Apple is a leader in research, development, manufacturing and marketing computers for consumers, businesses, educational and government institutions. The company’s financial success can be attributed to their innovative products and marketing techniques that stress the importance that computers should "just work". During the last thirty-two years Apple has had its share of ups and downs, this essay will focus on major events from the company’s history, current events and their most significant products. ←Thesis goes here →
History
The company started April 1, 1976 with Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Charismatic Jobs persuaded Wozniak to build computers for resale that Wozniak originally designed as a hobby for personal use. To purchase the first computer components, Jobs’ sold his VW mini-bus and Wozniak had to part with his “beloved” HP calculator. (TAM) Apple I was resold by a local store called the “Byte Shop” for $666.66. Apple was incorporated on January 3, 1977. December of 1979 in exchange for company stock XEROX invited Jobs and several Apple employees to see the “Alto Computer” which featured a graphical user interface (GUI). The GUI allows for a user to navigate his/her computer using a mouse and click on objects as opposed to pressing a designated key. Jobs quotes saying that he was “instantly convinced” that all future computers would have a GUI, and set off to create an “insanely great” computer.
In September 1980 Apple launched their IPO, within a year the stock’s value increased 1700%. (SOURCE) The success was overwhelming and amateur Jobs was not managing the company effectively. Jobs recruited Sculley the CEO of Pepsi with a famous quote "Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water, or do you want a chance to change the world?" (The Apple Museum) Sculley did not understand computers and disagreed with Jobs. Sculley later stripped Jobs of managerial duties when he found out that Jobs was trying to take over the company. Shortly thereafter Jobs quit and took several employees with him to start company called NeXT. Sculley is responsible for drastically changing the computer industry by allowing Microsoft to use GUI as long as they kept making software for Apple computers. This created a predominant competitor to Apple, and facilitated Microsoft in becoming the most widely used operating system and office application in the world.
Product Lines
The above factors hurt Apple’s bottom line until August 16th, 1998.
Apple Computer Inc designs, manufactures, and markets personal computers and related personal computing and communication solutions. The return of Steve Jobs, the companies founder, as CEO has pulled the company’s stock price up 775-percent through his launch of innovative products such as the iMac computer line. On January 5, 2000, Jobs announced that he was dropping interim from his CEO title and taking the job full-time. With this news and Apple’s new products such as the iBook, a portable pc and Quick TV, an internet television access feature, Apple Computer is headed for success and is sure to increase their share in the computer market.
Within the last decade Apple has become one of the largest growing companies in the world and the largest valued company in the United States. According to a recent article in The Guardian, a global financial news website, “Apple set a record by becoming the first company to be valued at over $700bn (£446bn).” (Fletcher, N. 2014) This comes as no surprise to the average computer aficionado and shareholder as Apple has been making a name for itself since its inception. From its earliest Macintosh models to today’s iPhones, Apple has been a trailblazer for software, technology and revolutionizing the way we communicate on a Macro level. Their dedication to innovation, quality and service has made them
In 1976 college dropouts Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, assisted by Ron Wayne embarked on a path to start a tech company that would create new innovative products by connecting people all over the world. This company came to be known as Apple Computers which has become a global leader in Technology and cultural innovation. The rise of Apple computers did not come easy and along with the major success obtained their failures have not gone without notice. Yet, through the joy of success and the agony of defeat, Apple has continued to reinvent its brand over four decades.
The topic that I will writing about is about the company of Apple and how it is a great company. I will also be talking how Apples is a utilitarian company and makes products that makes the consumers happy. Apple is one of the many electronics company that make computers, tablets, phones and iPod. Apple was a company that was founded by Steve Jobs, a college drop out on April 1, 1976. In this essay I will be discussing how Apples products make consumers happy, the philosophy of apple and how apple also makes people angry.
Richardson, A. (2015, August 12). Apple Computer, Inc. Retrieved May 7, 2016, Retrieved from https://www.loc.gov/rr/business/businesshistory/April/apple.html
In 1974, Mr. Steve Jobs gets his first real job as a video game maker for Atari. On April 1, 1976, Apple Computer Inc. is incorporated by Mr. Steve Jobs, Mr. Steve Wozniak, and Mr. Ron Wayne. In 1976 to 1980, Mr. Steve Jobs and Apple Inc. go public increasing Jobs net worth to over $200 million. In 1981, Jobs takes over the Macintosh project at Apple and in April of 1983, the Lisa computer is launch and then merges with the Mac team under the leadership of Mr. Steve Jobs. In 1995, Steve Jobs resigns from Apple and starts NeXT.
Apple Inc is a multinational organization in America and has its headquarters in California. The organization specializes in the design as well as development of consumer electronics including: computer software 's, and also personal computers. The organization has for long been offering a broad range of communication mobile communication as well as its own company software’s. The organization has quite an upright name in the business world. For a long period it has been producing quality product and their designers really bring out uniqueness in their products (Linzmayer, 2004). Apple Inc has established itself as being the world’s leader in innovation. Thus according to statistics; it is classified as being the fourth most valuable technology
It was Steve Jobs who made Apple leave the garage and make leaps and bounds in the world of technology. Steve Wozniak made the first prototype, but it was Jobs who “saw the potential” in his computer and persuaded Wozniak to sell it (Peterson 106). Even though that first computer saw very little success, Jobs knew that Apple had potential and so released the Apple II. From the beginning Jobs knew what the consumers wanted, and where computers were going to take the world; he had a vision of the opportunities in technology and saw that Apple needed to move in a different direction. In 1984, one year before he left, Jobs finished the Macintosh computer system. He was pushed from his original computer design project, “the Lisa”, and then raced to release the Mac first, but the Lisa was released to the public first. Although the Lisa came out first, the Mac “[became] synonymous with Apple, mark[ing] a…revolution in…personal computing,” (Peterson 106).
In fact, about this business one can easily write a few weighty books. Without exaggeration, we can say that Apple is one of the brightest technology companies that appeared in the 70s of the last century. Due to innovative technology and aesthetic design, Apple Inc. has established a unique reputation comparable to the cult in the consumer electronics industry. In 2014 the company was ranked first in the world by market capitalization. The concept of the brand is built around the slogan 'Think different’ (Linzmayer, 2004).
Let’s take a trip back in time and review the evolution of a computer company. It’s not IBM or Microsoft. This company is Apple Computers, Incorporated. In the year 1976, before most people even thought about buying a computer for their homes. Back then the computer community was only a few nerds building simple computers from hobby kits. When Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs sold a van and two programmable calculators for thirteen hundred dollars and started Apple Computers, Inc., in Jobs garage, the reach for success seemed far.
Apple is “the world’s most colorful company,” Linzmayer, Owen . Apple Confidential 2.0. 1st. San Francisco, CA: No Starch Press, 2004. When looking at its meager beginnings Apple’s influence on the media could only be described as unique. Their product, style, and overall beliefs make the Apple Corporation a multi-billion dollar company with a general appeal for all ages. It is getting harder and harder to be an individual, so with Apple you can “rise above the norm” and be unique. Recently, this unique corporation has taken the media by storm, with their new line of products. Right along side these new products are a full line of new commercials to go along with them. These new commercials spawned from years of creative marketing done on Apple’s part. Studying the history of Apple is necessary to understanding their influence upon us today.
Apple is a company that has been round for many years. There are over 55 million people who use an apple product or are considered to have at least one apple product in their home. The apple products range from larger devices such as there amazingly known Mac books which are there computer based system to there much small hand held based device called the iPhone. That device allows a person to make calls all while have the convent amenities that a laptop would have. They also have the very popular iPod as well as Apple TV. They have expanded into an empire that everyone is trying to become as well as beat. As many people know there is history and hard work that has to take place in order for a business to be successful. Many people will refer to the success of apple as the underdog company that made despite the odds. Founder Steve Jobs was a regular person with a dream. He started of building an Apple computer in his parent’s living room and later moved to the garage true to lack of space. Later on in his building career a neighbor of Steve Jobs introduced him to Stephen Gary Wonzniak. Wonzniak was an engineer and Jobs was a market maven and together they have the skills to build and properly promote. The computer they were trying to promote was fairly expensive computer. Jobs was so dedicated to this idea of transforming this computer from what it was to something that is able to be sold to the public he reached out to Bill Hewlett and asked him to donate some parts for a class projects .
From 1980 to 1996, Apple’s competitive range in the PC industry was rocky. Although Apples products were unique and well built, they were overpriced compared to competing products from IBM and others. As competitor prices dropped, Apple prices stayed the same and the company saw a decline in sales as customers opted to purchase from its competitors. John Sculley, former CEO of Apple, took many steps to improve the company’s competitive advantage. One of those steps was to compete with price by producing a low-cost computers that appealed to a mass-market. The second step was to form an alliance with rivals IBM and Novel in order to create new operating systems and applications...
Apple Inc. was established by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak on April 1, 1976 as a computer designer, developer and seller company. However, the company shifted its focus from only personal computer to include other consumer electronics such as portable media player and mobile phone in 2007. Apple Inc becomes one of the most popular makers in its field since it seems that its popularity has increased according to a report on www.statista.com that Apple Inc’s products sales was generally increasing throughout the first quarter of 2006 to the first quarter of 2014. On the one hand, it has increased its revenue from about 14 billion US dollars to more than 170 billion US dollars in 2013. All in all, the company is highly successful corresponding to its products’ development and their sales growth in world’s market.
Apple Inc. Founded by Steve Jobs, Ronald Wayne, Steve Wozniak in April 1, 1976, is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, that designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics, computer software, online services, and personal computers.