They didn’t build that! Ideas Apple bought, borrowed and stole [Infographic]

Apple: The Masters of Innovation or Borrowing?

You either love them or hate them—Apple is a brand that has built a massive, almost cult-like following. For marketers, there’s a lot to learn from Apple: how they build a brand identity, foster a loyal community, and create an immersive retail experience. But when it comes to Apple’s revolutionary ideas, where exactly did they come from?

An infographic published back in 2012 highlighted some interesting facts about Apple’s product history, shedding light on how the company’s most iconic innovations were influenced—sometimes heavily—by existing technology.

Who Are the Real Masterminds Behind Apple’s Success?

Apple’s former Chief Industrial Designer, Jonathan Ive, played a massive role in shaping many of the company’s most iconic products. But even he admitted feeling frustrated when Steve Jobs took credit for his designs:

“I pay maniacal attention to where an idea comes from, and I even keep notebooks filled with my ideas. So it hurts when [Steve Jobs] takes credit for one of my designs.” — Jonathan Ive

Jobs himself once famously said:

“Picasso had a saying: Good artists copy. Great artists steal. And we have always been shameless about stealing great ideas.” — Steve Jobs (1996)

While the quote is often attributed to Picasso, it may actually have origins with Igor Stravinsky or T.S. Eliot. However, Jobs was far from indifferent when others borrowed from Apple. The company successfully sued Samsung for allegedly copying patented Apple designs for smartphones and tablets.

Apple’s Biggest Innovations: Bought, Borrowed, or Stolen?

The Macintosh & The Birth of the Modern Interface

• The Mac dominates the premium computer market, with a 66% share of computers over $1,000.
• The mouse was not Apple’s invention—it was created by Doug Engelbart at Stanford Research Institute in 1963.
• In 1979, Steve Jobs visited Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), where he saw their graphical user interface (GUI) and mouse in action. Apple incorporated these ideas into the Mac OS.
• Apple later adopted features from Windows, including:
  • Finder Sidebar
  • Path Bar
  • Back and Forward Buttons
  • Screen Sharing
  • ALT + TAB for switching between open apps
• The icon dock in macOS originated from Arthur OS, Unix, Linux, RISC OS, Amiga OS, and OS/2—all of which had similar docks before Apple’s version.

The iPod: The Most Successful Portable Media Player

• Apple admitted to taking the iPod concept from Kane Kramer, a British inventor who designed a similar device in 1979. However, Kramer never received any payment.
• The click-wheel interface was inspired by Creative’s NOMAD II Jukebox, released over a year before the iPod.
• Other MP3 players, like Audio Highway’s Listen Up and Saehan’s MPMan, predated the iPod as well.
• Even the design of the iPod resembled Braun’s pocket radios from the 1950s and 1960s.
• Despite these influences, the iPod became a massive success, peaking at a 74% market share in 2005.

iTunes: The Largest Music Vendor on Earth

• iTunes was based on SoundJam, a music player developed by Jeff Robbin and Bill Kincaid. Apple bought it in 2000, rebranded it, and launched it as iTunes.
• Before iTunes, Ritmoteca.com (1998) was the first major online music store, featuring many of the same functionalities Apple later introduced.
• Apple’s strategy worked—iTunes captured 70% of the digital music download market.

The iPhone: Apple’s Biggest Cash Cow

• Today, over 50% of Apple’s revenue comes from iPhone sales, but the road to success wasn’t without controversy.
• Touchscreen technology was first invented in 1965.
• Multitouch was pioneered by FingerWorks in 1998, a company Apple acquired in 2005.
• Apple allegedly took the Wi-Fi Sync feature idea from developer Greg Hughes, who had originally submitted it to the App Store—only to have Apple reject it, then implement it themselves.
• The Samsung F700, released around the same time as the iPhone 3, had a suspiciously similar interface and design.
• Samsung also accused Apple of stealing the “pinch to zoom” feature from the Diamond Touch, which Apple engineers had seen in 2003.
• Despite competition, the iPhone has maintained a 24% global market share.

The iPad: Bigger Than the Mac

• Roger Fidler, a researcher at the University of Missouri, claims Apple engineers saw his early tablet prototype from 1981.
• Microsoft launched its own Tablet PC in 2002, years before the iPad debuted.
• Fujitsu originally created a touchscreen device called “iPad”, but Apple successfully took over the name.
• Apple’s marketing genius paid off—the iPad reached a 70% market share and surpassed Mac in sales.

The iPod reached its peak market share of 74% in ’05. 

none

So, Did Apple Really Innovate?

Apple has undoubtedly revolutionized multiple industries, but its history is filled with examples of ideas that were borrowed, repurposed, or outright taken from others. The company has mastered the art of taking existing technologies and refining them into seamless, user-friendly products. Whether that’s flattery or questionable competition depends on your perspective.

As the saying goes, “It’s not about who has the idea first, but who brings it to market the best.” And Apple? They’ve done that better than almost anyone.

The infographic was put together by the team of Best Master Programs and illustrates Ideas Apple bought, borrowed, and stole. Where competition exists there will always be someone claiming the idea. Even if for example bringing it to the market is a different story. See the full infographic below “Apple: They didn’t build that! Ideas Apple bought, borrowed and stole”, with a couple of good illustrations of the originals.