Company logos are something we always see but don’t pay much attention to, however you know a logo works when upon seeing it you instantly know what the company is and what they make.

Most tech companies do not change their logos often because it costs serious dollars to rebrand the entire product line. When they do change, it usually signifies a fundamental shift in the company’s overall vision, so to speak.

Apple

In their entire history since 1976, Apple has had three logos with the first being something so un-Apple it’s amazing it even existed.

Yes, this is an actual Apple logo. It was used for a very short period of time in ’76 and has such an old-timey look to it that you’d think it came out of the early 1900s.

This is the Apple logo people remember seeing for the first time. In fact there’s a quite a few Apple fans that say the company should go back to this logo.

Apple ditched the rainbow for a more monotone look and has carried it to this day.

Adobe

Adobe’s original logo was very techy in its look.

Adobe’s second logo is still immediately recognized by many to this day, and they still use it.

Adobe has also been known to use a typeface-only logo periodically:

…but this isn’t as recognizable as "The Big A".

Microsoft

Redmond got their disco funkalicious booty-shakin’ action goin’ on with this first logo in 1975:

In that same year they switched to something a tad less garish:

And then finally in 1994 they switched to this:

If you’re wondering what the deal is with the cut-out "O", this is a throwback to the original company name which was "Micro-Soft". The cut is meant to represent the dash.

Xerox

The Xerox company is very, very old, as in starting in 1906 as The Haloid Photographic Company old. The company to date has had several well-known logos. I won’t show them all, but here are a few of the better-known ones.

Above is the logo used from 1961 all the way to 2003. Personally, I feel this was the best logo they ever had because of the elongated "tails" on both X’s and the R. Very distinctive, very classy.

Above is the "Digital X" Xerox logo introduced in 1994. It’s a genius concept because the company can be recognized by a single letter, and the pixelated effect on the top right truly gives it distinction.

Above is what Xerox dumped the ’61 logo for in 2004; it only lasted a few years.

Above is the current logo introduced in 2008. It’s a radical redesign. Gone are the capital letters, and along with it came the introduction of the "X beach ball".

IBM

IBM gets the name "Big Blue" from the logo that they still use to this day, which you’ll see in a moment. The color blue is also a recurrent theme in many of the things IBM does. It can even be argued that IBM themselves defined the color blue to mean "business", but that’s up for debate.

International Business Machines given their tenure hasn’t changed logos very often, and that’s for the best because none of use would expect IBM to be any other way.

Here are some of the better-known logos:

The above logo, used from 1924-1946, was meant to signify a global presence, hence the globe-like shape.

This next logo was more or less the foundation of what IBM currently uses. The very-bold and very-stark letters are meant to signify a solid grounded presence – and it sure does.

Above is the logo IBM has used since 1972. It’s a symbol known the world over, and while I’m sure there have been many within the corporation who have tried to change it to something else, no one has ever succeeded in doing so – and that’s a good thing because absolutely nobody wants this logo to change.

IBM’s logo to this day commands such a powerful presence that whenever you see it, you pay extra attention.

What’s your favorite logo from all of the above?

Do you like the 70s logo or modern? Colored or black-and-white? Business or laid-back?

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