58 Apple Inc.

Introduction

Apple Inc. is one of the largest companies globally, with an estimated 2.6 trillion dollar value (McCabe, 2024). Safe to say, most people have heard of Apple and may even own some of their products. There is some information about Apple that is important for people to know. Apple Inc. came to be in 1976 and has completely revolutionized the computer and phone. Steve Jobs became the CEO in 1997 and redefined the PC industry. Apple Inc. was on its downfall, having low stock and losing money until Steve Jobs turned everything around and got the company profitable by 2000. Jobs’ design of the iMac changed the idea of what a computer should be (Heracleous, 2016). Apple Inc is a powerful company that expanded the technological market, but is recently seen to have too much power over society.

Apple Inc.’S influence on society and the environment

Apple Inc. is said to have too much power today and have multiple lawsuits to lower the power they have over consumers. The US government realizes Apple Inc is over controlling and manipulating these phones without users’ knowledge (McCabe, 2024). These lawsuits are the first step to regulate and dismember monopoly companies throughout the world. The company is one of the only trillion dollar companies globally and they’re seen as an antitrust company due to having a closed ecosystem. The anti-competitive business practices are listed as: structural dominance, leveraging, gatekeeping, self-preferencing, copycat appropriations, discriminatory platform access, predatory pricing, “killer acquisitions” and monopsony power (Wörsdörfer, 2024).

Another negative effect Apple Inc has is on the environment which can affect society and the world in the long run. Apple chose materials that do not easily break down and they have no safe method for disposing or recycling of their own products/toxic chemicals. Ranking 11th in both 2006 and 2007’s Greenpeace “Greener Electronics”, it seemed as though the company was comfortable with their destruction of the environment, especially since Steve Jobs did not address this in the annual Macworld Expo (Schultz, 2010). Since then, Apple Inc has worked to better their products on the environment, stating that there is over 55% reduction in CO₂ emissions across our carbon footprint since 2015 as well as 22% of materials shipped in our products came from recycled and renewable sources in 2023 (Environment). They continue to grow throughout the world, so as to understand how important it is to keep the Earth clean for future generations.

Connection to STS

Macintosh is the operating system Apple Inc uses for their computer and has drastically progressed from its first use in 1984 creating a unique experience for users. The unique design and technology built the foundation that the company still stands on today. A significant switch was when, “Apple replaced PowerPC microprocessors with Intel microprocessors in all of its computers” (Skemp, 2024). The company proceeded to launch the iPod, iPhone and iPad as well as Apple Watches and AirPods, changing the game for what is to come. Jobs’ leadership paved the way and since his death in 2011, Tim Cook has taken over and continues to remember his legacy.

As CEO Tim Cook has made great advancements in the world of STS. In addition to the presentation of new products Cook revealed the company’s new business model in 2016 (Köpnick, 2016). In an attempt to move towards a goal of a zero waste economy the model known as Apple to Apple was introduced (Köpnick, 2016). This promotes zero waste by incentivizing customers by making products for use, not purchase, in exchange for return of old iPhone, iPads, and Macs.  (Köpnick, 2016). This relates to STS because Cook is taking advantage of society’s needs in a positive way. He knows that no one needs their old Apple products from a certain point on. If these old materials can be collected and reused it displays a point of intersection for science and technology to benefit society, the environment, and the economy; everyone wins!

Missing Voices

Joanna Hoffman and Susan Kare are two women that had a big influence in the creation and progression of Apple Inc in the 1970s-2000s. Hoffman was known to be Steve Jobs’ “right hand man.” She was one of the leading women to help find and build Apple Computers and promote Mac internationally. These women finally got the recognition they deserved in the 2015 movie Steve Jobs, and should be known worldwide for their influence.

Susan Kare is colloquially known as the “‘Betsy Ross of the personal computer,’” (Hintz, 2018). Apple Inc. would not be as it is known now without her contributions. Kare is known for designing icons, typefaces, and other graphics that characterized Apple (Hintz, 2018). Although Kare may be well known and respected in the graphic design world, she remains largely unknown to many people that interact with her work everyday. Susan Kare’s dream was not always to work with graphic design and electronics, she originally wanted to be a fine artist or teacher (Hintz, 2018). One day she received a call from an old friend that was currently working at Apple as the lead software architect for their newest product – the personal computer (Hintz, 2018). The friend asked if Kare was interested in a graphic design job; she was sold except for the fact that she did not know “‘…the first thing about designing a typeface.’” (Hintz, 2018). Her solution was to go to the library and check out many books on topography; she even brought them to her interview so she was prepared (Hintz, 2018). Safe to say it worked out for Susan Kare because she became one of the most influential women in the world of graphic design.

Another missing voice is Ronald Gerald Wayne. The name most people recognize, Steve Jobs, was not alone in his development of Apple Inc. (Linzmayer et. al., 1999). In fact Steve Jobs offered Ronald Gerald Wayne 10% of his company, so he was a significant contributor (Linzmayer et. al., 1999). Early in Apple’s establishment and development financial issues were quite common. Wayne was rather anxious about this fact and ended up giving up his 10% of the company in exchange for a one time payment of $800 (Linzmayer et. al., 1999). Although his time at Apple Inc. was short he nevertheless was a mastermind behind it all.

Apple Inc is not going anywhere, but to bring light to the influence they have with the world of technology and society can clarify who they are as a company. With the company continuing to grow and advance technology, they need to be aware of its effects on the environment as well as the minds of society. The power they have can sometimes get lost because everyone is so used to seeing their products everywhere. This is why more information about them like these lawsuits are necessary to learn about for people to move forward with an open mind.

Conclusion

Apple Inc is not going anywhere, but to bring light to the influence they have with the world of technology and society can clarify who they are as a company. With the company continuing to grow and advance technology, they need to be aware of its effects on the environment as well as the minds of society. The power they have can sometimes get lost because everyone is so used to seeing their products everywhere. This is why more information about them like these lawsuits are necessary to learn about for people to move forward with an open mind.

References

Bollini, L. (2020) Missing in Action. PAD# 19 Communication Design Apart, 40-49. https://re.public.polimi.it/retrieve/e6f0740a-e699-4ef5-833b-7746dc32bc8a/%2319-PAD-122020-LOWRES.pdf#page=40

E. Hintz, “Susan Kare: Design Icon,” in IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, vol. 40, no. 2, pp. 48-61, Apr.-Jun. 2018, doi: 10.1109/MAHC.2018.022921443.

Environment. Apple. (n.d.). https://www.apple.com/environment/

Heracleous, L., & Papachroni, A., (2016). Strategic leadership and innovation at Apple Inc.. In Sage Business Cases. SAGE Publications, Ltd., https://doi.org/10.4135/9781526446565

Köpnick, H. (2016). Why Wait for the Future? There Could Be a Present Without Waste. RCC Perspectives, 3, 33–36. http://www.jstor.org/stable/26241373

Linzmayer, Owen W., and Inc NetLibrary. Apple Confidential the Real Story of Apple Computer, Inc. No Starch Press, 1999.

McCabe, D., & Mickle, T. (2024, March 22). U.S. Suing Apple, Seeing Monopoly Built on Iphones. New York Times, A1. Accessed via Clemson University.

Schultz, P. L., & Helleloid, D. (2010). Apple, Inc., and Greenpeace in 2008. Journal of Critical Incidents, 3, 42+. Accessed via Clemson University.

Skemp, K. M. (2024). Apple Inc. Salem Press Encyclopedia. https://research-ebsco-com.libproxy.clemson.edu/c/4q6chu/viewer/html/on5cu3ld2f

Wörsdörfer, M. (2024). Apple’s antitrust paradox. European Competition Journal, 20(1), 113–146. https://doi-org.libproxy.clemson.edu/10.1080/17441056.2023.2262870

Images cited

Bollini, L. (n.d.). Missing in Action . PAD #19 Communication Design Apart. Retrieved from https://re.public.polimi.it/retrieve/e6f0740a-e699-4ef5-833b-7746dc32bc8a/%2319-PAD-122020-LOWRES.pdf#page=40.

Singh, R. (2023). Apple new launch 2023: iPhone 15 series, 15-inch MacBook Air, 14-inch iPad Pro, and more. 91mobiles. Retrieved from https://www.91mobiles.com/hub/apple-new-launch/.