Over the years several theories have advanced as to why the apple on Apple logo has a bite. It was about time to give this an end and thankfully, this end came form the most reliable source; the logo designer himself.
But before looking at the answer, let’s have a look at some of the most dominant (and indeed, creative) theories.
The most romantic one has to do with Alan Turing, the man who laid the foundations for the modern-day computer, pioneered research into artificial intelligence and unlocked German wartime codes. At the end of his life, Turing was depressed as he was feeling unrecognised, he was facing jail for gross indecency and he was mocked for his homosexuality. Unable to cope with these difficulties, on June 7, 1954 he died by biting into an apple he had laced with cyanide. Legend has it that when young Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne started Apple they wanted to pay tribute to Turing so they added the bite to the apple logo as a reference. This myth is so well known that even Apple employees believe it is true. (the article continues after the ad)
Another common myths have to do with the apple representing knowledge, as in the story of Adam and Eve, or being a reference to the falling apple that led Sir Isaac Newton to the concept of gravity.
But the truth is more prosaic. Rob Janoff, the artist who designed the logo, dismissed all the theories and, despite being charmed by the Turing story, he said he was unaware of the story at the time. “I’m afraid it didn’t have a thing to do with it,” he said. “It’s a wonderful urban legend.”
Janoff says that Steve Jobs didn’t give him a specific brief for the logo design, and the reason for the bite is crystal clear: it’s there for scale, he says, so that a small Apple logo still looks like an apple and not a cherry.
When he later learned by a colleague that “bytes” were the foundation stones of computing, Janoff said it was a “small happy coincidence”.
If you like what you read, then you will definitely love this one: The Mysterious Little Man Steve Jobs Wanted To Add To Every Mac
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