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Case #4: Apple Inc. in 2010

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Submitted By jenro99
Words 1299
Pages 6
Apple Inc. in 2010
Jennifer Rossin
American Military University
BUSN620 Strategic Management
May 15, 2015

Abstract
Per the assignment given, this paper explores Case Study #4, Apple Inc. in 2010. On April 4, 2010, Apple Inc. (from this point forward, referred to as “Apple”) launched the first generation of the iPad. The third largely hyped product launched by the company over the previous ten years, the iPad was greatly anticipated and touted as the “next big thing.” This paper will examine how Apple competes with the rest of the PC, MP3 player and smartphone markets, along with challenges the company faces (at the time of the study). It will also discuss the leadership of Steve Jobs and the direction Apple has gone in since his departure from the company.

Apple vs. the PC
In the Beginning When 21-year-old college dropout Steve Jobs and his two friends Steve Woznizk and Ronald Wayne would hang out in Jobs’ parents’ garage, it wasn’t a band they were contemplating forming, but the future of computers as we know them today. On April 1, 1976, the three incorporated Apple Computer. Originally a do-it-yourself kit, sans a case, the Apple 1 was the first all-in-one microcomputer. Eventually, the Macintosh was introduced in 1984. Continuing through to 2010, Apple has continually improved on its version of the personal computer, creating faster machines and a bigger and bigger customer following.
Competing in the PC Market In 2010, while Apple produced multiple items, it considered itself more as a mobile device company, due to the success of the iPhone. After all, 60% of the company’s sales were due to the iPhone and iPod. Boasting itself the forefather of the usable personal computing device, Apple introduced the world to the idea of having a computer in one’s own home. However, over time, and with the

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