Think Secret
Encyclopedia
Think Secret, founded in 1998, was a web site which specialized in publishing reports and rumors about Apple Inc..
The name of the site was a play on Apple's one-time advertising slogan, "Think Different
". Think Secret's archives reached as far back as May 3, 1999. On December 20, 2007, it was announced that the site would eventually shut down as part of a legal settlement. The site officially shut down on February 14, 2008, and now shows a forbidden error when trying to access it.
and a new piece of word-processing software.
law. The rumors were confirmed on January 11, 2005 at Macworld
in San Francisco
when Apple's CEO Steve Jobs
introduced the Mac mini
and the iWork
productivity suite.
gers at Black Vortex that his real name was Nicholas Ciarelli
.
Think Secret was officially shut down on February 14, 2008, giving a Forbidden error upon entering the site.
The name of the site was a play on Apple's one-time advertising slogan, "Think Different
Think Different
"Think Different" is an advertising slogan created for Apple Computer in 1997 by the Los Angeles office of advertising agency TBWA\Chiat\Day.It was used in a television commercial, several print advertisements and a number of TV promos for Apple products. Apple's use of the slogan was discontinued...
". Think Secret's archives reached as far back as May 3, 1999. On December 20, 2007, it was announced that the site would eventually shut down as part of a legal settlement. The site officially shut down on February 14, 2008, and now shows a forbidden error when trying to access it.
Predicted Mac Mini release
In December of 2004, Think Secret published rumors of a new MacMac Mini
The Mac Mini is a small form factor desktop computer manufactured by Apple Inc. Like earlier mini-ITX PC designs, it is uncommonly small for a desktop computer: 7.7 inches square and 1.4 inches tall. It weighs 2.7 pounds...
and a new piece of word-processing software.
Apple files suit
Apple subsequently sued Think Secret editor "Nick dePlume", claiming that the site's reports violated trade secretTrade secret
A trade secret is a formula, practice, process, design, instrument, pattern, or compilation of information which is not generally known or reasonably ascertainable, by which a business can obtain an economic advantage over competitors or customers...
law. The rumors were confirmed on January 11, 2005 at Macworld
Macworld Conference & Expo
Produced by Boston-based IDG World Expo, Macworld | iWorld is a trade-show with conference tracks dedicated to the Apple Macintosh platform. It is held annually in the United States, usually during the second week of January...
in San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
when Apple's CEO Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs
Steven Paul Jobs was an American businessman and inventor widely recognized as a charismatic pioneer of the personal computer revolution. He was co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Apple Inc...
introduced the Mac mini
Mac Mini
The Mac Mini is a small form factor desktop computer manufactured by Apple Inc. Like earlier mini-ITX PC designs, it is uncommonly small for a desktop computer: 7.7 inches square and 1.4 inches tall. It weighs 2.7 pounds...
and the iWork
IWork
iWork is an office suite of desktop applications created by Apple for the Mac OS X and iOS operating systems. The first version of iWork, iWork '05, was released in 2005. The suite originally bundled Keynote, a presentation program which had previously been sold as a standalone application, and...
productivity suite.
Editor identified
Prior to Think Secret's legal troubles, the identity of its editor was unknown outside the Mac journalism community, as he had always written under the pen-name "Nick dePlume". It was later discovered by blogBlog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
gers at Black Vortex that his real name was Nicholas Ciarelli
Nicholas Ciarelli
Nicholas Ciarelli is an American journalist and was Editor-In-Chief of Think Secret, a website he started in 1999 at the age of thirteen and ceased publishing on December 20, 2007 after reaching a settlement with Apple...
.
Suit settled, site to discontinue publishing
The lawsuit with Apple was settled on December 20, 2007. The site said that, "as part of the confidential settlement, no sources were revealed and Think Secret will no longer be published."Think Secret was officially shut down on February 14, 2008, giving a Forbidden error upon entering the site.