About the apple logo history

Apple Logo History : Why is the Apple Logo bitten

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Over the past 3 decades no company on earth has come close to Apple in terms of their design standard. They have also created beautiful products that are seamless and that work well.Apple has been lucky since the beginning to have worked with talented designers who helped them build their brand. Steve Jobs’ role has always been more design oriented than technology. Talking about Apple’s design, the first thing that comes to everybody’s mind is the bitten apple. But what is the story behind it?

Why is the Apple logo bitten

This question was asked many a time to the designer, Rob Janoff and there were a lot of speculations floating around. The main reason Rob chose to take a bite out of the apple was to differentiate it from a cherry.

This is what he wanted to avoid.

That’s the story of Apple’s bite in their logo. What about previous logos?

Apple Logo History

First Logo

Apple’s first logo was a tribute to Issac Newton’s discovery of gravity. The logo shows, Newton sitting under a tree and bright apple beaming on top. There is a quote written on the side of the logo that reads

Newton…A Mind Forever Voyaging Through Strange Seas of Thought…Alone

Although a great thought behind it, the first logo was far from practical and too detailed. Apple’s third founder, Ronald Wayne, who sold his 10% stake in the company for $800, created this logo. If he had held on to his stake, in 2010 his worth would have been $1.6 Billion.

Apple First Logo

Second Logo

Apple had to move on to a more practical logo and boy they did. This logo created in 1977 would stand the test of time because of its simple yet catchy design. It was designed by Rob Janoff and had multi colors to it. Apple decided to have a color scheme to connect with the users better. The most significant part of this logo was the bite in the apple. This logo was used in all of Apple’s products all the way till 1998.

Short-spanLogos

In 1998, the blue logo was launched during the release of iMac. Just after Steve Jobs’ comeback to apple, this logo was used. It was discontinued in the year 2000.

From 2000 to 2002. The logo without the color and the iconic silver with a glassy finish came to existence. This logo paved the way for apple’s simplicity in color and design for the next decade.

From 2002 onwards the logo with the prominent cut was introduced during the launch of the Panther OS. This logo was continued all the way till 2007 when the iPhone was launched.

Fourth Logo

From 2007 onwards, apple moved away from their skeuomorphic style and chose the flat design style. This brought the simple apple logo with a clean black finish.

That was the story of Apple’s logo and its journey. For a highly innovative and eternally design focused company, their logo has not changed much. That is justified because companies generally change their logos when the brand needs to be refurbished into something new.

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Edible Apple

The Evolution and History of the Apple Logo

Mon, Apr 20, 2009

The Newton Crest: 1976-1976

The first Apple logo was designed in 1976 by Ronald Wayne, sometimes referred to as the third co-founder of Apple. The logo depicts Isaac Newton sitting under a tree, an apple dangling precipitously above his head. The phrase on the outside border reads, “Newton… A Mind Forever Voyaging Through Strange Seas of Thought … Alone.”

The Rainbow Logo: 1976-1998

Not surprisingly, the above logo only lasted a year before Steve Jobs commissioned graphic designer Rob Janoff to come up with something, oh I don’t know, a little bit more modern. Janoff’s eventual design would go on to become one of the most iconic and recognizable corporate logos in history.

According to Janoff, the “bite” in the Apple logo was originally implemented so that people would know that it represented an apple, and not a tomato. It also lent itself to a nerdy play on words (bite/byte), a fitting reference for a tech company. Quick sidenote: Corporate design sure was a lot simpler in the 70’s. Nowadays, companies like Pepsi spend millions of dollars on logo re-designs that are based on complete BS and new age mumbo jumbo.

As for the rainbow stripes of the logo, Steve Jobs is rumored to have insisted on using a colorful logo as a means to “humanize” the company. Janoff has said that there was no rhyme or reason behind the placement of the colors themselves, noting that he wanted to have green at the top “because that’s where the leaf was.”

The relatively simple origins of the rainbow colored Apple logo hasn’t stopped some from reading a bit too much into what it represents. Jean-Louis Gassée, former Apple executive and founder of BeOS, quipped about the logo:

One of the deep mysteries to me is our logo, the symbol of lust and knowledge, bitten into, all crossed with the colors of the rainbow in the wrong order. You couldn’t dream a more appropriate logo: lust, knowledge, hope and anarchy.

The passion of the French knows no bounds!

The multi-colored Apple logo was in use for 22 years before it was axed by Steve Jobs less than a year after his return to Apple in 1997. In its place was a new logo that did away with the colorful stripes and replaced it with a more modern monochromatic look that has taken on a variety of sizes and colors over the past few years. The overall shape of the logo, however, remains unchanged from its original inception 33 years ago.

The Monochrome Logo: 1998 – Present

TInkering with one of the most recognizable logos in the world wasn’t done simply because Steve Jobs is always looking to change things up. When Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, the company was bleeding money, and Jobs and Co. realized that the Apple logo could be leveraged to their advantage. That meant experimenting with larger logos to make it more prominent. If the shape of the Apple logo was universally recognizable, why not not put it where people could see it?

That being the case, placing a large rainbow Apple logo on top of the original Bondi Blue iMac, for example, would have looked silly, childish, and out of place. Not exactly the direction Jobs wanted to lead Apple in. So instead of placing a somewhat minuscule rainbow colored Apple logo on its products, Apple began placing sizeable and Monochrome styled logos on its products in all sorts of places: on top of the original iMac, on the side of the Powermac G3 Tower, and in an assortment of colors on the good ole iBooks. This trend, which began in 1998, continues to this day.

The rainbow colored logo might always be a source of nostalgia for Mac enthusiasts, but the monochrome logo allows Apple greater flexibility when it comes to branding its products. Also, Steve Jobs isn’t exactly the type to get wrapped up in warm fuzzy feelings of nostalgia. When Jobs returned to Apple, he needed to transform Apple’s image from that of a failing company into one capable of churning out sleek and cutting edge products, and he needed a new logo to match. It doesn’t appear likely that Apple will change up its logo again anytime soon, but one thing that will undoubtedly remain is the shape of the logo itself.

Why Apple had to abandon the rainbow

The rainbow logo just wouldn’t fit on the iMac pictured to the right. Rainbow on beige? Alright. Rainbow on metal? Not so much.

Imagine if MacBooks looked like this?! I think Apple made the right call.

14 Comments For This Post

The multicolor logo was also really expensive and a real bitch to print, especially if they did all six spot colors rather than CMYK.

You make it sound like it’s all about style that the rainbow logo isn’t used. There was an article just like this awhile back that explained this in detail. It was about the colors being unusual and expensive to print.

You’re leaving out the important step that the bite of the apple was there because the lower case “a” in “apple” used to lodge in there. It’s not there to distinguish it from a tomato.

Ivan, Janoff himself said that the bite was there so that it could more closely resemble an Apple. Lodging the ‘a’ in between was probably just a byproduct of that.

“Imagine if MacBooks looked like this?! I think Apple made the right call.”

Dude, that’s how my Macbook Air looks. Ands its pretty sweet.

..and the ‘pepsi’ logo that they spent millions on, just like the ‘at&t’ one, they all look like utter crap, like a kid got loose with a crayon. It’s just gross.

At least the creators in Back to the Future had more creativity than these people that got paid “millions” to create these new awful, gross, looking logos.

I have to say, I will not drink Pepsi, it’s political, and it’s the taste. I don’t like it. Tastes like sugared down flatted Coke.

..and if Coke had changed their logo to something that looked as lame and stupid, I would have to stop drinking Coke too.

“imagine if MacBooks looked like this!? I think apple made the right call.”

Talk about personal opinion. Sure, I bet some people would stick their noses up and think the rainbow apple is “queer,” but it’s a classic logo. The original logo is my background right now.

I remember an article at the time of the logo change. The colored logo was a separate piece of plastic that was glued to the (then beige) computers. Changing to monochrome saved the cost of producing the little colored pieces of plastic as well as the step of gluing them onto the case.

Before the embossed gradient shaded logo of today there were also versions in solid colors like black and red that could be used in print advertisements.

While I don’t mind the monochrome logo on my computer, I wish that Apple would still include the six colored decals instead of the white ones when you buy a machine.

The apple has a bite taken out of it so it could be representing rebellion from god. Also the rainbow is sometimes associated with a serpent. The first apple computer sold for $666.66. Look it up. Interesting though I’m not claiming it’s nefarious or anything.

what about the bite being a tribute to Alvin Turing?

‎3 Apples Changed the world..1st one seduced Eve..2nd fell on Newton and the 3rd was offered to the world half bitten by him!
R.I.P. Steve Jobs

The apple logo comes from Alan Turing.
It was Steves tribute to the Manchester university scientist.
You need to read up to understand why it was chosen.

@Ivan, and anyone else misinformed,

That is Incorrect, the bite on the apple doesn’t symbolize anything but Steve’s decision to go with it. He was presented with two apples, one with and one without the bite mark, and so he decided to go with the bite-marked apple because he thought the regular apple looked to much like a “cherry.”

I would know, I just read that section in his biography.

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Apple Logo Evolution Story

The bitten Apple is one of the world’s most notable and recognizable logos. The logo of well-known computer manufacturer Apple Inc., this logo has been used and changed in its over 3-decade tenure.
Here is a bite out of Apple’s history. (Scroll down for quick bites)

The history of the bitten apple:

The “bitten apple” is the logo of the well-known computer manufacturer Apple Inc. It is one of the easily recognizable logos in the whole wide world, a fitting symbol to the name of the company behind the picture. Here is one bite out of the apple’s history, to enlighten readers on how the logo sprang into existence.

Newton; Apple’s First Image

The Apple logo was not always the same, or even remotely similar. Apple’s first logo was created by Apple Computer Co co-founder, Ronald Wayne, during the company’s incorporation in the 1970s. The logo was as different as could be from its current look, although still related to the Apple.

The first image to represent the computer company was Isaac Newton, the man who revolutionized science with his discoveries on gravity. How did he figure it out? An apple fell on his head!

Apple’s first logo was a depiction of this event, with Newton sitting under an Apple tree.

The Logo included a quote from William Wordsworth, a romantic English poet; “Newton… a mind forever voyaging through strange seas of thought.” The poem was written on the frame of the logo.

The Apple Gets Its Turn

The Newton logo was short lived, as Steve Jobs reportedly believed that it was too old-fashioned, or arcane.

The famous CEO soon hired graphic designer Rob Janoff, who then created the now classic and world-renowned logo of the bitten apple. Jobs quickly threw out the old Newton logo, and Apple’s logo was fully established and used by the end of the company’s first year.

Janoff’s original apple logo contained a rainbow spectrum, a nod towards Apple’s computer Apple II which was the world’s first computer with color display. The logo debuted a little before the computer’s launch. Janoff has said that there was no rhyme or reason behind the placement of the colors themselves, noting that Jobs wanted to have green at the top “because that’s where the leaf was.”

There have been many rumors and speculations about the new logo. Some people think that the shift to the apple design was to make it more appropriate for the company name. There are also people who think that the apple symbolizes Alan Turning, the father of modern computing, who took a bite out of an apple poisoned with cyanide that ultimately took his life.

Apple Logo Evolution and History Timeline (1976-2012)

Jean-Louis Gassée, former Apple executive and founder of BeOS, quipped about the logo:

One of the deep mysteries to me is our logo, the symbol of lust and knowledge, bitten into, all crossed with the colors of the rainbow in the wrong order. You couldn’t dream a more appropriate logo: lust, knowledge, hope and anarchy.

There have been so many rumors that the designer actually spoke out to calm the buzz. “It is a wonderful urban legend, somebody starts it, and then people go ‘oh, that must be it.’”

The multi-colored Apple logo was in use for 22 years before it was axed by Steve Jobs less than a year after his return to Apple in 1997. In its place was a new logo that did away with the colorful stripes and replaced it with a more modern monochromatic look that has taken on a variety of sizes and colors over the past few years. The overall shape of the logo, however, remains unchanged from its original inception 33 years ago.

The bitten apple logo may have had quite a history, a history whose parts remain unknown to people. However, it has not stopped the logo from being recognized all over the world. In fact, the company does not even have to print its name alongside the logo. The logo itself already tells it all.

The Newton Crest: 1976-1976:

The first Apple logo was designed in 1976 by Ronald Wayne, sometimes referred to as the third co-founder of Apple. The logo depicts Isaac Newton sitting under a tree, an apple dangling precipitously above his head. The phrase on the outside border reads, “Newton… A Mind Forever Voyaging Through Strange Seas of Thought … Alone.”

Original Apple Logo (1976-1976)

The Rainbow Logo: 1976-1998

Not surprisingly, the above logo only lasted a year before Steve Jobs commissioned graphic designer Rob Janoff to come up with something more modern. Janoff’s eventual design would go on to become one of the most iconic and recognizable corporate logos in history.

According to Janoff, the “bite” in the Apple logo was originally implemented so that people would know that it represented an apple, and not a cherry tomato. It also lent itself to a nerdy play on words (bite/byte), a fitting reference for a tech company.

Quick side note: Corporate design sure was a lot simpler in the 70′s. Nowadays, companies like Pepsi spend millions of dollars on logo re-designs that are based on complete BS and new age mumbo jumbo.

As for the rainbow stripes of the logo, Steve Jobs is rumored to have insisted on using a colorful logo as a means to “humanize” the company. It also could be because it was launched right before Apple’s newest computer, Apple II which was the world’s first PC with colored display.

The Monochrome Logo: 1998 – Present

The current logo, the one everyone knows, wasn’t made simply because Steve Jobs is always looking to change things up. When Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, the company was bleeding money, and Jobs and Co. realized that the Apple logo could be leveraged to their advantage.

If the shape of the Apple logo was universally recognizable, why not put it where people could see it?

When Apple released their first ever iMac, the Bondi Blue, the logo was changed and its rainbow colors disregarded. The rainbow-colored logo would have looked silly, childish and out of place on the sky-blue computer.

Ailver Apple Logo (1998 – Present)

The logo then took on a metallic look with embossing, which was applied on many of their products.

The “Glass” themed logo was the next evolution for the logo.

Today, the company uses a more modernized flat “Millennial” Apple logo. The logo comes mainly in 3 colors; silver, white and black.

The millennial apple logo is now one of the sleekest and famous logos in the world, just as famous or even more than McDonalds’s yellow arches. Steve Jobs’s decision to hire Janoff, and go for a minimal styled logo (which is currently in fashion and may have started the “flat” logo craze) was another genius choice by the enigmatic founder.

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