San Francisco To Troy Via The Garden Of Eden

The only thing obviously overshadowing the official launch of the second incarnation of Apple's iPad in San Francisco this week was the continuing speculation about the health of Steve Jobs, the founder and creative spirit of the company that has thus far had such runaway successes with the first version of the iconic tablet computer and a range of other portable digital devices such as the iPod and iPhone. After Jobs took indefinite medical leave from his own company two months ago, many industry watchers publicly aired their doubts about his fitness to show up to cheerlead for the product. In the event Apple's CEO was very much present at the launch looking pretty fit and healthy, albeit in a thin, but notably not gaunt, sort of way. Jobs is so identified with Apple and its successes that the growing chorus of whispers suggesting he is seriously ill has been adversely affecting investor confidence in the company's future. While the chatter about Jobs's wellbeing no doubt won't go away, the financial health of Apple, at least in the short to medium term, seems assured. In the nine months after the launch last year of the first iPad, 15 million were sold while Apple are expected to sell twice that number of the thinner, lighter, faster and disability friendly second version. So what with iPad 2, the expected summer launch of iPhone 5, not to mention iTunes downloads and the small matter of the Mac computer range Apple's coffers will obviously bulge in the next few years. But the technology world never sleeps, and a host of competitors constantly plot to take bites out of Apple - well known rivals like Samsung, Motorola and Hewlett Packard, not to mention the existing global muscular reach of the likes of Google and Microsoft, or the growing potential of Asian based companies such as HTC, Lenovo, Asus and Acer. For now though Jobs is king, and to mark the launch of iPad 2 Highly Questionable has adopted a theme of apples for today's quiz. 

 Apples Quiz 

 1  Which British celebrity couple in 2004 famously named their first child Apple?

 2  According to the Bible's Book of Genesis, which tree provided the apple which Eve gave Adam to eat?    

 3  According to the episode in Greek mythology known as the Judgement of Paris, which three goddesses competed for a golden apple in the sequence of events which led to the Trojan war? 

 4  Who gave Snow White a poisoned apple to eat? 

 5  Which English rock band established the multi-media company Apple Corps? 

Answers to the our apples themed quiz will be published on the Highly Questionable blog tomorrow. 

 Books Quiz Answers 

The answers to yesterday's book themed quiz set to celebrate the first instalment of World Book Day were:-

 1  The Library of Congress in Washington D.C. is the largest library in the world as measured in terms of having the largest number of books in its collection. 

 2  Johannes Gutenberg is credited with inventing the printing press the creation of which enabled the publishing revolution that led to the mass availability of books. 

 3  International Standard Book Number are the words which the abbreviation ISBN stands for.

 4  The International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award is the most lucrative book prize for a work of fiction published in English. 

 5  The Kindle is the name of internet company Amazon's own brand ereader.

The author of the Highly Questionable? quiz and trivia blog, Harry Reid, is a freelance question setter, writer and blogger. He can be contacted at harryreid@btinternet.com.