4 ms·

Did Steve Jobs Coin the Term “Apps” to Make People to Think of APPle?

2 points by keener 14y ago

I thought you might get a chuckle out of this. I'm not the best comedian ... maybe some of you can make it funnier with a spin-ft.

keener 14y ago
Intended to give you a chuckle. I'm not the best comedian, so if someone wants to one-up it with a spin-off, fine with me.
kaolinite 14y ago
I appreciate that this is a joke, however it disheartens me when I hear people associate the word "app" with only mobile software or particular software packages, especially as I've been using the word "app" as a shortened version of "application" to refer to software since Windows 95. Oh and by the way, Apple attempted to claim that "app" stood for "apple" last year when they were trying to block companies from saying "App Store". Of course, Steve Jobs had said "Android App Store" publicly in the past so nobody really believed them.
- arn 14y ago
  Well, also, NeXTStep's application bundle was .app http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_bundle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_bundle So, Apple's usage of it probably came from NeXTStep (still Steve Jobs) which became OS X, which was also basis for iOS.
  - keener 14y ago
    sehr interessant!
  - hamburglar 14y ago
    MacOS called programs "Applications" for years before NeXT existed. The four-character filetype for programs on old-skool MacOS is 'APPL'. The C++ GUI framework for building apps was called MacApp. It predates NeXT by a longshot.
- keener 14y ago
  Good points! I also have used the word app for programs as far back as Win 95, and know where you're coming from. I didn't realize that Apple really did attempt to claim that "app" came from "apple." Interesting. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
  - arn 14y ago
    I don't think apple actually claimed that it came from apple. They just claimed the trademark to it.
- mtgx 14y ago
  Not to mention the very used "killer app" expression (short from killer application).
rsanchez1 14y ago
My calculator had an "APPS" button way before any iDevice hit the market, so no.

2 points by keener 14y ago

I thought you might get a chuckle out of this. I'm not the best comedian ... maybe some of you can make it funnier with a spin-ft.

keener 14y ago

Intended to give you a chuckle. I'm not the best comedian, so if someone wants to one-up it with a spin-off, fine with me.

kaolinite 14y ago

I appreciate that this is a joke, however it disheartens me when I hear people associate the word "app" with only mobile software or particular software packages, especially as I've been using the word "app" as a shortened version of "application" to refer to software since Windows 95. Oh and by the way, Apple attempted to claim that "app" stood for "apple" last year when they were trying to block companies from saying "App Store". Of course, Steve Jobs had said "Android App Store" publicly in the past so nobody really believed them.

arn 14y ago
Well, also, NeXTStep's application bundle was .app http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_bundle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_bundle So, Apple's usage of it probably came from NeXTStep (still Steve Jobs) which became OS X, which was also basis for iOS.
- keener 14y ago
  sehr interessant!
- hamburglar 14y ago
  MacOS called programs "Applications" for years before NeXT existed. The four-character filetype for programs on old-skool MacOS is 'APPL'. The C++ GUI framework for building apps was called MacApp. It predates NeXT by a longshot.
keener 14y ago
Good points! I also have used the word app for programs as far back as Win 95, and know where you're coming from. I didn't realize that Apple really did attempt to claim that "app" came from "apple." Interesting. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
- arn 14y ago
  I don't think apple actually claimed that it came from apple. They just claimed the trademark to it.
mtgx 14y ago
Not to mention the very used "killer app" expression (short from killer application).

rsanchez1 14y ago

My calculator had an "APPS" button way before any iDevice hit the market, so no.