The iPhone and iPad development conceivably benefitted from the portable computing work undertaken during the Newton era (1987 – 98).

The iPad was designed by Jonathan Ive, Senior Vice President of Design at Apple Inc since 1997. He has the overall responsibility for Industrial Design and also provides leadership and direction for Human Interface (HI) software teams across the company. In 2012 he was knighted for “services to design and enterprise”.

Photo of a young girl using a slate taken by Harold Cazneaux about a century earlier than the invention of the ipad.

Apple is generally guarded about product development and strategies, however, the development of the iPhone was likely prompted by the displacement and decline of the iPod. Other manufacturers had introduced the functionality of a portable media player to their mobile phones in the years following the introduction of the iPod (2001). Apple adapted the technological developments of a touch screen to the production of a smart phone device, a move that would accelerate the redundancy of the iPod but replace it with a versatile Apple mobile product.

The iPhone has been an enormously successful product in both sales volume and recognition of its innovation. In particular, the iPhone touch screen, replacing a physical keypad with a small display, offered a greater viewable surface.

The design and construction of this portable personal computer employs what Apple calls the “precision aluminium unibody enclosure”. The unibody was developed by Ive and the Apple Industrial Design Group and initially applied to the MacBook Air in 2008.

This most critical part (housing track pad / keyboard / drives / central processing unit) is machined from a single aluminium blank. The design of the unibody required Ive and the team to think exhaustively about the process of manufacture. The computer can be assembled with reduced time and resources and manufactured to incredibly high tolerances (fit and finish) resulting in economies of production, reduced product weight (and reduced packaging and transport costs) and a rationalisation of parts.

*Height 255mm when lid open to 90 degrees.

In the late 1980s gesture control was introduced to computer games in the form of PowerGlove, an input device for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was an alternate controller (replacing a joystick or keyboard commands) for use with games.

VPL Research Inc designed and developed the original DataGlove in the mid 1980s as a standard input device for virtual environment systems. VPL’s DataGlove sold for several thousand (US) dollars. Mattel tooled down the glove’s components and retailed its low-tech version for between US$70 and US$100.

The PowerGlove used analogue flex sensors embedded in the plastic on the back of the fingers to measure finger bending. Its potential was recognised by enthusiasts, hackers and virtual environment buffs.

In the 1920s Russian inventor Leon Theremin (1896 – 1993) demonstrated his Etherophone or Thereminovox, a musical instrument developed using radio technology and operated by gesture control. The proximity of the performer’s hands to two antennas affected a circuit altering the pitch and volume of an oscillator. Theremin had observed the oscillations while developing a circuit for another experiment and refined those ideas into a musical instrument with this unique gesture control.

Comparisons have been made between Ive’s design for the Apple PowerMac G5 from 2004 and Dieter Rams‘ design for the Braun T1000 receiver from 1963. Both designers have expressed respect and admiration for the other’s design output. Apart from a physical resemblance in form, finish, materials and treatments, there are other comparisons. Rams and Ive share a philosophy that democracy can find expression in their products. The T1000 gave radio listeners access to the world, while the iPod gave access to millions of songs and the G5 represents portability, utility, simplicity and longevity.

While there had been previous attempts to produce digital media devices, no one had produced a simple and elegant solution to the human-player interface. The controls resolve the functions of the machine into five buttons and one scroll wheel. Its distinctive white and clear acrylic form on a stainless steel back is intuitive to hold, touch and use.

The iPod accumulated social cachet as it was avidly consumed by a new wave of digital admirers. Holding up to 1000 songs, it became as much a new software device as a physical product.

Apple brought the iPod to market swiftly (within eight months of inception). It did so while the music industry was flustered over peer-to-peer music sharing services which had sprung up in the late 1990s (Napster 1999 – 2001). With no solution to this new music distribution system – surprising considering the music industry had previously shown great savvy at adopting digital recording, mastering and product formats (CD) in the 1980s – Apple forged a deal with record companies to join their iTunes service to distribute files for iPods.

The impact of the iPod was pervasive. Third party companies made and supplied accessories and many car manufacturers installed iPod docking mechanisms as standard features. Independent stereo manufacturers began to include iPod integration slots in their machines.

The MP3 file format first appeared in the early 1990s and was rapidly gaining popularity on the internet through legitimate digital music distribution sites, closely followed by illegitimate peer-to-peer music swap sites such as Napster.

Apple executives examined the Diamond Rio when they were considering a foray into the digital media player market, although they were quick to fault its lack of user friendliness and capacity.

The glacial style of the T3 is typical of the Braun product range that Rams designed, including the SK4 radiogram (Snow White’s coffin) and the Braun RT20 radio. Braun products demonstrated the importance of good design without compromise. They were technically superior to competitors and this was reflected in their purchase price. Braun’s owners (Artur and Erwin Braun) had to demonstrate considerable faith and patience in this philosophy before market acceptance rewarded it.