Apple Inc., formerly Apple Computer, Inc., is a multinational
corporation that creates consumer electronics, computer software,
and commercial servers. Apple’s core product lines are the
iPad, iPhone, iPod music player, and Macintosh computer line-up.
Founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak effectively created Apple
Computer on April 1, 1976, with the release of the Apple I, and
incorporated the company on January 3, 1977, in Cupertino,
California. For more than two decades, Apple Computer was
predominantly a manufacturer of personal computers, including the
Apple II, Macintosh, and Power Mac lines, but it faced rocky sales
and low market share during the 1990s. Jobs, who had been ousted
from the company in 1985, returned to become Apple’s CEO in
1996 after his company NeXT was bought by Apple Inc., and he brought
with him a new corporate philosophy of recognizable products and
simple design. With the introduction of the successful iPod music
player in 2001, Apple established itself as a leader in the consumer
electronics industry, dropping “Computer” from its name.
The company is now also known for its iOS range of products that
began with the iPhone, iPod Touch and now iPad. As of 2011, Apple is
currently the largest technology firm in the world with its stock
market value reaching $500 billion in March 2012. Their revenue for
the year 2011 was $127.8 billion in sales.
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