For Apple partizan , Apple event are a must - find out , not just because of the products involved , but also because of the trivial moments that bechance . They ’re just a few seconds or second of a larger presentation , but they endure out because of their profoundness – they’re an “ ah ha ! ” moment that opens your center to something prominent .
These moment are often referred to when babble out about Apple ’s history or study the party ’s move . In many instances , they ’re the moments that specify the event – or a whole era .
We could fall up with a tilt of 12 of these moments , but we wanted to narrow it down to the 10 best . We decided to nail down the list down to standalone event , so no FaceTime , Apple silicon , or other WWDC keynote announcements . ( We have a separate list of ourfavorite Mac import from WWDC tonic . ) And we keep things chronological to preclude any arguments about which announcement is the biggest ( though manifestly it ’s the iPhone ) . Without further ado , here are the 10 best moments in Apple special event history
1984: Welcome to Macintosh
About 45 minutes pass before Steve Jobs ( who get going the consequence by reciting verse two from Bob Dylan ’s “ The Times They Are A - Changin ’ “ ) finally get to the consequence that depart it all : the reveal of the Macintosh . Once Jobs insert a startup record , “ Chariots of Fire ” pop out to act in the auditorium ( In the 1980s , any staged , spectacular moment usedVangelis’song in the desktop . ) , and after a few seconds , the give-and-take “ MACINTOSH ” scroll horizontally across the all - in - one ’s screen , followed by a stir screen where “ insanely great ” was written in cursive on the screen .
A few minutes later , the Macintosh itself speaks : “ Hello , I am Macintach . It sure enough is not bad to get out of that old bag . ” It was a bit that changed everything not just for Apple but for all of technology .
A personal anecdote : I was n’t at this effect ( I was in middle shoal ) , but I was in areenactment of the consequence for theSteve Jobsmovie . “ Chariots of Fire ” was not played at that outcome .
1997: The return of Steve Jobs
We ’re sure you ’re quite conversant with Steve Jobs leaving Apple in 1985 and the society ’s struggles in the mid-1990s . “ The last twelvemonth in the Mac market felt like being on a number of an emotional rollercoaster , ” say Macworld ’s then - chief executive officer Colin Crawford during the 1997 Macworld Expo keynote . Apple acquired Next Inc. sooner that year , the companionship Jobs created after leaving Apple . NeXTSTEP provided the institution for Mac OS X , and Jobs supply the base for all the sleep .
job taking the stage at that keynote was one of the big moments in the fellowship ’s story – if notthebiggest . Apple and its customer needed a glimmer of hope , and Jobs provide it as soon as he appear . At that moment , everyone thought that if anyone could save Apple , it was Jobs .
1998: The matrix and the iMac
Here ’s a question for you longtime Apple users : Do you remember what Apple ’s Mac lineup was like in the early- and mid-1990s ? It was a mess – Apple had too many model . ( Bonus direct if you could name the remainder between Apple ’s regular Mac lineup and the Performa Macs . ) A brace of years after Steve Jobs ’s return , he decide that they needed to simplify the Mac card into four sections : consumer screen background and portables , and pro desktops and portables . It was a moment that brought clarity to Apple ’s lineup and an glide path that helped boost sales . It ’s a doctrine that the party still habituate today , for the most part .
During that same keynote , Jobs unveil the original G3 iMac to fill the consumer screen background part of that matrix . It was a computer like no other , deck the screen of several magazines , and was an instantaneous ikon . It had the spirit of the original Macintosh and solidified Jobs ’ legacy in job and pop culture .
1999: ‘One more thing…’
During the 1999 Macworld Expo keynote , Steve Jobs precede the iBook which bring wireless connectivity to the mass . It seemed like he was about to wrap up the show , but he paused and then said , “ There is one more thing , ” and he proceeded to introduce the AirPort , Apple ’s first Wi - Fi router that looked like a UFO .
That was the first of many “ One more thing ” announcement . job used it again later that year at theSeybold Seminars keynoteto inaugurate the Apple Cinema Display – this clock time , he made it more dramatic and his delivery of the line made it clear that “ One more thing ” was start to be a matter . Apple finally figured out that to add dramatic event to “ One more thing ” it should be used for annunciation that are more impressive than a new router or show – it was most of late used tointroduce Apple Vision Pro . Now , at the end of Apple keynotes , we all question if that ’s all there is , and wait to hear those three fateful words .
2001: Your whole music library in your pocket
The upshot for the original iPod was only for media , analysts , and special guest , and it was before the advent of streaming video recording . The crowd reaction is subdued throughout the whole event , but there ’s an audible chuckle take after by hand clapping when Jobs pulls the iPod out of his air hole . The small crew did n’t know how seminal the moment was , but Steve did .
Another personal anecdote : I did n’t go to the iPod result , but my wife was there , sitting next toPhilip Michaelsand behindJason Snellas Macworld representatives . Like the other attender , she leave the event with an iPod in her pouch and after demonstrate it to me during dinner party , which pass insensate while I marveled at the scroll rack and the UI .
2006: Intel arrives
At the Macworld Expo in 2006 , Intel ’s Paul Otellini , drape in abunny suit , made a dramatic incoming to the stage and greeted Steve Jobs with a chip wafer . They let everyone know that the two company were quick for the transition .
This was n’t Apple ’s initial annunciation that it was switching to Intel mainframe – that happenedsix month sooner at the WWDC 2005 tonic . The 2006 moment severalise the Apple market that , yup , this is really happening . It also let the humanity recognise that Apple was go to do whatever it took to not only continue relevant but to move forward with its technology , even if it think of converting competition into partners .
2007: Three revolutionary products
An Apple mobile headphone had been rumored for a while before its official reveal , so those of us who surveil Apple closely were always on the lookout station . Still , when Steve Jobs declare , “ An iPod ! A phone … are you getting it ! ” It ’s one of Jobs ’ greatest bit , and it was well-off to get caught up in the fervour , even if some of us had an idea what was coming .
I was lucky enough to be at the iPhone announcement , which was at the Macworld Expo keynote . What ’s funny about that minute in retrospect is that when Jobs pop out by say there were three novel merchandise , the “ widescreen iPod with touch control ” and the “ radical nomadic earphone ” receive Brobdingnagian responses from the interview , but the “ breakthrough internet communications equipment ” got only a smattering of applause . If we sleep with then what we live now ( instant messaging , FaceTime , societal medium , etc . ) , the reaction would be very different – the reply to the internet gimmick would be thunderous .
2008: The envelope, please
Steve Jobs was a master impresario . What made him gravid was that he did n’t do thingsjustfor show – he was excellent at provide context for what he did on stage . His actions had a profound effect on realize the item he was making . A cracking example of this pass off during the MacBook Air reveal in 2008 .
Jobs explained how slender the Air was by providing its measurements and compare it to the thinnest personal computer laptop on the market . Most giver would ’ve thought that was enough , but to make it real and tangible to the audience , Jobs swimmingly slid the Air out of an interoffice envelope . It commit people better context for the Air – the ohs , ahs , and laughs from the consultation were everyone say , “ I get it . ” It was genius .
2014: Watch and learn
The Apple Watch introduction was actually a “ One more matter ” item at the end of the 2014 iPhone event – Monday ’s “ Glowtime ” result will materialise on the dot 10 years later . It was the first time Apple CEO Tim Cook launched a major new product . “ We think this mathematical product will redefine what people await from its category , ” he proclaimed . And that it did .
2020: The start of a new era
At WWDC in June 2020 , Apple announce the Mac was switching from Intel processors to Apple ’s own atomic number 14 . TheWWDC announcement was a big moment on its own , but the actual insertion of the M1 chip and the first Macs to have Apple Si was an even bigger one .
For about 10 minutes of this 49 - minute event , Apple explained the components of its M1 , explained how each is implemented , and showed how each perform against the Intel chips being replace . It was centre - hatchway and exciting , and it truly felt like the Mac was entering a new era . Like 1984 all over again , it gave the Mac a new vox .
Bonus moment: Kanye West at the 2005 Apple Music event
Apple used to hold music effect to announce new iPods and iTunes features . Those case had a melodious guest at the end , and in 2005 the guest was Kayne West . West performed uncensored rendering of his hit “ Gold Digger ” and “ All Falls Down ” and the audience of journalist , analysts , and special guests sat still and quiet for the whole performance , except for a couplet who awkwardly dance in the gangway . I have never wince so many fourth dimension at an Apple case as I had at this one . ( The “ Mother Nature ” outline in 2023 come stuffy . )
Apparently , Apple felt likewise , because there ’s no footage of West ’s performance anywhere online . Even the “ double-dyed ” videos of the event , like the one above , have West ’s performance cut off . The only hard grounds online of this result , besides the numerous media writeups , is aphoto assemblage . It was a memorable moment for all the wrong reasons .
