Apple Inc.: Difference between revisions

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imported>Hugo Voisard
imported>Robert W King
(moving criticisms to talk page; I'm not sure we should be using this convention here at CZ.)
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Apple has long benefited from an unusually high level of consumer devotion and product loyalty. This phenomenon is often referred to as the "Cult of Mac."
Apple has long benefited from an unusually high level of consumer devotion and product loyalty. This phenomenon is often referred to as the "Cult of Mac."


==Criticism==
 
*Apple has had a number of highly publicized legal battles, including the long-running trademark disputes with the [[The Beatles|Beatles']] record company, [[Apple Corps Ltd.]], and the recent stock option backdating scandal.
*[[Wikiscanner]] reveals that people at Apple have edited Wikipedia articles about Microsoft to add more negative comments about their rival<ref>ZDNet, "The Apple core", ''[http://blogs.zdnet.com/Apple/?p=800 Wikiscanner reveals Apple’s Wikipedia edits]'', Jason D. O'Grady, August 15, 2007.</ref>.
*Apple has been criticized for locking-in its customers who own an [[iPod]], making it impossible for them to buy music somewhere else than at the [[iTunes Music Store]]<ref>''BBC News'', "[http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7002612.stm Time for Apple to face the music?]", Bill Thompson, September 19, 2007.</ref>.
*In 2006, sweatshop conditions were reported in Chinese iPod factories, with people working for 15-hour shifts, sleeping in dormitories and earning a 50$ a month salary.<ref>''The Washington Post'', "Sweatshop Conditions at IPod Factory Reported", Mike Musgrove, June 16, 2006.</ref>
*Apple was also criticized for not having a full-fledged recycling program like its competitors.<ref>''The Washington Post'', "Sweatshop Conditions at IPod Factory Reported", Mike Musgrove, June 16, 2006.</ref>
*Activists protested against [[digital rights management|DRM]] used for [[iPod]]s<ref>''The Washington Post'', "Sweatshop Conditions at IPod Factory Reported", Mike Musgrove, June 16, 2006.</ref>.
*Two class-action lawsuits were filed against Apple in San Jose on October 5th. In both cases, Apple is accused of unfair business practices and violations of antitrust, telecommunications and warranty laws. The federal lawsuit alleges that AT&T and Apple conspired from the very beginning to maintain their [[monopoly]]<ref>MSNBC, ''Apple, AT&T sued over iPhone restrictions'', [[Associated Press]], October 10, 2007.</ref>.


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 18:22, 6 January 2008

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Headquarters 1 Infinite Loop
Cupertino , CA 95014
United States

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Apple Inc. (formerly known as Apple Computer) is an American corporation that primarily specializes in the creation of software, computers, and consumer electronics. The company's most notable products are the Macintosh line of computers, the Mac OS X operating system, the iPod media player, and the iPhone.

Company history

Apple was founded by "the two Steves" Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne on April 1, 1976 in California as Apple Computer, Inc. The first product was a kit computer that sold in small numbers to hobbyists. After the release of the Apple II in 1977, Apple became one of the top three popular manufacturers of early personal computers (along with Commodore and Tandy) before the IBM PC and its clones caught on in the mid-1980s.

Apple's most significant and enduring achievement was the development of its Macintosh line of computers, released in 1984, which were the first mass-produced and successful systems with a mouse-driven graphical user interface (GUI). Apple desktop computers to this day still carry a variation on the name "Mac."

The success of Microsoft's Windows operating system, which provided a graphical interface for IBM PC-compatible computers, began to erode the distinctive characteristics of the Macintosh in the early 1990s. The release of Windows 95 was one of many factors that resulted in Apple's low point around 1996.

On January 9th, 2007, Steve Jobs announced Apple would remove the "Computer" from its name at the MacWorld Expo to reflect the company's diversification into consumer electronics markets.[1]

Consumer loyalty

Apple has long benefited from an unusually high level of consumer devotion and product loyalty. This phenomenon is often referred to as the "Cult of Mac."


References

Related Topics

Subtopics

External Links