The aughts were marked by many fads, evolving technologies, and a few troubling trends. Above them all, two brands virtually revolutionized our technical lives.

Apple revamped their brand with the iMac and expanded their product appeal beyond the graphic designer. They capitalized on that with the introduction of the iPod, and moreover, iTunes. Apple has changed the way we listen to music (with a nod to Napster's Shawn Fanning). With greater impact, they changed the way we purchase music. This new business model rocked the music industry and deeply impacted our popular culture.

With podcasts, streaming video, and applications for the iPhone and iTouch, Apple continues to impact our lives. They drive their competitors to adapt and match their level of innovation (or at least try).

Google, on the other hand has gone from being the little engine that could to being the 800 pound gorilla in the room. That isn't meant to malign Google. After all, they took a service that we all used, internet search, and made it better–so much so, they became a verb!

They took that technology and added a revenue stream. By doing so, they also changed the way we advertise online. Google's means of defining and perfecting a technology then finding a profit model for it has given them much freedom to innovate. Whether they developed the technology or purchased it from others, they have provided us all with a robust platform of applications that have re-defined how we use the internet.

Google has constantly expanded their footprint throughout the aughts–Google Docs, Youtube, Blogger, Gmail, the Cloud, Google Voice, Google Wave, AdWords, Google Earth, etc.. The introduction of Google Wave this year was a bit anti-climactic as we begged for invitations to use the service but for what? That doesn't seem as disappointing when one considers that Gmail remained in a BETA state for more than 5 years.

For the record, I agree with another Wave user, Marsh Gardiner, who speculates, "The goal of Google Wave is to collaborate INSIDE email rather than using email to ARRANGE to collaborate."

Google has their competitors–Rackspace, etc.–but those companies are driven by Google's innovation and even answer to Google's success.

These companies dominated the first decade of the 21st century. More importantly, they are both poised to continue their innovation and deepen their impact.

Which brand had the greater impact on you? Who will dominate the next decade?