What trends has Apple followed in its history which has led it to be a successful company?
Innovation is the largest driver of Apple Inc.’s growth. Throughout its history, the company has enticed consumers with better, stylish, and more convenient products. After the Apple, I was successful in the market, the company created Apple II. This computer was a general purpose. IT had color graphics and a color monitor. It also came with a cassette drive and some internal memory. Apple II has priced higher than Apple I but still succeeded in the competitive market and yielded an impressive $139M. Apple improved this product by replacing the Cassette drive with a floppy drive. They also increased the RAM by 44MB.
Apple Inc competes based on a first-mover advantage. This is why the next new computer had eight applications and increased RAM by 90KB. This computer was very innovative. Some would say it was too innovative because its cost was way out of consumer’s reach. It failed in the market and was withdrawn.
The company then focused on developing a common Operating System that was superior to the existing Windows. This software would enable all Apple computers to run on a common OS. Finally, the Mac OS was created. It served all its intended purposes and reached out to previous Windows users. The company also managed to reduce its cost margins while providing value to the consumer. The new computers were superior in terms of graphics, user-friendly, flexible, and cheaper than previous models. The market received them well.
Diversification into the production of iPods, iPads, and MacBooks also helped to grow Apple’s business. These were products that did not exist previously, but everybody needed them. Innovation has put Apple in the market leader’s position.
The decision to enter the retail sector greatly contributed to Apple’s growth. Their online stores and physical distribution stores have been a success, reducing the cost of sales while simultaneously increasing sales.
Would you say that Apple is still a computer company, or has it become something else? What seems to you to be the primary product line for Apple now?
Apple still produces computers today, but this is not their primary focus. Steve Jobs returned to the company when it was almost collapsing. He introduced new computers, which were smaller and faster than the previous ones. These Mac Books did very well in the market. However, the focus shifted from just producing computers to other digital media. This was evident in the name change from Apple Computers Inc to Apple Inc.
The name change was accompanied by the release of two new digital products, Apple TV and the iPhone. The iPhone was a great success. Apple began competing with other phone manufacturers such as Nokia. Though Apple TV did not do well, its release contributed to the sudden increase in the share price to a staggering $100. The next innovation outside the world of computers was iTunes. This allowed consumers to buy music online and burn it onto a CD. Apple also introduced iPods which revolutionalized how people stored their music. iPods have such large internal memory that it cannot be matched by any other product in the market. Despite being pricy, these gadgets have excelled in the market and created a lot of revenue for Apple Inc.
Diversification in Apple is because of well-managed synergies. The technology used in Apple TV, which failed, is similar to that used in the iPhones. Mackintosh computers have long battery life. This is similar to iPhones. It can be said that Apple creates new products by merging their old products.
The company began with computers, but it has evolved into a market leader in digital products. Apple focuses on creating new products that are user-friendly and useful to consumers. Computers are no longer their primary focus. However, they continue to innovate, with the latest release being the iPad, a tablet computer. Their iPhones have caused a stir in the market and are earning the company huge revenues.
Apple is also focusing on people who like stylish gadgets. Their design team has come up with new, stylish touch screen phones. They have also created several slim laptops for people concerned with image. The market considers most Apple gadgets to be beautiful.