The Development History of Apple Inc. and Its Struggles

Apple Inc. is one of the world’s most valuable technology companies, known for revolutionizing personal computing, mobile phones, and digital media. But its path to success was not smooth—it’s a story full of innovation, risk, near-failure, and powerful comebacks.

 1. The Beginning (1976–1980): A Garage Startup

Apple was founded on April 1, 1976, by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne in a garage in Cupertino, California. Their first product, the Apple I, was a personal computer built by Wozniak and sold as a single board.

In 1977, the Apple II launched and became a huge success, making Apple one of the first companies to bring computers into homes and schools.

➡️ Struggle: Limited funding and skepticism about personal computers. Jobs had to sell his VW van to fund early development.

      2. The Boom and the Macintosh (1980–1985)

Apple went public in 1980, making millionaires out of its employees. In 1984, Apple launched the Macintosh, the first successful personal computer with a graphical user interface (GUI) and a mouse.

➡️ Struggle: The Macintosh, despite being innovative, was expensive and underpowered. Internal tensions grew between Jobs and CEO John Sculley.

In 1985, Steve Jobs was forced out of the company he helped create.

3. The Decline (1985–1996): Losing Direction

Without Jobs, Apple struggled with product confusion, poor management, and failed products like the Newton and Macintosh Performa. Microsoft Windows became dominant, and Apple’s market share fell.

➡️ Struggles:

Internal leadership changes.

Declining profits.

Failing to keep up with Windows PCs.

 

Stock price crashed.

By 1996, Apple was near bankruptcy.

4. The Return of Steve Jobs (1997–2011): A Historic Comeback

In 1997, Apple acquired Jobs’ new company NeXT, bringing him back. He became interim CEO and made bold changes:

Simplified the product line.

Introduced the colorful iMac.

Partnered with Microsoft for investment and Office software.

In 2001, launched Mac OS X.

The big turning point came with the iPod in 2001 and iTunes in 2003, followed by the revolutionary iPhone in 2007 and iPad in 2010.

➡️ Struggles:

Critics doubted Apple could compete in mobile.

Many mocked the iPhone idea at first.

Internal pressure to deliver big innovations.

But Jobs proved them wrong. Apple became the most valuable company in the world.

🌍 5. After Steve Jobs (2011–Present): Innovation and Challenges

Steve Jobs passed away in 2011, and Tim Cook became CEO. Under his leadership:

Apple launched the Apple Watch, AirPods, M1/M2 chips, and expanded into services like Apple Music and iCloud.

Apple became the first U.S. company to hit a $3 trillion market value.

 

Apple's story is not just about success—it's about bouncing back from failure. From a garage startup to a global tech empire, Apple’s history teaches us the importance of innovation, focus, resilience, and visionary leadership.

                                          Written by wubishet zewdu