When it first started, the Apple founders did not dream of such success. Apple Inc. is currently a giant in the computer and electronics business. The company is specialized in personal computers (iMac, MacBook, PowerBook, iBook), consumer electronics(iPod media players, iPhone mobile phones), as well as software programs (the iTunes manager, iLife, iWork, etc.).
Apple Inc. is a multinational corporation, best known for hardware products like the Machintosh line of computers, consumer electronics like the iPod, iPhone and iPad, and software products such as iTunes or the Mac OS X line of operating systems.
The company was established on April 1, 1976, in Cupertino, California, and was incorporated next year on January 3.The original name of the company was Apple Computer, Inc., but after 30 years of activity, in 2007, it has decided to eliminate the word "Computer" from its name.This was done in order to reflect the company's will to expand in the consumer electronics area in addition to the personal computer market which was the main focus for a very long time. As of September 25, 2010, Apple had 46,600 full time employees and 2,800 temporary full time employees. The company registered annual worldwide sales of $42,91 billion, as its fiscal end September 26, 2009.
For various reasons, Apple gained an unique reputation in the consumer electronics industry. This also includes a customers base, devoted to its brand and customers, particularly in the United States. Apple was named by Fortune magazine the most admired company in 2008 in the United States, and the most admired company in the world, in 2008, 2009 and 2010. April 1, 1976, was the day Steve Jobs, Robert Wozniak and Ronald Wayne established Apple, and also they they when they sold the Apple 1 personal computer kit. The devices were hand built by Wozniak and sold as motherboards.
They were first shown to public at the Homebrew computer club. It included a CPU, RAM memory and basic video textual chips. Less than what is today called a personal computer, the Apple I was released for sale on July 1976 and had a market price of $666.66(which means 2.55 thousand dollars in 2010 money, adjusted for inflation). The company was incorporated in 1977 without Wayne, who sold his share back to Jobs and Wozniak for $800. Multi-millionaire Mike Markkula provided essential business expertise and also essential funding(total funding of 250,000) during the incorporation of Apple Inc.