Apple
Apple Inc. is a company that develops and markets consumer electronics. It consistently features creative designs and marketing strategies for their electronics. Apple also designs software both for its proprietary Mac OS X operating system as well as other computing platforms. Apple operates a retail chain of Apple Stores as well as the iTunes online music store.
Established in Cupertino, California on April 1, 1976 and incorporated January 3, 1977, the company was called "Apple Computer, Inc." for its first 30 years, but dropped the word "Computer" on January 9, 2007 to reflect the company's ongoing expansion into the consumer electronics market in addition to its traditional focus on personal computers. Apple has about 28,000 employees worldwide and had worldwide annual sales of US$24 billion in its fiscal year ending September 29, 2007. For reasons varying from its philosophy of comprehensive aesthetic design to its distinctive advertising campaigns, Apple has established a unique reputation in the consumer electronics industry. This includes a customer base that is devoted to the company and its brand, particularly in the United States.