The Economist: Drop the Computer
With new products and a shorter name, Apple hopes to change the world again.
“WE'RE going to make some history here today,” said Steve Jobs this week at the beginning of his annual speech at Macworld, his company's cult-like trade show in San Francisco. He was as good as his word. First, he launched a product that promises at last to bring digital entertainment from people's computers to their television screens without fuss. Then he unveiled an even more impressive device that transcends the description “mobile phone”. Mr Jobs, who was so excited that he had lain awake all night, made it clear that he considered this day a watershed in the three-decade history of Apple Computer, a point that he emphasised by announcing that his firm would henceforth drop “Computer” from its name.
Indeed, Apple's laptop and desktop computers, which are selling briskly, were hardly mentioned. Nor were Apple's iPods, which dominate the market for portable music players. …
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