“What do you get when you cross a notoriously tight-lipped computer company with rabidly fanatical users? A whole lot of gossip, speculation and hearsay, that’s what. Thirty years of Apple Computer has seen the company rise, fall and rise again like a kind of technological Jesus Christ — there’s been plenty to talk about,” Crave@CNET writes.
Crave writes, “Putting aside the surreal story of the return of Steve Jobs in 1997 to the company he founded back in 1976, Apple’s products themselves have been the ripest material for rumour-mongers. From the ’90s doomsayers who predicted the complete collapse of ‘beleaguered’ Apple to today’s rampant iPhone speculation, Apple has stimulated more imagination in Internet forums than any other company. You might even say that Apple is the only computer manufacturer to have inspired its own fan fiction.”
Crave writes, “Take our hand as we frolic back through the last 30 years of Apple rumours. Some turned out to be true, but most were wild fabrications built on nothing but wishful thinking and too much peyote.”
Crave’s top 10 all-time Apple rumors:
1. Apple to buy Nintendo
2. Mac OS for PC users
3. The return of Newton
4. Apple to buy BeOS
5. The secret OS X build
6. The Apple iPhone
7. iTunes as record label
8. Widescreen video iPod
9. 30th Anniversary Mac
10. Apple to buy Disney
Full article with descriptions of the above 10 items here.
The biggest rumor was that Steve Jobs would be returning to Apple in the mid nineties
Jeez, how about these:
“Apple’s death is imminent”
“Apple to be sold to (INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE)”
Hey MDN! Perhaps as a spinoff site you could have/start MacBets… Let’s put some money on the rumors…. I’ve got a $100 on the Nintendo deal…. LOL!
A few more:
Sony buys Apple.
Apple buys a major record label.
Apple dumps IBM and Motorola for Intel . . .oops, never mind on that one.
#11. Sony to buy Apple.
#12 Steve is dying.
Too much peyote? WHAT? You sir, are no Yaqui shaman.
Apple Computer should buy Apple Records.
“Thirty years of Apple Computer has seen the company rise, fall and rise again like a kind of technological Jesus Christ — there’s been plenty to talk about,” Crave@CNET writes.”
Careful CNET. The Beatles got in big trouble when John Lennon made reference to their popularity and compared it to Jesus. You’ll set the Bible belt off and they’ll be burning iPods, iMacs and MacBooks in the streets like they did with the poor Beatle’s Albums and pictures!
; )
Guess it’s an “Apple” thing all ’round.
MDN magic word: “Show” as in “Mach show, Mach show” [Inside joke for any hard core Beatles fans out there. We’ll see how many get it.]
Don’t forget the merger or buyout of Sun Microsystems.
Where does the iPhone rank on this list?
What about the powerbook G5? That one was around forever.
Mac4lfe: “Where does the iPhone rank on this list?”
I’m going out on a limb here and I’ll take a wild stab at the number six.
Just a weird, freaky guess.
3 Ghz PPCs
Dudes, no G5 Powerbook in there????? No Apple tablet?????
Surely those two deserve to be on the list.
Mac Mini with Dock. Well Mini did come out, but with no dock.
Maybe they’ll come up with HTP that has the dock.
an addendum to Unsquirted’s post
“I don’t know Unsquirted… that’s taking a BIG risk to make that assessment. It means you actually have to READ MDN’s take before you post…. wow, go slow, make sure you get it right.” (laughing with Unsquirted, not at him)
How about the “OS X to run on any Wintel PC” (which is different than the MacIntel rumor) That one is *STILL* going on.
-c
MW: ‘today’ (is the greatest…)
Unsquirted
I can’t believe I missed that. (Using PC at work)
ChrissyOne:
How about the “OS X to run on any Wintel PC” (which is different than the MacIntel rumor) That one is *STILL* going on.
That might be why it’s #2 on the list.
Apple to buy Tivo…
Mac4lfe: Thanks for taking the sarcasm in stride!
Jim: Thanks for playing!
I think Apple thrives on rumors although some kind of official road map would appease developers. A sharp edge on both sides.
The Beatles got in big trouble when John Lennon made reference to their popularity and compared it to Jesus.
Yes. Lennon is dead, and the Beatles are long since history. Be careful who you invoke.
You’ll set the Bible belt off and they’ll be burning iPods, iMacs and MacBooks in the streets like
The Bible Belt already hates Apple, they think the name and logo represent the temptation in Eden. And the $666 price of the first Apple computer didn’t help any.
A few burnings are minor anyway. Imagine them doing a comparison to Muhammad…
“apple buys adobe”
maybe more of a wish instead of a rumor
Forget ‘Apple buys Adobe’.
How about’ Apple makes the software products that puts Adobe out of business’.
Not a rumor, a prophesy.