Introduction
A Brief History of Apple Online
So you want to know about iCloud and AirPlay. Good, you’ve come to the right place. I will, however, in my capacity as author and Apple aficionado, first need to take you on a short history of Apple’s online and streaming services before we reach the Promised Land that both products embody.
We’ve come a long way, baby
Yes, I appreciate that you probably want to know how to sync your e-mails or access iTunes purchases from your iPhone. I assure you, we’ll get there soon. I simply think it’s important that you get a little perspective on iCloud (and a brief mention of the birth of AirPlay) before breaking down their features and usage. If you’re really not in the mood for a history lesson, by all means skip to Chapter 1, but I’ll do my best to keep things brief while filling you in on the ups and downs of Apple’s adventures online. You see, as much as both iCloud and AirPlay look like polished tools these days, things weren’t always this way.
The eWorld Debacle
As the word “Internet” became more frequently used and understood by the public in 1994, a partnership between AOL and Apple saw the launch of eWorld. With its colorful graphics and mock town square layout (see Figure I-1), it was a unique route to the web for those struggling to make sense of all this talk of superhighways and megabits, featuring an e-mail client, news reader, and communities (filled with ePeople!). eWorld, without marketing or advertising in a particularly troubling ...
