Apple Computer

Apple Computer, Inc. {{nasdaq|AAPL}} is a Silicon Valley company based in Cupertino, California, whose core business is computer technologies. Apple helped commence the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II microcomputer and has since further shaped it with the Macintosh. Apple is known for its innovative, well-designed hardware, such as iPod and the iMac, as well as software offerings exemplified through iTunes as part of the iLife suite and Mac OS X, its flagship operating system.

Corporate Affairs

Logo

The original Apple logo was designed by Steve Jobs and Ron Wayne and depicts Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree. However this design was soon to be replaced by the now famous rainbow apple with a "bite" taken out of it. It was one of a set of designs Rob Janoff presented Jobs in 1976 http://wired-vig.wired.com/news/mac/0,2125,60597,00.html. In 1998, the logo became single-colored, though no specific color is prescribed; for example, it is grey on the Power Mac G5, blue (by default) in Mac OS X, chrome on the 'About this Mac' panel and the boot screen in OS X 10.3 and 10.4, and white on the iBook and PowerBook G4. The logo's shape is one of the most recognized brand symbols in the world, and is featured quite prominently on all Apple products and retail stores.

Related Topics:
Steve Jobs - Ron Wayne - Rainbow - Rob Janoff - 1976 - 1998 - Power Mac G5 - Mac OS X - IBook - PowerBook G4

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Diversity

Apple received a 100% rating on the first Corporate Equality Index released by the Human Rights Campaign in 2002 related to its policies on LGBT employees. They have maintained this rating in 2003 and 2004.

Related Topics:
Human Rights Campaign - 2002 - LGBT - 2003 - 2004

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

However, it has been criticized for discriminating against African-Americans.http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,48154,00.html In November 2001, a former product design engineer filed a lawsuit in California alleging racial discrimination in that he was refused promotions and perks, isolated from other staff and dismissed unreasonably. He further alleged he was paid less than white counterparts.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The company was also sued for sexual discrimination, although the case was dismissed after opening statements.http://www.orrick.com/practices/employment/discrimination.asp

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 2000, Jesse Jackson singled out Apple as a "negative example" of racial tolerance due to its failure to appoint African Americans or Latinos to the board. http://www.lowendmac.com/musings/racism.shtml Apple has still not made such an appointment, claiming that they instead appoint individuals to their board of directors based on qualification instead of ethnicity.

Related Topics:
2000 - Jesse Jackson

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Criticism

Apple was criticized for its vertically integrated business model, which runs against the grain of some of the "perceived wisdom" of economists, particularly for the computer industry. However, the company is profitable. Other criticisms included that it was personality driven, especially in the two different eras of Steve Jobs' tenure, and some critics even regarded it as a cult or at least having cult-like features. Jobs' infamous reality distortion field is often cited as a criticism. From a technical standpoint, Apple was also criticised for having a closed and proprietary architecture with the original Macintosh, and a "not invented here" attitude against adopting open standards.

Related Topics:
Vertically integrated - Reality distortion field - Not invented here

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

That trend was largely reversed with Mac OS X, and the company now has an official policy of adopting relevant open industry standards. Apple has used industry standard hardware technologies for many years, which helped lower prices significantly. Many Apple technologies have become industry standards where no former standard existed, e.g. ZeroConf network configuration, FireWire, etc. Non Apple technologies only gained wide industry acceptance after Apple adopted them, including 3-1/2 inch floppy disks, SCSI, USB, Wi-Fi and, of course, graphical user interfaces. Mac OS X is based on an open source kernel and core operating system called Darwin. Apple also uses an open source framework called WebKit in its Safari web browser.

Related Topics:
Mac OS X - ZeroConf - FireWire - Floppy disk - SCSI - USB - Wi-Fi - Open source - Kernel - WebKit - Safari web browser

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Some third-party developers are also critical of the competing factions within Apple themselves, illustrated by the perception of an ongoing rivalry between the developers of Cocoa, which came from NeXT, and those of Carbon, which came from Apple. This rivalry is seen as counterproductive and unnecessary by many developers.

Related Topics:
Cocoa - Carbon

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Apple's retail initiative has had a mixed reception despite being successful in raising awareness of the Apple brand. Retailers have suggested that Apple-owned retail stores receive preferential treatment when receiving Apple hardware, and therefore receive limited stock product earlier, and at lower prices - an accusation that has been officially denied by Apple.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Apple CEOs, 1977-present

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• 1977 - 1981: Michael "Scotty" Scott
• 1981 - 1983: Mike Markkula
• 1983 - 1993: John Sculley
• 1993 - 1996: Michael Spindler
• 1996 - 1997: Gil Amelio
• 1997 - present: Steve Jobs