The Apple Company Analytical Essay
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Introduction
The Apple Company has made an indelible mark in the world stage with its innovations that have changed the way people use computers and mobile devices. Apple has been very successful and it is worth billions (Farivar 1). The share price of the company is over $530 making Apple the most successful company in the technological sector. In this paper, the effect of the apple company on the society in terms of ordinary people, employees, costs and on other electronic companies will be discussed.
Effect on ordinary people
Apple started in 1976 and its effect on ordinary people started with the introduction of personal computers. The personal computer revolutionized the technological world. The personal computers had a simple design and they were user-friendly to people. However, Apple did not achieve a large market share in the face of stiff competition from other companies.
As a result it started a product that has become part and parcel of modern day activities from the office to homes and the brand of choice (Sanderson 1). The products that Apple has produced such as iPod, iPhone, IPad are household names.
They have changed the way people buy music with the successful iTunes store. The products are sleek and functional and help meet needs that ordinary people did not know they had (Greenwood 1). The effect of Apple can be seen with the excitement that announcement of any new products create and the long queues of people waiting to buy them. Apple will continue to affect the lives of ordinary people through innovation of useful new products.
Effect on employees
The employees of Apple have to stay at the top of their game to continue releasing new products that stir the market. They must maintain the high standards that the former Apple products have set and surpass them. The employees must remain committed to the vision of Apple as embodied by Steve Jobs. He is synonymous to Apple, and with his demise the company employees have to deal with the post-Jobs era.
They are constantly faced asked what Jobs would have done about the decisions made by the new CEO Tim Cook, and such questions may frustrate some. The employees have to adjust working under Tim Cook who is different from Jobs and continue working hard to keep steering Apple towards its vision (Cheng 1).
Effect on costs
The price tag on Apple products is high unlike that of other companies. The features of Apple’s products are high quality and unmatched in the market. Therefore, Apple is able to charge high prices, but customers still buy because they feel the products are worth (Greenwood 1).
The cost of the Apple products is not likely to come down as the company offers other things for instance after sale services and customer care support. The company has an edge over the other companies with its brand products that have won the faith of many people and created loyal fan base. On the other hand, the company produces its products in China amidst of criticism for shipping jobs overseas, but the cost of production is cheaper than at home increasing the profit margin.
Effects on other electronics companies
Apple is the leader in the tech world and it has a major impact on other electronics companies. Its greatest rival in the mobile technological market is Samsung that leads the competition in the sale of mobile devices. Furthermore, Apple faces competition from other smaller companies that have improved their products to tap into the market.
They produce products similar to those of Apple, but their prices are lower hence they will get customers who want the experience of sleek gadgets, but at a cheap price. One the other hand, in the wake of patent suit against Samsung for patent infringement, the other companies have to be careful in designing their products lest they make them similar to Apple products and get slapped with a patent suit. The fear of suits can curtail some electronics company innovation (Mullis 1).
Conclusion
Apple has changed the world through its products. The effects on consumers is phenomenon and only the future knows what products the Apple is going to bring to the market if their past trend is anything to go by, and it is likely to remain a giant for a long time. They have come up with products that people never imagined they needed, but once introduced to them they became hooked.
Apple is a maverick in the technology world, and the successful strategies they employ are likely to keep the company on an upward trend, consolidating its lead and market share. The company has huge cash reserves at its disposal that it can use to develop products, and invest in any area they see fit to ensure that the company remains the leader in the technological world. Therefore, Apple will continue to affect the society in the near future with its strong brands that are famous across the globe.
Works Cited
Cheng, Jacqui. The ghost of Jobs: Apple’s challenge to decide “what would Steve do?” 5 Oct. 2012. Web.
Farivar, Cyrus. 30 years of Apple: Accessing Apple’s impact. 31 Mar. 2012. Web.
Greenwood, Ben. Apples booms so what next for the tech giant? 2012. Web.
Mullis, Steve. Apple’s patent win could Alter Landscape of smart phone Industry. 25 Aug. 2012. Web.
Sanderson, Rachel. The Apple brand has the biggest impact on the world’s consumers, while Microsoft and the United States nation brand are those considered most in need of a remake, a survey showed on Monday. 31 Mar. 2008. Web.
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Essay Topic: Apple Inc
Introduction
Apple Inc is a leading American corporation that manufactures computer software and consumer electronics. The company is credited for designing products such as the Macintosh range of computers, the iPad, iPhone, and the iPod. Computer software made by this company range from the iLife, the safari web browser, the iOS, and the iTunes among others. The company is currently operating over 350 stores in various countries around the world alongside an online store that offers both software and hardware. In this year, Apple Inc was ranked as the largest company in the globe with regard to market capitalization (Seitz 5). It is equally a company with the largest market in the world with regard to both revenue and profit generation. The company was founded in 1976 and later incorporated the following year. Before the year 2007, this company was known as Apple Computer Inc. The shift to the current name reflects the ongoing innovation in its range of products and market diversification. By September last year, this company had nearly 50,000 employees on full term basis. Apparently the company has a very established reputation in the electronics industry. The shares of this company are traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange market.
History
Apple was founded by the late Steve Jobs, Ronald Wayne and Steve Wozniak in the year 1976. The company was later incorporated the following year (Young and Simon 35). From 1976 to 1980, the company concentrated on the production and sale of the Apple I and Apple II computers. With the introduction of computer designers in the late 70s, the company adopted the Apple III computers. The later was geared at enhancing a competitive advantage over both Microsoft and IBM. With the incorporation of Xerox PARC in 1979, the company launched the development of Apple Lisa. This company later went public and generated the highest capital in history following the IPO. Between the year 1981 and 1985, the company faced a battle of choices between products with regard to the Macintosh and the Lisa. Later in 1983, the Apple Lisa was given priority over the Macintosh and thus became the first personal computer traded by the company (Reder 185- 209). Though the Lisa had the graphical user interface, its marketability was limited by its high pricing. The sale of the Macintosh was launched in 1984 but its marketability was equally limited by high pricing. The company later shift to the Laser writer which traded well at a customer friendly price.
Having survived several struggles, the company launched the Macintosh Portable in its range of products in the year 1989. Later in 1991, the company launched the powerbook and system 7. The later upgraded the operating system and subsequently increased revenue generation for the company. With the success offered by the introduction of the Macintosh, the company launched the Centris to compete with other consumer software on the market. The later did not amount into any profits for the company following consumer dissatisfaction. The company later plunged in to the design of alternative products from 1991(Reder 185- 209).
In order to create a better computing platform, the company partnered with both Motorola and IBM in the year 1994. During the same year, the company launched the power Macintosh. Apple Inc returned to profitability in the period between 1988 to 2005 following market diversification (Wong 23). The company also managed to acquire several properties and companies during this time. Later in 2006, the company began manufacturing Intel based computers which subsequently increased its profitability. The introduction of the iPhone, the iPod, and the iPad in the period between 2007 and 2011 has subsequently increased the market share and profitability for the company. The company is currently headed by Tim Cook following the retirement and subsequent death of Steve Jobs.
Market
Apple is a company based on consumer goods and competes with various other consumer goods companies. However, to foster a competitive advantage over its rivals, the company runs a unique advertising strategy for its products (Ahrens 34). Having established a unique reputation in the range of its products, the company enjoys a very large customer base around the entire globe. Apple Inc has diversified its market and range of products to increase its profits and market share. Among its highest traded products is the iPod which enjoys global recognition.
Global Business Development Strategies
With the lead role in innovation and research in the technology industry, the company led the globe with the introduction of the iPod. This made Apple Inc a major market stakeholder in music players. The company later plunged into the phone industry in the year 2007 with the introduction of the iPhone (Brigham 58). The company has greatly revolutionalized both the music, phone and computer industry by signing major companies into its services and products (Merrion 2). Among its main strategies in global business is the diversification into innovative products that are considered difficult to launch and operate by its rivals. The differentiation in its products allows it to command a relatively high market price. The company has equally vested a lot of its resources in research and innovation.
Conclusion
Apple Inc is a leading multination corporation in the technology industry. Though the company faces stiff competition from IBM, HP, and Dell, its business strategies have always put it on top. The company is currently enjoying an added competitive advantage in the technology industry following the successful plunge in to both the music and phone industry.
Works Cited
Ahrens, Frank. “Apple Set to Open in Japan First Retail Store Outside United States.” America‘s Intelligence Wire 27 Nov. 2003: 34.
Brigham, Daves. Intermediate financial management. Mason, Ohio: Thompson South- Western. 2007. Print.
Merrion, Paul. “Inventor of Music Player Takes a Bite Out of Apple.” Crain’s Chicag Business 28 Nov. 2005: 2.
Reder, Margo. Case Study of Apple, Inc. for Business Law Students: How Apple’sBusiness Model Controls Digital Content Through Legal and Technological Means.” Journal of Legal Studies Education 26 (2009): 85-209.
Seitz, Patrick. “Apple Sees Healthy “iPod Economy.” Investor’s Business Daily 5 Dec. 2005: A5.
Wong, May. “Apple Sets Pace in Consumer Electronics.” America‘s Intelligence Wire 15 Dec. 2005: 23.
Young, Jeffrey and William Simon. iCon Steve Jobs: The Greatest Second Act in the Histor of Business. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. 2005. Print.
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A Brief History of Apple, Inc.
Apple Inc. is an American corporation that designs and manufactures computer hardware, software and other consumer electronics. The company is best known for their Macintosh personal computer line, Mac OS X, extremely loyal user-base, iTunes media application and the iPod personal music player. The company headquarters is in Cupertino, California, CEO and co-founder is Steve Jobs and the company boasts 284 retail locations spanning 10 different countries.
Apple was established on April 1st, 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne to sell the Apple I personal computer kit. Steve Jobs was said to own 45% of the company, Steve Wozniak with 45% and Wayne with the remaining 10%. While Jobs and Wozniak were young with little to no assets, Ronald Wayne was older with personal assets and was scared to put these at risk. This resulted in Wayne selling his share of the company back to Jobs and Wozniak for a reported 800$. Today Wayne’s share of the company would be worth over 3 billion dollars.
Apple has developed a unique reputation in the consumer electronics field. Those who use Apple electronics tend to be enthusiastic about and loyal to the products while those who have no experience with Apple’s products often criticize them as being overpriced.
Perhaps the single most important PR decision made by Apple to date was the production and release of their “1984″ commercial. This commercial was directed by Ridley Scott and aired during the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII. The commercial was modeled after George Orwell’s novel 1984 which depicted a dystopian future where “Big Brother” told people what to think and as a result people, in general, had very little freedom of choice. Some say “Big Brother”, at the time, was meant to represent IBM while the female heroine was Apple. Today many would say that “Big Brother” was Microsoft with the heroine still being Apple, giving freedom of choice back to the people. Regardless of your interpretation of the commercial or your views on Apple as a company there is no denying that the commercial was a major event in the history of Apple and brought some much needed notoriety to the Macintosh line of computers.
With the release of the iMac on August 15, 1998 Apple was able to put to rest some its past failures. These failures included the first Apple Portable, which was bulky and awkward and the Newton, Apple’s first attempt to enter the PDA market. In 2001, after several years of development, Apple released Mac OS X, an operating system that targeted both consumers and professionals. Mac OS X was a complete redesign from Mac OS 9 and was able to harness the power of UNIX while offering a streamlined user experience with a simplified GUI (Graphical User Interface). The iMac line of personal computers paired with Mac OS X returned Apple to profitability and the release of the iPod portable digital audio player later that year was the icing on the cake. The phenomenal success of the iPod set the stage for future products, including the best selling mobile device in history, the Apple iPhone, the MacBook line of portable computers, and the Apple iPad announced on January 27, 2010.
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