Apple is at the moment one of the hottest technology companies. They make killer products and have users that continuously want their newest and latest gadgets. I believe there are many reasons for the success of Apple; superior design and execution come to mind immediately.
I do however think that the unsung hero for Apple is its iTunes software. Think about how many times a week you open your iTunes to buy applications and all kinds of media. It all started with music which provided a new revenue stream for music producers. The music has been augmented with TV shows, movies, applications and recently eBooks.
It all started in 2001 when iTunes formed part of Mac OS 9. It wasn’t until 2003, with version 4, that the real money-maker became part of iTunes—the iTunes Store. If there is one criticism about iTunes that users seem to be quietly accepting is the size of the software. The current version weighs 150 megabytes installed and one hopes that future versions will go on a diet. I am aware that this is software and not as cool as a shiny new gadget but iTunes is very much part of the ascendancy that Apple has experienced. Happy birthday iTunes may there be many more.
