Apple and the Digital Revolution E-Book

50MINUTES

• Herausgeber: 50Minutes.com
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Serie: Business Stories
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 34

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Beschreibung

Find out how Apple dominates the tech sector in just 50 minutes!

Apple is one of the world’s most recognisable and desirable brands, with an immense and devoted fan base. It has stood at the forefront of the digital revolution since it was founded in the 1970s, and has produced iconic products such as the Macintosh, the iPod and the iPhone. It is currently one of the most valuable companies in the world, and its yearly profits are larger than the GDP of some countries. In this concise and accessible guide, you will find how Apple was able to anticipate what its customers want in order to secure a market-leading position, and discover what sets the company apart from its many competitors.

In 50 minutes you will:
• Learn about Apple’s history, founders and most important products
• Find out how Apple was able to become one of the most valuable companies in the world
• Identify what makes Apple stand out from its competitors

ABOUT 50MINUTES.COM | BUSINESS STORIES
The Business Stories series from the 50Minutes collection provides the tools to quickly understand the innovative companies that have shaped the modern business world. Our publications will give you contextual information, an analysis of business strategies and an introduction to future trends and opportunities in a clear and easily digestible format, making them the ideal starting point for readers looking to understand what makes these companies stand out.

Leseprobe

Apple: “Think Different”

Today, the Apple brand is so well-known that it needs no introduction. With products including the Mac, the iPad, the iPod and the iPhone, the California-based company continues to surprise and delight its devoted user base, and remains a beacon of success. In a world where technology and digital media play an ever-increasing role, Apple is now one of the most valuable companies on the planet.

But what brought the company this far? How decisive was the role of its founders’ personalities, and in particular the personality of Steve Jobs? What were the company’s first steps? What strategy did it implement year after year to attain the success that the company currently enjoys? Given that Apple has a multitude of direct competitors (including Samsung, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard and Sony, to name just a few) who are doing all they can to maintain or increase their market share, what makes the company stand out? In just 50 minutes, this book will provide you with the answers to all of these questions.

Key information

Founders: Steve Jobs (American computer programmer, 1955-2011), Steve Wozniak (American computer programmer, born in 1950) and Ronald Wayne (American electronics industry worker, born in 1934).Founded: partnership contract signed in Cupertino, California on 1 April 1976; company officially founded on 3 January 1977. Market launch: the first Apple products (Apple I) were sold starting in May 1976, but the company’s commercial activity did not really get going until the launch of Apple II on 17 April 1977.Sector: information technology and electronics.Key figures:2004: turnover of $8 billion.2006: 25 million electronic devices sold.2012: annual turnover of $156 billion.2013: 800 million electronic devices sold and annual turnover of $170.9 billion.2014: turnover of $182.8 billion dollars.2015: annual turnover of $233.715 billion, up 27.85% from the previous year. Profits were up 35.14%.

The early days: a winning formula

A favourable context

In the early 1970s, as the world was about to enter a period of serious economic crisis following the Yom Kippur War and the 1973 oil crisis, a decisive meeting took place in Cupertino, California between two ambitious young computer programmers, Steve Wozniak (born in 1950) and Steve Jobs (1955-2011). Their dream was to create and sell a computer that would be easy to understand and use.

At the time, the information technology and electronics industries in the USA were booming. In 1958, the microchip or integrated circuit, which had been invented independently by the Americans Robert Noyce (cofounder of Intel, 1927-1990) and Jack Kilby (electrical engineer, 1923-2005), made the third generation of computers possible and inspired widespread enthusiasm for information technology, which had a significant positive impact on the American economy.

The market was given a further boost by the invention of the microprocessor by Marcian Hoff (born in 1937), an engineer at Intel, in 1971. This creation was behind the development of the first microcomputers, or personal computers (PCs). However, these new pieces of technology were still only used for professional or scientific purposes, and using them required a degree of understanding of information technology.

Key terms

Microchip or integrated circuit: a small circuit comprising several electronic components on a single piece of semiconductor material. This invention can carry out a number of functions of varying complexity, such as storing information or carrying out mathematical operations.Microprocessor: a complex integrated circuit comprising all the components of a processor, which executes the instructions of computer programmes.

The unkempt hippie and the computer genius

Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, two young computer programmers, first met in 1971 and soon became friends thanks to an invention of Wozniak’s, the Blue Box (a machine which allowed users to illegally access telephone services), which Jobs had the idea to sell. Even at this early stage, the pattern of the two men’s working relationship had been established: Wozniak invented and created the products, while Jobs focused on the marketing side of things.