Digital Information Environment
58 Apple Inc.
Skylar Landreneau
Introduction
Apple Inc is one of the largest companies globally, averaging at about 2.6 trillion dollar value (McCabe, 2024). Everyone has heard of Apple and most likely owns some of their products, but there are also some facts about Apple more people need to hear. This company came to be in 1976 and has 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 and their 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 overcontrolling 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.
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. Susan Kare is known for her creation of the Apple icon and typography, something Apple Inc would not be without her intelligence in graphic design. These women finally got the recognition they deserved in the 2015 movie Steve Jobs, and should be known worldwide for their influence.
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
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
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/.