iPad. Apple defied the naysayers and tablet. Creating a gadget with no identifiable market can be risky, but somehow Apple managed to straddle the line between mobile gadget and portable computer, and create a new market that rivals are now stampeding to try and snag a share of. iPad production can barely keep up with demand. The Apple tablet has been a hot gift item for the holidays, and many IT departments are looking at ways to capitalize on the strengths of the iPad as a mobile business tool.

iPhone 4. Apple introduces a new generation of iPhone each year within a fairly predictable annual window. This year, though, the were more than incremental. A complete redesign included front and rear-facing cameras, the introduction of FaceTime video chat and the Retina display that exceeds the capabilities of the human eye.

iOS 4. Hand in hand with the iPhone 4 came the latest update to the iOS operating system it--as well as the iPod Touch and iPad--runs on. iOS 4 introduced a variety of features that users have been longing for such as the ability to group apps into folders, a unified Inbox for e-mail, and some sense of multitasking to enable apps to continue running in the background.

MacBook Air. The MacBook Air has always been sort a niche luxury. Its thin form factor lightweight were not and limited performance compared with traditional MacBooks or Windows-based notebooks. With the new MacBook Air, though, Apple broke new ground on just how thin a laptop can get--yet still managed to beef up its specs, and lower its price all at the same time.