Apple Computer Company, Silicon Valley’s very first maker of personal computers, put the “P” in PC and brought us the only computer (the screaming fast G4) the U.S. government has refused to ship to certain countries because of its potential as a weapon. Defying predictions of its demise in the mid-1990s, this innovative, diehard pioneer of “computers for the rest of us” has charged back into the fray, battering the competition and capturing the public eye with the wildly popular, candy-colored iMac.

Silicon Pioneers

The Sun in a chart shows us the basic life force and main energy of an entity, be it a person or a corporation. When the founders of Apple Computer, high school friends and college dropouts Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, created their company in the Jobs’ family garage on April 1, 1976, the Sun was in cardinal, competitive Aries, the sign of all beginnings.

Everything about Apple screams “First!” Though Microsoft was founded at about the same time Apple came into being and has been a constant source of competition and irritation, Apple has managed to trump Bill Gates’ behemoth over and over again. Apple was the first company to make a computer small enough and affordable enough for everyday people to use, and the first to tap the educational market; they developed the first graphic interface, and were later the first to offer it in color; and for a while they were the only choice for affordable, quality desktop publishing.

A Typical Ram

Though analysts and tech insiders were sounding Apple’s death knell in the wake of the pervasive popularity of Wintel machines and the Windows operating system, in classic Aries fashion the company rallied famously, and the people-pleasing iMac has shown what a scrappy, daring veteran Apple really is. This new computer is so unique and esthetically pleasing that in the midst of all the boring beige boxes, the wickedly clever “colors” and “iMovie” ad campaigns have turned the iMac into pop art.

Demand for the iMac continues to increase, drawing a sizable number of former Wintel users, along with plenty of first-time computer buyers. Unfortunately, another classic Aries trait is lack of follow-through. Aries is often accused of failing to finish what they start, and Apple has been severely criticized for large, unfilled back-orders and delayed delivery of promised hard and software. As with most Aries entities, this is not intentional, and Apple’s conquests and advancements on the digital front tend to minimize the resulting backlash.

Think Different

Added to this fiery, driven Aries Sun is Mercury, the planet linked to communication, in a tight conjunction. The way Apple’s computers “talk to” their users is direct, quick and to the point. Most Apple/Macintosh users list the user-friendly, self-explanatory graphic interface as the main reason they love their computers. Communications and press releases from the company tend to be dramatic, taking the public by surprise and challenging the rest of the computer world to catch up. Apple announces its new products and design ideas with aggressive assurance, waits while the rank and file come to attention, then drops a bomb on the world of computer technology.

Mercury also rules thought. Expanding the word "generation” a bit to include everyone living for the past twenty years, the Internet generation is unique and Aquarian, and the slogan “Think Different” creates a strong and growing resonance in the public mind. Every day we see new miracles growing out of this very principle; by changing the way we think about the world around us and inside us, we are changing our very reality. The future is wide open, and we like to be reminded of that. Apple, with its brilliant innovations and surprising new ideas, is happy to oblige.

Speaking of the Future

When we want to get an idea of the general trends affecting a chart, we look to the slower-moving outer planets and examine their relationships to the natal planets. Aspects to the Sun, as the “life force” of a company, are particularly important to gauge a company’s general health and longevity. The longer-term transits of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto reflect the broad generational and societal trends so important to the public’s perception of an international, cutting-edge company like Apple. The fact that these planets are currently transiting fire and air signs in positive relation to the Aries Sun is one indication that the Apple Computer Company is not only healthy, but thriving under current conditions.

There is a free flow of power, influence and advancement surrounding Apple right now, as well as a certain glamour. The fierce pace and tough competition for the lead position in computer technology suits the Cupertino heavyweight just fine. Aspects to other planets in the chart indicate plenty of obstacles and challenges in the future, but Aries thrives under pressure, as has Apple, and is well equipped to rise to the occasion. Considering it’s track record, inherent strength and transformational nature, it’s a good bet that Apple Computer Company will outlast many a competitor and set the trends in computer technology and design for some time to come.

Notes

The Apple chart is calculated using a Los Altos birth place and a sunrise birth time. While the location has not been verified, the best available information places Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in Los Altos at this time.

Sharyn Smith is a freelance writer and life-long student of astrology. She is a former newspaper staff reporter and columnist and now publishes her independent articles and editorials on the Internet.