Seemed just yesterday I was sitting in my graphic design class working on a big, beautiful and beige Apple PowerMac.  16-bit color monitor, built in.  8mb of RAM, expandable to 32.  2gb hard drive, parallel.  And the sweet, sweet sound of that famous Macintosh chime when you clicked that little button on your keyboard to awaken this piece of art.  Yes, my friends, I am a fan boy.  What can I say.

It’s been a long road, with Steve and I.  We’ve had our moments.  We’ve had disagreements, just like any other couple.  But what makes this relationship strong is Steve’s consistency.  Steve Jobs likes things a particular way and that’s what I like about him.  He’s structured, logical, and oh so needy.  He’s also very set in his ways.  But I love him all the same.

It all started with a little, shiny phone

In 2007, Apple introduced the iPhone.  This product revolutionized the mobile man.  Other companies have been trying to play catchup ever since.  They used marketing strategies with phrases like, “The iPhone Killer…”

Enter Google.

Google entered the smartphone arena a couple years later with Android.  Android has done extremely well.  Especially with it’s open platform.  Anyone and their brother can use the android OS; and companies definitely take advantage of this.  But is this a good thing or bad?

Google has always been a force to be reckoned with.  What with them owning the search market; and their ability to tie their search and their email service into the hundreds of other products they have, it would appear they’ve got it covered.

But wait… Apple dances to their own music.

They very seldom listen to their user base and almost always follow their gut.  They listen not to corporate strategists, but to a handful of brilliant individuals who live in Nevernever Land.  Yes, I’m a fanboy, but I’m also a realist.

And so it begins…

It was just announced today that Apple has succeeded Google as the most valuable brand:  followed by IBM, McDonalds, and Microsoft, just to name the top five.  Apple is valued at over 183billion dollars.

With the iPad doing extremely well, the iPhone getting stronger ever day, their computers are rock solid; I don’t think Apple has anything to worry about these days.  I think they’re going to remain victorious.  For at least the next couple of years.