Something interesting happened last week at Macworld Expo that reshaped the Apple brand. CEO Steve Jobs announced, "We're going to make some history here today." After introducing Apple TV - a product that's designed to easily bring digital entertainment to your TV and the new breakthrough iPhone, Jobs told the world the definition of Apple (and marketing strategy) was changing. The announcement: Apple is dropping "Computer" from it's name to become "Apple Inc".

It didn't get a lot of media play and didn't create a lot of buzz, but it is pretty BIG in my mind. It offers a clear signal that Apple is slowly moving away from computers, as we've come to know them, and in the direction of convergent devices. Wow, this changes almost everything. R&D, Products, Markets, Staffing, Distribution Channels...I'll stop. You get the idea. 

Yet, although the brand may be evolving, it's still Apple. A noted technology consultant reflected on the release of similar products to the iPhone at the Consumer Electronic Show last week: "But all the gadgets being peddled in Las Vegas were “evolutionary”, whereas Apple's were “revolutionary” and thus noteworthy".

I wonder, 25 years from now will anyone will remember that Apple made computers. Will they care?