demand does not necessarily dictate a full scale store. These stores follow in the footsteps of the successful Apple products: iPod mini and Mac mini. The mini stores are only one half the square footage of the smallest “normal” store and thus can be placed in smaller markets.The first of these stores is opened at Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, California.
October 6, 2004: Microsoft releases Virtual PC 7 software for the Apple Macintosh. The product emulates a Pentium processor, allowing the Microsoft Windows operating system and applications to run on the Macintosh. Price is US$249, including Windows XP Professional.
October 19, 2004: Apple introduces a new low-end iBook portable computer. It features 1.2 GHz G4 processor, DVD reader / CD writer drive, 12-inch LCD screen, 256 MB DDR266 RAM, 133 MHz bus, ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 with 32 MB DDR RAM, 30 GB hard drive, 1024×768 pixel graphics, AirPort Extreme wireless networking, two USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 400 port, 100BaseT Ethernet port, 56 Kbps v.92 modem. Price is US$999.
October 19, 2004: Apple introduces a new midrange iBook portable computer. It features 1.33 GHz processor, DVD reader / CD writer drive, 14-inch screen, 256 MB DDR266 RAM, 133 MHz bus, ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 with 32 MB DDR RAM, 60 GB hard drive, 1024×768 pixel graphics, AirPort Extreme wireless networking, two USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 400 port, 100BaseT Ethernet port, 56 Kbps v.92 modem. Price is US$1299.
19 October, 2004: Apple introduces a new high-end iBook portable computer. It features 1.33 GHz G4 processor, 256 MB RAM, 60 GB hard drive, DVD/CD writer SuperDrive, 14.1-inch 1024×768 resolution LCD display, AirPort Extreme card, 802.11g woreless, 2 USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400 port, Ethernet port, v.92 modem. Price is US$1499.
19 October, 2004: Apple Computer introduces new Power Mac G5 computers. They feature single 1.8 GHz to dual 2.5 GHz processors, 80 or 160 GB hard drive, Nvidia GeForce Fx 5200 Ultra card in 8X AGP slot, 256 MB DDR400 SDRAM, 8X SuperDrive, three 33 MHz 64-bit PCI slots, AirPort Extreme slot, two FireWire 400 ports, one FireWire 800 port, three USB 2.0 ports, 600 MHz front-side bus.
October 2004: A European Union version of iTunes Music Store opens (actually, a Eurozone version). The store is not initially available in the Republic of Ireland due to the intransigence of the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) but it will eventually open on Thursday January 6, 2005.
November 2004: Apple’s first European store opened in London, UK, on Regent Street.
November 5, 2004: Apple Computer releases the Mac OS, X 10.3.6 operating system. The minor release includes many updates and improvements.
November 18, 2004: Apple Computer holds the MacExpo 2004 trade show in London, England, over three days. 25,000 people attend.
November 20, 2004: Apple Computer opens its first European Apple Store, in London, England.
October-December 2004: Market share of desktop personal computer shipments in the US during October to december 2004: Dell 34.7%, Hewlett-Packard 20.9%, Gateway 7.7%, IBM 3%, Apple Computer 2.9%. Market share of portable personal computer shipments in the US during October to December: Dell 28.9%, Hewlett-Packard 19%, Toshiba 12.5%, IBM 7.9%, Apple Computer 5%.
December 2004: Apple iTunes opens for Canada.
December 16, 2004: Apple sells its 200 millionth song on the iTunes Music Store to Ryan Alekman from Belchertown, Massachusetts. The download was The Complete U2, by U2.
Bibliography:
- Chronology of Events in the History of Microcomputers: islandnet.com/~kpolsson/comphist.
- Apple History: http://www.apple-history.com.
- Wikipedia.
- iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon: How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-Founded Apple, and Had Fun Doing It. 2007. by Steve Wozniak and Gina Smith.
- Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson.
Links
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