The Rise of Apple 苹果的崛起
[audio]http://file.24en.com/bbc/tae/assets_4921431/bbc_tae_268_the_rise_of_apple_au_bb.mp3[/audio][color=#3f3f3f][font=Verdana, 宋体, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=12px][p=21, 2, left]In years to come our current [b]era[/b]may be remembered as The [b]Epoch[/b]of Apple. The [b]sleek[/b], [b]minimal[/b]design on their [b]gadgets[/b] has proved a huge hit with young professionals everywhere in Britain.[/p][p=21, 2, left]In May Apple released the iPad in the UK. This is a [b]tablet [/b][b]computer[/b] that attempts to combine the computing power of a laptop with the[b]portability[/b] and usability of a [b]smartphone[/b]. Some critics have called it a compromise, but that didn't stop Apple selling 300,000 units on the first day of trading in the US.[/p][p=21, 2, left]Now Apple have launched a new version of their successful iPhone. The new handset contains a front-facing camera for [b]video conferencing[/b] and a [b]gyroscope[/b] to allow users to play games by waving the device about.[/p][p=21, 2, left]The first quarter of 2010 proved to be the most successful yet for the iPhone, showing that Apple will not become a victim to a tougher economic climate.[/p][float=right][img=226,170]http://www.24en.com/d/file/bbc/bbc2/2010-06-10/bc732d6595317a406cd5cb6e803244f6.jpg[/img][p=30, 2, left]Steve Jobs had a few problems with the iPhone 4[/p][/float]
[p=21, 2, left]Indeed, two weeks ago Apple's market value overtook that of its[b]arch-rival[/b], Microsoft, for the first time since 1989. In 2000, Microsoft was worth £382 billion (3.8 trillion yuan) while Apple was worth just £11 billion (109 billion yuan). Now both companies are worth around £150 billion (1.5 trillion yuan).[/p][p=21, 2, left]The economist and blogger Mark J. Perry writes that if someone who bought a $5,700 (39,000 yuan) Apple PowerBook in 1997 had spent that money on Apple [b]stock[/b] instead, it would now be worth $321,000 (2.2 million yuan).[/p][p=21, 2, left]Many link Apple's rise to the [b]guile[/b] and [b]foresight[/b] of its CEO, Steve Jobs. Jobs was forced out of the company in the 1980s but he was brought back a decade later to reverse its fortunes.[/p][p=21, 2, left]It is a sign of the importance of Jobs to the company that when his health took a turn for the worse last year, Apple's share prices [b]fluctuated[/b].[/p][p=21, 2, left]Now Steve Jobs is [b]fighting fit[/b] again but even he is not [b]immune[/b] to frustrating computer problems. At the launch of the iPhone 4, he appeared in his [b]trademark[/b] blue jeans and black [b]turtleneck[/b]. When he tried to get the new [b]gizmo[/b] to access the internet a notice appeared on the screen: "Cannot open page. Safari cannot open the page because it is not connected to the Internet".[/p][p=21, 2, left]"Well Jeez" said Jobs, "I don't like this.[/p][/size][/font][/color]
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