Introduction
The 1990s were such a defining decade in the rise of the internet as we know it and the personal computing culture. While many companies like Microsoft and AOL have helped shape the technical foundation of the early fragmented web; Apple would influence the way people creatively could connect with it. Throughout the late 1990s, Apple really evolved from a struggling "tech bro" company near a collapse to the huge cultural symbol associated with simplistic artistic expression with a vision with the human-centered vision of technology in mind.
Apple Before The Shift
At the beginning of the 90s, Apple was in a very difficult position. The company was in serious financial turmoil. The company was not competing like they hoped they would. Although the company had a great presence in schools and other creative industries; the mainstream computing world was still dominated by Microsoft and the IBM-compatible PCs. These machines were often seen as work-focused devices that should be intended for spreadsheets, business software, and dull word processing.
The Return of Steve Jobs
The huge decisive turning point came in late 1997, when the well known Steve Jobs returned to the company Apple following its acquisition of "NeXT". Jobs did not just simply restructure the entire company; he redefined its whole purpose. With that being said his approach worked.....in the article iMac leads Retail Sales (1998) explicitly states that "iMac's rankings have steadily improved, moving from fourth place in August, to third in September and second in October."
The iMac Revolution
The most iconic embodiment of Apple's late-90s philosophy officially arrived in 1998 with the initial release of the iMac G3. At a time when most computers were very beige, boxy looking, and visually ugly......the iMac introduced transparency and playful futuristic aesthetic. The iMace felt "alive". The slogan "three steps & you are on the internet" addressed an initial major barrier of the time which was the difficulty many households had getting online.
