Who doesn't have an iPod?

Another major reason for Apple's recent successes is their dominance in the mp3 player industry. If my hometown is any indication of the rest of the nation, this is the closest thing I've seen to a monopoly since the board game. I can safely say I don't know anybody that does not own an iPod. Done. The ease of use and seamless interaction with iTunes makes it the obvious choice for my generations mp3 player needs. Then with the introduction of the iPhone, which also serves as an mp3 player in addition to a PDA and cell phone, the dominance continues. The future of the iPhone is advanced GPS capability. Many consumers use GPS sysptems like line one found here: http://garminnuvi750-natryan34.blogspot.com. Eventually this technology will yeild to advanced GPS integrated into their phones.

New Image

With the recent roll out of their new operating system, "Leopard," and the addition of Intel chips, Apple has began to appeal to a wider variety of consumers. College students in particular have been switching from long time PC users to Apple fanatics at an unbelievable rate. In my house of 40 people, over 10 have switched from PCs to Apples in just the past two years. The issue comes down to reliability and ease of use. People are fed up with the constant crashing of PCs and short battery life on their notebooks. With an Apple you can run on a battery for 5 hours without having to worry about crashing or viruses. In an environment like a college campus, people talk, people visit each other often, and people see their friends obsessions with their new Apple Computers. Word spreads and college kids start buying.

The Ad War Begins

Apple launched an advertising campaign directly targeting PCs with the "I'm a Mac" and "I'm a PC" bits. Each were used to point out flaws in operating systems or hardware issues. After years of the abuse, Microsoft responded when they launched their own campaign during the 2008 season premier of NBC's The Office. The ads depict PC users of various professions and ethnicitys claiming "I'm a PC" and they seem to be proud of it. This is a direct response to the Apple ads in an effort avoid the stereotype the Apple ads have given them as a "nerdy" computer. This especially targets the college age consumer.

Struggles to compete with the PC

When Bill Gates and Microsoft introduced Windows, Apple began to slip quicker with market share. PC's were easy to upgrade and generally cheaper so the masses flocked to them.

From The Beginning

Apple Inc. (Originally Apple Computers Inc.) has as it's ups and downs since its conception in 1976, but recently their market share, especially among college students, has been skyrocketing. To the right is the first Apple machine called Apple I. Famous founder, Steve Jobs, and his colleagues started this company decades ago, selling their first computer for $666.66.