Advent competition: relationship status complicated – Apple and IBM

For Steve Jobs, IBM wasn't just any competitor, it was the archenemy par excellence. When IBM, founded in 1911 and based in upstate New York, released its first PC in 1981, Apple “welcomed” it with a full-page ad titled “Welcome IBM. Seriously” and made fun of the late entry into the market.

Apple had already released a computer in 1976, the Apple I, and a year later the Apple II, which, unlike IBM's mainframe computers, also found space in the living room at home and on the office desk.

Apple aimed to revolutionize the user experience and make technology available to everyone. This idea of ​​rebellion was legendary expressed in a commercial that Apple showed on the occasion of the Superbowl on January 22, 1984 to announce the Macintosh.

In it, a woman throws a hammer against a video wall showing the personified Big Brother, which then explodes with a loud bang. The allusion to “Big Blue”, IBM's nickname, was not heard because Steve Jobs made reference to IBM in his speech on January 24, 1984 in the announced release of the Macintosh and then showed the commercial again.

In 1997, Apple followed up again by throwing a “Think Different” at IBM’s “Think” slogan.

But IBM's business was already thriving, first under MS-DOS, then under Windows, eventually pushing the Apple II out of offices. This is not least because companies like Compaq, Dell and Nixdorf have copied the IBM computer. During Steve Jobs' time, IBM even supplied the processors for Macs.

In 2005, IBM left the PC division to Lenovo, which also marked the end of the rivalry. Today, IBM and Apple are partners to conquer the business market. IBM itself uses Apple devices in its organization and even demonstrated in a study in 2021 that Mac users are more productive and happier.

In the end, both sides certainly benefited from the rivalry. But you have to give Apple one thing: With the iPhone, the company revolutionized the smartphone market and the mobile world. And the energy-saving, yet powerful chip technology of the M processor line, which Apple adopted from the smartphone sector, is sure to make many PC manufacturers jealous today.

Here's our puzzle for today: What problem was there when filming the iconic “1984” commercial?

1. Real skinheads were hired for the shoot, and they fought during filming and had to be separated by security guards.
2. Director Ridley Scott was already in the middle of his next film “Alien” and was struggling with scheduling conflicts.
3. The leading actress had difficulty throwing the hammer and hit a cameraman.

If you know the answer, please enter our competition form by midnight.

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