On 1 April 1976, Apple was formed in a garage in Los Altos, California. From the very first Apple I computer, the company's 'think different' philosophy has led to a plethora of breakthrough devices. It reinvented the desktop computer, revolutionised the laptop, reinvigorated the tablet and completely overhauled the mobile phone.
With 50 years of products and innovation behind it, picking just one standout device would be near impossible. With each device that it makes, or has made, there are multiple generations that stand out. The Mac – or Apple Macintosh – being prime example. It gave us the Lisa, the Powerbook, the NeXT and the iconic iMac G3, to name but a few.
So rather than give you another list of products that changed the world, I have instead put together a list of Apple products that have been important to me through my time in tech. The ones that stand out in my memory as being the best devices I'd ever seen at that point in time – and hopefully you will agree with at least some of them.
1. Apple iMac G3
My first work computer as a journalist was the Apple iMac G3. This is still arguably one of the best-looking computers to ever be made. Launched in 1998, it originally came in a Bondi Blue translucent finish, but would eventually be available in a total of 13 colours. It notably had a CD-ROM drive at the front and used a 'hockey-puck' mouse that took some getting used to.
2. 4th Generation iPod
This was the first Apple product I bought. The first iPod with a click wheel, it originally had a monochrome screen and boasted a huge (for its time) 40GB of storage, using a spinning microdrive.
Released in 2004, it had gone from the original 1,000 songs in your pocket, to your entire collection in your pocket. You just needed to take the time to burn all those CDs to your iTunes app first.
3. iPhone 3G
The iPhone 3G was the second iPhone to be released, coming out in 2008, one year after the original. While the first model gets all the hype, it was the 3G model that became a truly global success.
Notably, this model added 3G data for the first time, as well as GPS and with its new operating system (iPhone OS 2) it introduced the App Store. This was the true beginning in my eyes, of everything that made the iPhone the success it is today. It was tiny by today's standards, with a 3.5-inch display, but it felt really solid in the hand.
4. Apple AirPort Time Capsule
The second-generation Time Capsule was arguably the best wireless router to ever be produced. At a time when setting up a wireless router took hours or patience and a little luck, installing the Time Capsule was painless. It just worked.
What was even better was that this larger version came with either 1TB or 2TB of internal storage, meaning it doubled as a local backup for all of your files. I used one of these for years, paired with a smaller Airport Express router, until the hard drive eventually failed. I'm still sad Apple no longer make routers.
5. iPad
The first iPad launched in 2010, described as 'a revolutionary device for browsing the web, reading and sending emails, enjoying photos, watching videos, listening to music, playing games, reading e-books and much more.'
I didn't know why I needed an iPad to do all the things I could do on my phone or laptop, but when I saw the queue outside the Apple store in San Francisco on launch day, I knew I had to have one.
