Apple has become the "it" in technology all over again. The company that was on the brink of extinction just a few years ago has picked itself back up and is growing exponentially each year. Upper management and top officials have kept close to their beliefs for Apple and have been able to push the company further in not only profits, but also product lines. Forthcoming you will find Apples current products, their short but tumultuous history and financials, and what role they have played and will continue to play in the ever evolving information systems world. MAIN PRODUCTS Apple's current product line include the iMac, MacBook, MacBook Pro, Mac Pro and Mac Mini- all of which are desktop and laptop computers. These computers feature …show more content…
They developed graphical user interfaces and introduced the mouse to the personal computer market, but unlike Microsoft they chose a proprietary architecture that would cost them in the end. In 1980, Apple went public and proceeded to earn over $100 million from the sales of the Apple II. IBM's PC featuring a Microsoft OS debuted in 1981, sparking a decades-long rivalry in the personal computer market. The Macintosh was introduced in 1984, and its poor initial reception caused the Apple Board of Directors to force out Steve Jobs the next year. Microsoft's Windows operating system proved a viable threat and subsequently captured a large portion of the personal computing market share, leaving Apple to focus on desktop publishing. Many versions of the Mac II were released into the 1990's in order to fight the growing popularity of PC clones. The PC offered more software and lower prices due to its' generic design, forcing Apple to fight for market share unsuccessfully. Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997 and focused on the design and aesthetics of their products, introducing the popular iMac desktop computer. In 2001, Apple's next big innovation came in the form of a portable mp3 player- the iPod. Coupled with their software for playing music that has been converted to mp3 format, iTunes, the iPod captured an incredible market share due to the innovative design of the "click
Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak founded Apple in California in 1976. Their mission was to introduce an easy to use computer to market, which led to a computing revolution and quickly became the industry leader by selling more than 100,000 Apple IIs in 1980. After IBM entered PC market, IBM PCs, which used Microsoft’s DOS (OS), gained more market share and became the new standard for the PC industry. At the same time, Apple introduced the Macintosh in 1984. However, Apple’s net income fell 62% due to the Mac’s slow processor speed and lack of software limited sales. In 1985, Steve Jobs was forced out and John Sculley took charge of the Mac. Under the direction of Sculley, Apple
I learned that Apple is a juggernaut when it comes to their technological products and marketing goals. Apple focuses on the needs of customer’s light years ahead of their competition and even before most consumers have realized they want Apple’s products. Through their innovative marketing involving social media, word of mouth, Apple Stores they have convinced consumers about the high value of their product even lending to the formation of a “Mac cult” for its diehard fans. The way ahead for Apple is not to lose sight of its brand loyalty and continue to service the customers and entice them with the brand’s prestige. Even with the death of Steve Jobs, I believe Apple forge ahead to differentiate itself from the markets they are in.
There is a point in ones life where they are confronted with the arduous task of deciding what computer is best for them, this decision process is usually decided on a few factors which are price, reliability, security, storage space and of course the computers speed. In today’s economy buying a machine of value that works is hard to come by but one company has it figured out; it is time to invest in Apple computer. Apple is a company that was founded in 1976 by Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs, and Ron Wayne in the hopes of making the PC personal again. The Apple revolution began in 1984 when Macintosh was introduced.
Apple is a global company represented in many parts of the world, but born in the United States by computer wizards by the names of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak who founded the company back in 1976 (Capon, 2008). The organization deals with the design and sale of computer hardware, software and offers tech support to its customers. Examples of the hardware the company manufactures and sells include mobile phones, personal computers, iPads, tablets and iTunes with associated brands, like the MacBook and iPhones that represent Apple’s driving force towards its success. It is recognized as a brand leader in consumer electronics by the world in terms of quality and customer satisfaction and despite the wide product range, Apple manages each product in a distinct way that is a single business unit (Mittan, 2010).
In the early 1980s the top competitor in this industry was IBM due to its open system and ease of being cloned. During this same time, Apple struggled to keep pace and changed its competitive strategy multiple times. From 1980 to 1993 Apple positioned itself in the computer industry as the company that provides easy to use desktops with superior software and hardware. Unlike its competitors, Apple did
Apple Inc. has been dedicated to innovation ever since the company was first formed. Apple's recent breakthroughs were a result of a new technologies convergence upon the "digital hub" strategy (Mortensen, 2010). This strategy has served Apple well; especially during the last few years. The iPad, iPod, and iPhone were all born from this strategy. Furthermore, producing these innovative, user friendly, and design oriented products has earned them a considerable amount of customer loyalty.
Apple Incorporated, formerly known as Apple Computers Incorporated, and more commonly known just as Apple, has lead the way in technology and innovation for consumer electronics with their slender storage capacities, vibrant displays, and incredible touch screen products. When they first started, their focus was more on personal computers for customers, but as the company has aged, so has their focus expanded towards this idea of consumer electronics as a whole. Seeing as they now offer popular devices including, but not limited to, computers (Mac Book), home theater (Apple TV), phones (iPhone), tablets (iPad), and media (iPod), it can clearly be
Co-founded by Steve Jobs in 1976, the company was named under Apple Computers Inc. and its initial product Apple IIe gained relative popularity and success. The release of the Macintosh revolutionized the computer experience with a graphical user interfere and a pointer devise called the ‘mouse’ was launched in the same year. The company went public in 1980 resulting in its owners gaining immediate wealth. However, its company’s
* Apple has strong brands which include the iPod, iPhone, iPad, and Macintosh line of computers.
Apple Inc. is a manufacturing company that produces and markets mobile and media devices, personal computers, and portable digital music players. In addition to these devices, they also sell a variety of software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications that can be accessed through the devices. Some of these popular devices that are manufactured and sold by the company include Macintosh computers, iPhones, iPods, and iPads. The Macintosh computer may be the most popular device that has been created by Apple. When it was released in 1984, it became the first computer to successfully use a Graphical User Interface. This allowed users to navigate the device by selecting pictures on the screen by using the click of a mouse. The success of this creation inspired the development of modern computers. It helped to launch the use of the Graphical User Interface that most modern-day computers use today.
Apple Computer had introduced many of the now-commonplace features of personal computers, including the GUI, the mouse, the floppy disk drive, and color graphics. Apple Computer 's Macintosh line of PC 's had brought numerous software and hardware components within reach of the average home consumer, often in a stylish case and with an emphasis on usability. The restructured company, now called simply Apple, designs, markets, and sells not only personal computers but also consumer electronics in the form of
Apple Inc. is a corporation that designs and manufactures computer hardware, software and other consumer electronic products. The company is known for the Macintosh personal computers, iTunes media applications and the iPod personal music players. Apple was founded in April 1976 by Steven Wozniak and Steve Jobs, both college dropouts. In 1976, Wozniak and Jobs created the Apple I computer which did not have a keyboard or power supply for a computer hobbyist club. Later that summer Wozniak started his development of the Apple II, which
Jobs and Wozniak are credited with revolutionizing the computer industry by democratizing the technology and making the machines smaller, cheaper, intuitive and accessible to everyday consumers.
One key element of Apple’s strategy in computers, personal media players, tablet computers, and smart phones is product innovation, diversification and development. Over the years Apple has been very successful in integrating software and hardware in new developing products. Despite the struggling economy in recent years, Apple has been able to grow their market share and stay ahead of the game.
The closest comparison to this small computer at the time was the Altair 8800 and the Intel microprocessors used in calculators and watches. An improved version of the Apple 1 developed into the Apple 11, the first personal computer with graphics and a keyboard, and IBM soon followed Apple’s lead with their version of a small computer. The market for personal computers had been primarily in the business industry. Apple Computer sales netted $50 million by the last quarter of 1979 (Gitman & McDaniel, 2009) and Apple soon became the personal computer of choice for many small businesses and families, especially when Apple introduced the more user- friendly Macintosh computer in the 1980’s. The Macintosh was Apple’s first major step in adapting the personal computer to the desires of corporate America. In ten years, Apple had grown from two employees in a garage to a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees (Jobs, 1985). What began as a hobby for Jobs and Wozniak soon became an essential part of many households and established the foundation for the Apple empire.