Evolution Archive
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Archive chapter

2008

What changed across Apple in 2008: ecosystem turning points, hardware launches, software releases and the support boundaries that moved with them.

Historical context

The changes that connected the ecosystem.

Curated, source-backed moments that explain how products, software and technologies changed direction together. These records add context without duplicating the canonical product or OS facts below.

Software history

Operating systems moved too.

Verified public releases in 2008, including major-version milestones, maintenance updates and products that lost major-version support.

Major releases
2
Point updates
18
Products dropped
0

Apple TV Software / tvOS

Apple TV Software 2

8 public releases in this major line · 7 point updates

  • Direct movie rentals

    Apple TV gained direct iTunes movie rentals, including HD titles with Dolby Digital, without requiring a computer.

  • Computer-free media access

    The software expanded direct access to podcasts, photos, YouTube, music, and TV content from the television interface.

Open OS record → Apple feature source ↗

iPhone OS / iOS

iPhone Software 2

7 public releases in this major line · 6 point updates

  • App Store and native third-party apps

    iPhone 2.0 opened the platform to native third-party applications distributed through the new App Store.

  • Enterprise support

    Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, VPN, remote wipe, and other enterprise capabilities expanded iPhone into managed business environments.

  • Software refinements

    The release added contact search, bulk message operations, and support for viewing additional document formats.

Open OS record → Apple feature source ↗

Public release history

Updates shipped during the year.

18 public point updates are recorded for this year. Expand a platform to inspect the version-by-version release dates.

iPhone OS / iOS8 updatesLatest this year: 2.2
  1. 1.1.3
  2. 1.1.4
  3. 1.1.5
  4. 2.0.1
  5. 2.0.2
  6. 2.1.1
  7. 2.1
  8. 2.2
Mac OS X / OS X / macOS5 updatesLatest this year: 10.5.6
  1. 10.5.2
  2. 10.5.3
  3. 10.5.4
  4. 10.5.5
  5. 10.5.6
Apple TV Software / tvOS5 updatesLatest this year: 2.3
  1. 2.0.1
  2. 2.0.2
  3. 2.1
  4. 2.2
  5. 2.3

Hardware releases

Products announced this year.

Filters below affect the hardware list only. Product relationships and generation deltas still come from the canonical lineage catalog.

5 catalogued products

  1. Mac · MacBook Air

    MacBook Air (Original)

    The original MacBook Air paired a 13.3-inch display and full-size keyboard with an exceptionally thin aluminum notebook enclosure.

    • Introduced13.3-inch LED-backlit display in an aluminum enclosure measuring 0.16 to 0.76 inches thick

      13.3-inch LED-backlit display in an aluminum enclosure measuring 0.16 to 0.76 inches thick.

    • IntroducedMulti-Touch trackpad with pinch, rotate, and swipe gestures

      Multi-Touch trackpad with pinch, rotate, and swipe gestures.

    • IntroducedOptional 64GB solid-state storage and the external MacBook Air SuperDrive

      Optional 64GB solid-state storage and the external MacBook Air SuperDrive.

    Open product

  2. iPhone · Standard

    iPhone 3G

    3G, GPS, and third-party apps turn iPhone into a connected software platform.

    3G cellularBuilt-in GPS
    • Introduced3G cellular networking

      Faster mobile data became a first-class part of the iPhone experience.

    • IntroducedBuilt-in GPS

      Native location capability expanded maps and location-aware apps.

    Open productCompare with predecessor

  3. iPod · nano

    iPod nano (4th generation)

    Nano returns to a tall, curved aluminum form and adds an accelerometer, Shake to Shuffle and Genius playlists.

    • IntroducedAccelerometer and Shake to Shuffle

      Accelerometer and Shake to Shuffle.

    • IntroducedGenius playlist support

      Genius playlist support.

    • ChangedTall curved aluminum-and-glass form replaces the wide third-generation body

      Tall curved aluminum-and-glass form replaces the wide third-generation body.

    Open productCompare with predecessor

  4. iPod · touch

    iPod touch (2nd generation)

    The second iPod touch becomes thinner and more game-focused, adding external volume controls and a built-in speaker as the App Store era begins.

    • IntroducedBuilt-in speaker and physical volume controls

      Built-in speaker and physical volume controls.

    • ChangedContoured metal enclosure is thinner and lighter than the first generation

      Contoured metal enclosure is thinner and lighter than the first generation.

    Open productCompare with predecessor

  5. Mac · MacBook Pro

    MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2008)

    The late-2008 15-inch MacBook Pro brought the single-piece aluminum unibody construction to Apple’s professional notebook line.

    • IntroducedPrecision aluminum unibody enclosure and a glass Multi-Touch trackpad

      Precision aluminum unibody enclosure and a glass Multi-Touch trackpad.

    • IntroducedNVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics, with GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics on 15…

      NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics, with GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics on 15-inch configurations.

    • IntroducedMini DisplayPort for digital video output

      Mini DisplayPort for digital video output.

    Open product