Competitive Strategies
Competitive Strategies: Apple vs. Microsoft
This Case study will focus on the competitive strategies of the following Apple vs. Microsoft. Apple Inc., formerly Apple Computer, Inc., is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Cupertino, California that designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics, computer software and personal computers. Microsoft is a multinational computer technology corporation. The history of Microsoft began on April 4, 1975, when it was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in Albuquerque. Its current best-selling products are the Microsoft Windows operating system and the Microsoft Office suite of productivity software.
Since the mid-80s Apple and Microsoft have been locked in a heavy weight battle to become king in the technology industry. While Apple released its first Macintosh computer in 1984, Microsoft followed shortly after with the release of Windows 1.0 just a year later. The two struggled to gain a foothold on the market, and have been trying to outdo one another ever since.
Corporate Culture
Apple has long been known to have a very uncompromising corporate culture. For years Steve Jobs ran the company as a perfectionist who, while very successful, was not typically willing to alter his vision in any way. Where some corporations are collaboration between the ideas of many individuals with some give and take, Apple products were almost one hundred percent Steve Jobs uncompromising vision. With Microsoft Windows maintaining a huge market share in the personal computing business, Apple never swayed from the concept of putting their Mac OS only on Apple hardware, instead of licensing it to various hardware manufacturers so that it may be on a wide variety of systems. Apple has always been about the vision of Steve Jobs, and the man was almost more of a designer than a technology guru, which is an indication of why the Apple iPhone with its superior design has been so successful.
Another noticeable concept of
This Case study will focus on the competitive strategies of the following Apple vs. Microsoft. Apple Inc., formerly Apple Computer, Inc., is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Cupertino, California that designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics, computer software and personal computers. Microsoft is a multinational computer technology corporation. The history of Microsoft began on April 4, 1975, when it was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in Albuquerque. Its current best-selling products are the Microsoft Windows operating system and the Microsoft Office suite of productivity software.
Since the mid-80s Apple and Microsoft have been locked in a heavy weight battle to become king in the technology industry. While Apple released its first Macintosh computer in 1984, Microsoft followed shortly after with the release of Windows 1.0 just a year later. The two struggled to gain a foothold on the market, and have been trying to outdo one another ever since.
Corporate Culture
Apple has long been known to have a very uncompromising corporate culture. For years Steve Jobs ran the company as a perfectionist who, while very successful, was not typically willing to alter his vision in any way. Where some corporations are collaboration between the ideas of many individuals with some give and take, Apple products were almost one hundred percent Steve Jobs uncompromising vision. With Microsoft Windows maintaining a huge market share in the personal computing business, Apple never swayed from the concept of putting their Mac OS only on Apple hardware, instead of licensing it to various hardware manufacturers so that it may be on a wide variety of systems. Apple has always been about the vision of Steve Jobs, and the man was almost more of a designer than a technology guru, which is an indication of why the Apple iPhone with its superior design has been so successful.
Another noticeable concept of
References: Grossman L. No 3: THE TECHNOLOGIST TIM COOK. Time [serial online]. December 31, 2012;180(27):112-118. Available from: Academic Search Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed February 6, 2013. Lasseter, J. (2011, December 26). STEVE JOBS. Time. pp. 126-128. Steve Jobs: The Man Who Saved Apple. (2011). Macworld, 28(11), 14-18. Klein, D., Schmeling, J., & Blanck, P. (2005). Emerging technologies and corporate culture at Microsoft: a methodological note. Behavioral Sciences & The Law, 23(1), 65-96. doi:10.1002/bsl.627 Kayani, M., Iqbal, M., Abrar, W., Ijaz, N., & Rabbani, M. (2010). Evolutionary Aspects Of Windows Operating System To Enhance Existing Technology. International Journal On Computer Science & Engineering, 1(5), 1504-1513.