ummmm, the glass to the edge is simply the result of being able to produce glass that is durable enough. The reason it was never done before is that simple, it was too expensive and there would have been durability questions. Though to be fair Corning (visit the Corning Glass Museum site sometime, it's interesting) has been able to make glass similar to Gorilla Glass for nearly 100 years but it too had too many compromises and expenses to be commercially viable until the past decade or so.
Here is an old formula notebook of a very famous glass chemist, Emmet E. Olson.
http://www.rubystainmuseum.com/formulas.html
Direct download:
http://www.rubystainmuseum.com/heise...onograph38.pdf
(HARRY: It's a legal download so don't worry your pretty little head about it.)
It's an interesting read if you enjoy that sort of thing.
Back to the topic, the idea of edge to edge glass in an inevitable evolution of the design mating with the glass technology and manufacturing refinements. It is nothing innovative by Apple or any other device maker.
And don't forget, Vulcans invented Velcro!! So who is to say they did not invent edge to edge glass and Jobs is all wet behind his ears. Hmmmmmm, Jobs does have some rather odd ears, doesn't he? Might explain the mystery illness, it was really in order to provide a plausible excuse for his now no longer odd internal organ structure and layout.
