From the people who brought you the iPod -a revolutionary music player, Apple Inc. have earned itself an article on Forbes on their greatest innovation of all time.

For many years, Apple have been driven by their love and taste for life, pushing back the norms and routines of society. With this affinity to escape the routines and the thirsty to invent, Apple have invented and revolutionized many great roots in technology. Here’s a list of all the greatest innovations from Apple.

1. Mac OS: The Graphical User Interface Goes Big Time

In 1984, the year when I was born, Apple released its first personal computer Macintosh with an intuitive GUI. It was the first computer that comes with a graphic user interface (GUI) that allow much more intuitive usage of the computer. The Macintosh had beautiful typographic features; it was the first computer that had fonts. For those who have never come across the speaking features on Windows, just know that this feature existed in 1984 on the Macintosh.

2. Newton: A Computer In Your Pocket

For those who are unaware of this, Apple have released their Personal Digital Assistant in 1993. Also the first PDA in the world! And it is called “Newton”

“The Newton was very ambitious for its time, featuring
-Full Handwriting Recognition
-Plug-in memory cards
-Fax
-Email (with optional modem)
-IR communications
and a degree of intelligence we still have to see in later PDA’s.
For example: the user could write on the screen “Lunch with Jeff tomorrow”, tap the Assist icon, and the Newton would interpret the phrase and open a meeting form already filled out with the last-accessed person named Jeff and tomorrow’s date!”

Source: http://www.nzeldes.com/HOC/Newton.htm

3. iPhone: The Web In Your Pocket

This one shouldn’t need a lot of introduction.

“It has a multi-touch screen with virtual keyboard and buttons. The iPhone’s functions include those of a camera phone and a portable media player (iPod), in addition to text messaging and visual voicemail. It also offers Internet services including e-mail, web browsing, and local Wi-Fi connectivity. It is a quad-band mobile phone that uses the GSM standard, and hence has international capability. It supports the EDGE data technology. The iPhone is a prime example of converged device” -Wikipedia

Each and every corner you turn it’s about iPhone. And now its also about iPhone, but it’s aggressive competitors. After the release of iPhone, all the mobile companies tries to create a device which is equivalent or better than iPhone. It hasn’t even been over a year and the iPhone “killers” are stacking up. Here’s a list of three iPhone Killers that Yahoo! claimed most competitive yet to the real iPhone.

Samsung Instinct
PRICE : $200 to $250

” A close cousin to the iPhone in terms of look and feel, the Instinct comes with a snazzy, easy-to-use interface, 3G data access, on-demand video, full-track music downloads, voice commands, and turn-by-turn GPS navigation. “

Sony Ericsson Xperia X1:
PRICE - Bound to be more than $400

“The first Windows Mobile phone made by Sony Ericsson, the Xperia X1 boasts an “arc-slider” form factor, a full QWERTY keypad, and a unique “paneled” interface running atop the Windows Mobile OS.”

LG VU:
PRICE - $299

” This thin, light, and stylish HSDPA-enabled handset boasts AT&T’s new live TV service, which delivers about nine channels of streaming video. It also comes with a slick animated interface, mobile email, and AT&T’s one-way video conferencing service. “

HTC Touch Dual:
Price - About $400

” It’s essentially an HSDPA-enabled version of Touch with exactly the same features, but adds a slide-out, 20-button keypad. “

Source: Yahoo!

A recent patent called “Dynamic Carrier selection” filed on Oct.10 2006 details how Apple may use “mobile virtual network operator” (MVNO) to become a cell phone carrier directly from iTunes.

According to unwiredview.com,

When iPhone first connects to wireless network, it sends iTunes MVNO server it’s ID and location, and get’s back the information with the available networks, services and rates in the area. Then a user can manually select the best network for him, or the network operator can be dynamically selected by software according to specified criteria.

Once the permanent connection is established, the available network service and pricing data can be continuously updated, and the device can be set to change the network operator as better offers become available. E.g. the AT&T may have better daytime rates, while T-Mobile is offering better night time and weekend minutes, or Vodafone may have the excellent voice call prices while 3 Network has even better data rates. Your iPhone knows this and switches the network operator accordingly.

All the bills from network operators go to the Apple/iTunes MVNO and you are billed via iTunes as well.

But that’s not the end of it. Apple is also thinking of allowing networks to dynamically submit bids with their various service offerings and prices in different areas.

Customers can dynamically choose the best service vs. cost solely at any given time of the day. The customers are no longer tied down by the two year contract from carriers.

Source: Link

Samsung’s P2 is their flagship MP3/PMP device with many features, starring the full screen touch interface. Bluetooth also plays a supporting role in the feature set, giving the player the ability to connect to wireless headphones and to your mobile phone (in future updates).

Big Competitor for Iphone. Many suggested that, Samsung is the best option when compared to iPhone. By means of rate, features, battery life and more. Samsung P2

Original: Article