Chris A.

18 de marzo de 2026

A Definitive, Uncommonly Accurate Account of Apple’s Story

Having consumed virtually every documentary, article, interview, and historical deep dive about Apple’s origins, missteps, reinventions, and internal mythology, I can say.. with the confidence of someone who has spent far too much time in this particular rabbit hole.. that this is the first work that truly gets it right. The depth, the accuracy, the unvarnished truths, and the delightfully obscure details are all finally here in one place.I’ve worked at Apple for nearly twenty years, and I care about this company in a way that probably isn’t entirely healthy. Yet this book has managed to captivate me more than anything I’ve read or watched about Apple before. I’ve been binge‑listening to it like it’s prestige television, and even though I’m not finished, I’ve already learned more about the company I thought I knew inside and out than I have in nearly two decades of living within its ecosystem.The research and writing are exceptional.. polished, insightful, and overflowing with new stories, forgotten moments, and irresistible sidebars that feel almost addictive. It’s genuinely phenomenal work. I’ve already started recommending it to colleagues, friends, and anyone who so much as mentions technology within conversational range. I got the audiobook and now I’m buying a hard copy too, simply on principle.A rare achievement: a definitive history that still manages to feel fresh and will keep you captivated!Ver más

42 personas la encontraron útil

Craig Thoburn

25 de abril de 2026

A comprehensive and enjoyable history of Apple written by (IMHO) probably the best man to tell it.

David Pogue does a wonderful job weaving an amazing amount of Apple's history into a delightful stroll down memory lane. Many of us have fond memories of Apple over the years. My first computer exposure was an Apple IIc at school, and my first computer purchase was a PowerMac in college. I still have the very first piece of digital artwork I created pixel by pixel in MacPaint! I remember many of these stories, but my perspective was always as a customer. It was delightful to hear the stories behind so many of my memories. I'm so glad, David captured this history for all of us. The book is beautiful, and illuminated throughout with wonderful pictures and illustrations. I also bought the Audible version, and I cannot recommend it enough. David reads it himself and does a masterful job.Ver más

6 personas la encontraron útil

Onyx Parrot

1 de julio de 2026

The Definitive History of Apple

When it comes to covering Apple, I can’t think of a journalist better situated for this subject. David Pogue has been covering Apple professionally for around 40 of it’s 50 years, at publications ranging from Mac World to the New York Times. He knows the products and the company intimately, and the people behind them on a first-name basis. It shows.Pogue follows Apple’s timeline in a linear fashion, starting with the milieux Steves Jobs & Wozniak grew up with in Silicon Valley, delving into how Wozniak’s fascination with technology lead him to create his own computers from scratch. Jobs spots the business opportunity, and gambles on selling enough of Woz’s Apple Is before the bill for the parts comes due. The gamble pays off. From there, Pogue follows the creation of the Apple II and the formation of the company producing them.The book is divided into four sections, based on the company’s leadership changes. The first is the early Jobs I era, covering the Apple I & II, the Apple ///, the Lisa and the early days of the Mac. A couple years into the Mac era, Jobs is forced out of the company, while John Sculley is the CEO. Sculley’s initial success fades as competition from cheap PC clones eats at Apple’s market share. The CEO role turns over multiple times, and by the mid 1990s, Apple is in dire straights. The third section details the “Second Coming of Steve”. Brought in to rescue Apple’s failing attempts to update Mac OS, Jobs dramatically trims Apple’s product lines, focuses Apple’s marketing, and lands hit products like the iMac and the iPod. The final section takes place after Job’s passing in 2011, covering the company’s dramatic expansion under the very different leadership style of CEO Tim Cook.Pogue does a great job of dispelling many myths and misunderstandings about Apple. For example, it’s easy to assume that as a co-founder, Jobs was the original CEO of Apple, but that wasn’t the case in its early years. The venture capitalists funding Apple insisted on bringing in more experienced management. Pogue untangles the story of how Steve Job’s famous visit to Xerox PARC lab came about and the real impact it had. The book is filled with hundreds of color photos, and many sidebars and capsule biographies of key players. This format works great, allowing Pogue to clearly tell the main thread of Apple’s story while bringing along dozens of the quirky anecdotes the company is famous for. The result is a big expensive book, but the meticulous presentation is worth it.Now, I personally have a good background on Apple’s story. I followed their rise in the pages of Byte magazine as a teenager, developed software for the Mac as soon as it was introduced, worked at Apple as an engineer for a few years as my first job after grad school. I’ve been developing Mac software for most of my professional career. I’ve read a few books on the company, and with most of them start rolling my eyes as I see writers tell stories that I personally know are off or outright wrong. That’s not the case with Pogue’s Apple. He talked to the people who were there, read the archives, tracked down the photographs and really got the story right. Not only is it fun to read now, but this will stand up in the future as the definitive history of Apple’s first five decades.[I have just one nit with the book I do want to note: In a couple of places Pogue resorts to using AI slop images – for example, Steve Jobs dressed up for a marketing stunt that never happened. Pogue calls these out in the text, but fake AI imagery has no place in a work of history and journalism].

RAK

25 de abril de 2026

probably the best Apple book ever written, though not perfect.

I've been listening to the audiobook. It's really good, but there are a few factual errors that I've caught from time to time. I almost wish it was a YouTube series, so I could put corrections in the comments 🤣. Despite some minor errors, I would say this is probably the best overall book on Apple ever written. I really like that. It doesn't focus on one individual, it's not the life of Steve Jobs, it seems to give credit where credits do, and point out mistakes that were made. It doesn't seem like it's skewed too much in the Apple fandom, and has lots of different point of views. It also touches on a lot of subjects. Even though I think it's missed a couple of small ones here and there, it hits all the big beats. The audiobook is nice because you get to hear some of the actual recordings from commercials and keynotes. I'll probably also pick up the physical copy at some point.Ver más

1 persona la encontró útil

Admiralu

25 de marzo de 2026

Fantastic and Fun Book about Apple's History

Wow! Just Wow! I wanted this as soon I saw the preorder. I wanted to hear the history of Apple and this delivered in spades. Author David Pogue used to write the excellent Missing Manual series that covered software and hardware for many Apple devices and services. I was sad when it ended. This is a labor of love and you can tell. I purchased both the Kindle version and the audiobook. The author is a former newsman and is an excellent narrator."David, not that you don't have enough to do already, you are a fantastic narrator with a gorgeous voice."While the book has wonderful text, color photos and the wonderful sidebars, you must hear this book on audio. Narration is perfect. It made me laugh, cry and just enjoy. It's more like listening to a wonderful story. It also includes audio clips, so you can actually hear Jobs and Cook during the presentations and some of the other Apple veterans. From both Steves early years to the meeting of key friends, creation of the company, Jobs forced exit and triumphant return to the ground breaking products and Tim Cook's sheparding into the next era are covered. Lots of great stories, sidebars and more make this book a keepsake. I was sad when it ended because I enjoyed it so much. I will definitely to listening to and reading this again. 10 stars if I could and Thank you to the author, for taking us on an incredible journey with a wonderful friend.Ver más

13 personas la encontraron útil

Will Mayall

23 de marzo de 2026

The Apple Story, Done Right

I’ve followed Apple closely since its earliest days and was there in the early years. I also know many of the people who appear in this book. David Pogue even reviewed one of my products, and another shows up here. That context makes me particularly sensitive to how these stories are told—and he gets it right.This is one of the most comprehensive and accurate accounts of Apple’s history I’ve seen. What stands out is not just the breadth, but the texture. The book captures both well-known milestones and lesser-known details that even longtime observers will find new and surprising.It also works unusually well as a book you can dip into. You can open to almost any page and come away with something interesting—whether a product detail, a behind-the-scenes story, or a correction to a commonly held myth. In that sense, it has the feel of a coffee table book, but with far more substance. The index is also excellent—detailed and genuinely useful, which is rare.The photography and design deserve mention. The visuals aren’t filler—they meaningfully complement the narrative and help place each era in context.Pogue’s access to a wide range of voices shows. The interviews add depth without slowing the pacing, and the balance between successes and failures adds credibility.I’ve already bought multiple copies. If Apple has been part of your life in any way, this is an easy recommendation. It’s both a reference and an enjoyable read—no small feat.Ver más

11 personas la encontraron útil