Apple's History

Apple’s History

In almost every part of the world Apple and at least one of their products is known. The Apple brand started in the 1970s. Three men founded the organization in 1976, to produce a computer that every citizen could use personally (Sohail, 2010). The first item released was the Apple 1 personal computer kit made by Steve Wozniak (Sohail, 2010). Through the 70s, Apple concentrated on developing storing technologies such as the floppy disk and the use of color, graphics, and spreadsheets used for business (Sohail, 2010). Apple was about to have their first major product release with a million dollar ad campaign. This was the release of the Macintosh personal computer, which also led to Apple’s great reputation (Sohail, 2010).

The next decade brought the increase of Apple’s brand following and fame to the organization. In 1991, Apple’s PowerBook gave the concept of more portable computer that was a new idea in computers in general. Then in the late 90s, the company started making other electronics except computers. These other products included digital computers, cameras, speakers and other products tat did not gain much recognition among the public (Sohail, 2010). This marked a decline in Apple, which was about to turn around.

In the late 1990s, with the release of Windows, Apple was placed on the right track. Apple released its’ 20th Anniversary Macintosh in 1997 which marked the beginning of Apple’s return (Crofford, 2011). The next year, Apple released the IMac, which was a highly received by the public. Apple reported over $80 billion in cash on its’ last Form 10-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Emerson, 2011). Today Apple produces several different products including IPhone...

... middle of paper ...

...be detrimental to Apple’s supply chain. Through some workplace safety, Apple can ensure that their supply chain in not disrupted.

Apple’s Competitive Advantage

Apple in the recent years had developed a competitive advantage in their market. A competitive advantage implies the creation of a unique advantage over competitors (Heizer & Render, 2011). One way Apple competes is on differentiation, or distinguishing the offerings of an organization in a way that the customer perceives as adding value (Heizer & Render, 2011). Another way Apple has created a competitive advantage is through experience differentiation, or engaging a customer with a product through imaginative use of the five senses so the customer experiences the product (Heizer & Render, 2011). Through differentiation, Apple has created a true competitive advantage over many of their competitors.