There are huge companies with astonishing popularity and huge profits, however, many have struggled a lot for it as they had to endure the worst possible scenario— bankruptcy. Today’s tech giant Apple was no different.
Apple is one of the leading tech companies with a hold of a giant market share. Today, Apple is worth $2.79 Trillion after the company holds the title of the first company to be valued at $1 trillion.
Wire’s Weird Suggestion to Save Apple
As Apple struggled for survival back in the day, there were many weird suggestions in public to save the tech company but those were not as good as that came from popular magazine Wired. In a 1997 magazine cover story, Wired featured an article dedicated to Apple entitled 101 Ways to Save Apple.
The debut of the company was spectacular as it came up with the newest technological prowess with Apple’s first I microcomputer and then the iPhone revolutionized the technological world. The worldview of people has changed as well, people went in to embrace the company but that was not for long. Apple has been accused of producing unnecessary products at high prices, the finest example would be a monitor stand for $999.
Back to Wired, the magazine presented several tricky and meticulous suggestions including urging the company to get out of the hardware game. But a more promiscuous suggestion like “Give Steve Jobs as much authority as he wants in new product development,” was definitely a good one considering the company’s situation. But the weirdest one would be, “Have Pixar make 3001: A Space Odyssey, with HAL replaced by a Mac.” The reference was intended to joke on the company that created an uproar against their battle with another tech giant Samsung. However, Apple inspired Andrew Stanton’s 2008 Disney film WALL-E which earned $532.5 million.
Also read: Stanley Kubrick Ignored 2x Oscar Winner Denzel Washington For Marvel Star William Dafoe
2001: A Space Odyssey and Apple
Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey is undoubtedly one of the most celebrated sci-fi movies of all time. The movie has inspired many, not only filmmakers but it has touched the core of some tech products of some companies as well. In a huge patent battle between Samsung and Apple, the former accused Apple of copying the iPad design from the Kubrick movie. Samsung was referencing the movie prop, ‘Newspad’ extensively used in the movie.
“In one sequence aboard a spacecraft involved in a deep space probe two of the astronauts use an IBM NEWSPAD. This is a news projecting device enabling space travellers to have access to Earth news via radio projection. It is an item of hardware logically anticipated for a period 36 years from now. We are working with IBM, of course, and using their technical assistance,” Kubrick’s collaborator Roger Caras’ letter to Joseph F. Kern explained the functionality of the Newspad.
Kubrick had long suspected that the movie would inspire future technology, of course, the movie has redefined the imagination of technological marvel and its applications. “Perhaps the greatest breakthrough we may have made by 2001 is the possibility that man may be able to eliminate old age,” Kubrick once said (via Far Out Magazine). “I’m sure we’ll have sophisticated 3-D holographic television and films, and it’s possible that completely new forms of entertainment and education will be devised,” he added. The battle between the tech giant may have ended but many will remember Samsung’s epic reference to 2001: A Space Odyssey associating Apple with the film.
Source: Cracked, FarOutMagazine.
