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10 Great Video Innovations From Steve Jobs & Apple (and Some That Weren’t)

  |  1 year ago   |  
10 Great Video Innovations From Steve Jobs & Apple (and Some That Weren’t)

In memory of Apple's founder, the late Steve Jobs, who passed away this week, I've put together what I think will be a complete list of notable video-related technology creations from Jobs and Apple. See what made the Top 10 list, along with the no-so-great ones.

Because it would be really difficult and biased for me to try and rank these accomplishments, I'm just listing them here in chronological order based on their original (first) releases to the public.

The Top 10 Video Innovations From Steve Jobs AND Apple's History

Do keep in mind, I'm referring to both Steve Jobs AND Apple. Some of these technology innovations happened when Jobs had left Apple, and one of them was by Jobs separate from Apple. But they all count in my book!

1. 1984 – "1984" Super Bowl Commercial

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYecfV3ubP8" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYecfV3ubP8']);" rel="nofollow, external" target="_blank"><img class="nopin" src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi//0.jpg" alt="10 Great Video Innovations From Steve Jobs & Apple (and Some That Weren’t)" title="0" /></a>

2. 1986 – PIXAR movie studios (established in 1979, acquired by Steve Jobs in 1986)
3. 199? – QuickTime video codec (followed by QuickTime Pro, Apple's first video editing software)
4. 1999 – iMovie
5. 2001/2002? – Final Cut Pro Video Editing Software (later had Final Cut Express in 2003, and Final Cut X in 2011)
6. 2003 - iSight (both the standalone webcam, and now built into our computers)
7. 2005 – iTunes (while it was originally established in 2003, iTunes' didn't allow for video support until 2005; and it's digital video store sold TV shows in 2005 and movies in 2006)
8. 2005 - Video iPod (iTouch in 2007)
9. 2007 – iPhone

Here's the first iPhone commercial, which aired during the Oscars:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bvfs4ai5XU" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bvfs4ai5XU']);" rel="nofollow, external" target="_blank"><img class="nopin" src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi//0.jpg" alt="10 Great Video Innovations From Steve Jobs & Apple (and Some That Weren’t)" title="0" /></a>

10. 2011 – iPad (Tablet)

Here's the first iPad commercial, also aired during the Oscars:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9KTnsGsd_0" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9KTnsGsd_0']);" rel="nofollow, external" target="_blank"><img class="nopin" src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi//0.jpg" alt="10 Great Video Innovations From Steve Jobs & Apple (and Some That Weren’t)" title="0" /></a>

The Not-So-Great Apple innovations with video

  • Quicktime camera (before 2000?)
  • Apple TV (2007)
  • HTML5-only iPhone/iTouch/iPad devices (no flash, seriously guys?)

Coming Up Next: Video Enthusiasts Remembering Steve Jobs

I interviewed MacWorld magazine and friends-of-ReelSEO in the online video space for their impressions on what Steve Jobs and Apple have meant to online video, including my own.

Posted in Video Technology
2013 Video Marketing Summit
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About the Author -
Grant Crowell is a trusted content provider in the online marketing space. Grant's expertise includes social media and video optimization, video SEO, usability, how-to's and tips, legal issues, and ethics with online video.Support this author - CONTRIBUTE!

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What do you think? ▼
  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=669890406 Grant Crowell

    Thanks to Jeremy Scott for adding these helpful videos and links!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1513291339 Christopher Ming Ryan

    A million years ago (1994 I think) Apple came out with the 1040 AV (again, I think) it was a tower that had rca video outs. I was working in a production company and we installed Adobe Premiere on it. It was a revelation and soon Avid and Media One took off. But the roots of FCP were right there. Also, I would add when iChat became compatible with Final Cut 7, apple made it possible for editors to work with producers across the globe in real time.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1478936922 Rob Chapman

    As far as your negative things, maybe 1 out of 3 are correct. Apple TV is one of the best things that has happened in our home. I LOVE not only streaming content through it, but also from my phone to it. It's great. The HTML5 thing is seriously dead in the water. WHO CARES if it has flash or not? I'm in video production and NEVER do I export to a flash movie! Good old mp4's can be played by all devices across the board. Plus while you guys know full well that YouTube (and now increasingly sites like Vimeo) are the streaming standard. In fact even flash websites are become basically "uncool" anyway.
    But with all that said, you said rightly that Steve Jobs was VERY instrumental to our way of life. Other than being stuck in the 80's I can't imagine what life would be like right now.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1607053110 Chandru Ryunusuke

    thanks steve for a apple.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100361750022323 Video Leads Online

    I could be wrong here, but I think Apple Macintosh was the first non-dedicated (i.e. not solely a video editor like Avid) to let you create/edit video... Hey video nerds out there am I right/wrong?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100361750022323 Video Leads Online

    Maybe it is just "old think", but I still think the 1984 commercial did more to keep Apple from getting really big (and let MS take that role) in the business world... Back then I was selling both Macs & PCs.. so I'd rank that commercial with the "not so good" ones.

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