Apple once faced a US export control on its 'supercomputer.' Steve Jobs turned it into a marketing moment.

The article is a historical comparison piece showing how Apple once turned US export-control concerns into a marketing advantage. In 1999, Steve Jobs promoted the Power Mac G4 as so powerful it was classified as a supercomputer and restricted from export to more than 50 countries, including China, Iraq, and North Korea. Apple later pushed to relax the rules and used the controversy in a memorable ad campaign. The story is framed around current US export restrictions on Anthropic’s AI models, highlighting how governments can view cutting-edge tech as a national-security issue. For Apple, the episode was not a direct financial catalyst but reinforces the company’s brand around innovation and performance.