The story of Apple’s upside down logo

It was perhaps one of the most baffling and frustrating design choices Apple ever made: the upside down Apple logo. For those of you who haven’t been using Macs long enough to remember this, the “upside down Apple logo” refers to how PowerBooks and iBooks used to display the Apple logo “pointing” at the floor when the laptop was opened.

Former Apple employee Joe Moreno reveals the story behind the upside down logo. Apparently when Steve Jobs and company designed the PowerBooks and iBooks they discovered that if they placed the Apple logo upside down from the user’s prospective when the lid was closed, the user would constantly try to open the laptop from the wrong side — by the hinges, because from that angle the Apple logo was right-side-up.

Now, you would think that a company that prides itself on its branding would want their logo right side up so all the passersby would see it in the correct orientation, but Steve Jobs thought the upside down Apple logo was the right way to go. As Moreno writes:

Steve Jobs always focuses on providing the best possible user experience and believed that it was more important to satisfy the user than the onlooker.

Thankfully, Jobs eventually reversed his decision. But this story does beg the question: were that many people really trying to open their laptops from the wrong side time after time again? If so, the upside down Apple logo is probably the least of their worries. It also goes to show that Steve Jobs, as great of a design genius as he was, didn’t always make the right design choices the first time around.

Apple may not market “4G” iPad in the UK?

In Australia, Sweden and, now, the UK, Apple is facing opposition over its use of 4G in the iPad name. According to GigaOM, The UK Advertising Standards Authority will release an adjudication on Wednesday that could lead to a new investigation into whether Apple is misleading customers when it says the iPad delivers 4G speeds. This adjudication is a response to 40 complaints received by the standards body from people who were confused by the 4G label, as the UK doesn’t have a 4G wireless carrier.

When approached by the ASA, Apple said it removed references to 4G on its website, but some people are still complaining about what ASA calls “other potentially problematic claims about the iPad.” Apple reportedly still refers to 4G features, but adds the disclaimer that “4G LTE is supported only on AT&T and Verizon networks in the US, and on Bell, Rogers and Telus networks in Canada.”

Steve Jobs’ Plan for a Willy Wonka-Style Celebration of the Millionth iMac

Among the many anecdotes about Steve Jobs included in Ken Segall’s new book, Insanely Simple: The Obsession That Drives Apple’s Success, one in particular stands out for its glimpse into Jobs’ character, providing evidence of his willingness to engage in playful ideas when the mood suited him. The story takes place relatively soon after the launch of the original iMac, with Jobs wanting to find a high-profile way to celebrate the sale of the millionth one to mark Apple’s comeback from the dead.

Steve’s idea was to do a Willy Wonka with it. Just as Wonka did in the movie, Steve wanted to put a golden certificate representing the millionth iMac inside the box of one iMac, and publicize that fact. Whoever opened the lucky iMac box would be refunded the purchase price and be flown to Cupertino, where he or she (and, presumably, the accompanying family) would be taken on a tour of the Apple campus. 

Steve had already instructed his internal creative group to design a prototype golden certificate, which he shared with us. But the killer was that Steve wanted to go all out on this. He wanted to meet the lucky winner in full Willy Wonka garb. Yes, complete with top hat and tails.

Those in the room with Jobs were amused by his excitement over the idea, but less than enthusiastic about seeing it come to fruition. Fortunately for those looking for a way out of it, California law required that all such sweepstake contests allow entry without requiring a purchase. Given that people would then be able to enter the contest without purchasing an iMac and there in fact being a very good chance that the winner wouldn’t be an iMac owner or even an Apple fan, Jobs’ pet idea for a Willy Wonka-themed prize was cast aside.