Apple Companys Problems

Apple Companys Problems Brief History of Apple Inc Apple Computer Company was founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Woziniak in 1976 after they had dropped out of school. They were working in a family garage in California where they decided to come up with a computer circuit board which they called Apple 1. They made more than two hundred units within a few months after starting.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Apple Companys Problems specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In order to boost their new business, they decided to incorporate a new partner who was more experienced for them to attract venture capital. The aim of these two entrepreneurs was to introduce into the market a computer that was easy to use and they came up with Apple II in 1978. There endeavors led to a complete revolution in the PC industry raising the sales to 1$ billion in less than three years. The company became one of the most successful dealers in computers with high sales u ntil they launched their IPO in 1980. However, the company started experiencing problems with its sales falling in the recent years. This problem is compounded by the entry of other players in the PC market such as windows 7 which started pushing Apple further (Yoffie and Kim 2). This essay will discuss some of the problems Apple has been facing and how they could possibly be solved. Competition and Marketing Problem in Apple Inc One of the most serious problems that apple Inc is facing and which to a large extent contributes to the occasional failures of the company is a marketing problem due to stiff competition in the industry. Initially, Apple was dealing with Macintosh computers when it started facing stiff competition from other PC manufacturers such as IBM. Later on, Apple decided to shift from PC industry into mobile phone industry. The company wanted to go beyond Macintosh computers and embrace a digital hub strategy. This shift was marked by the introduction of iPod in 200 1 and the iPhone in 2007. Later in 2010, the company introduced the iPad. After these developments the company changed its name from Apple computers to Apple Inc. one of the distinguishing features of Apple Inc iPods is the iTunes software that they incorporated (Yoffie and Kim 9). Despite the success of the iTunes Apple Inc has enjoyed, it has had strained relationships with content companies. These companies are in strong opposition of the fact that Apple Inc has dominated the digital music market and its structure of fixed prices. In addition, music labels are seeing the threat posed by Apple Inc because there high priced CDs are being faced out of the market. Apple Inc faces strong competition from online music stores such as Napster, amazon.com and Walmart.com which often inconveniences the marketing strategies of company.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These online music stores have been offering music downloads at discounted prices. Some music labels have been allowing music stores to sell DRM free music. For example, MySpace which is a social network has been networking with other music labels to come up with its own music service. This increases the competition hence forcing Apple Inc to start looking for new marketing strategies in order to remain relevant in the market. In addition to the music services provided by social networks which pose a threat to Apple Inc, the company has also experienced another challenge coming from internet radio sites such as last.fm and Pandora which offer free streaming services. Other companies like Nokia started offering music services with their phones. The impact of this competition is that it forces Apple Inc to diversify its marketing strategies and look for new products which is costly for the company. For instance, in response to these threats the company had to buy Lala.com which is a music streaming service in 2009. This raised speculations from the competitors that Apple Inc had intentions of coming up with a new model of storing digital music. The entry into mobile phone industry for Apple is a risky endeavor because there are strong competitors with remarkable experience in the industry. The products also have a short life span and sophistication in technology of which apple Inc has little experience in. there is also a strong challenge in distribution since some of the distributors already in the market such as Vodafone are formidable. This makes the marketing strategies for Apple Inc challenging (Yoffie and Kim 9) Proposed Solution for the problems The marketing problem facing Apple Inc as result of increased competition can be handled through intensive market research and analysis. Apple Inc should be very keen on identifying the strategies and moves being used by its rivals. Apart from observing the rivals, the company should conduct continued market research a nd identify what the customers require in order to satisfy them. Through proper knowledge of what the customers need and the strategies being used by the competitors, the company will be able to apply the requisite innovativeness in coming bringing into the market new products. The company should also strife to invest a lot in its distribution strategies to ensure that the competitors do not take advantage of its poor distribution strategies. Current Situation of Apple Inc Despite the problems that have occasionally bedeviled Apple Inc causing the company to drop its sales in various times, the company is now doing well. The introduction of its latest devices like the iPhone and the iPad recently has seen the company grow tremendously. In October 2010, the shares of the company rose very high which is an indication that it is doing fine.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Apple Companys Problems specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn Mor e In the same year, the company also opened the Mac App Store for distributing digital applications. The market capitalization of the company went beyond that of Microsoft this year and it was rated as the brand with the highest value in consumer facing issues. By July of 2011, the reserves of the company had gone beyond those of the US government (Apple Press Info 10) Apple Press Info. Apple Reports Second Quarter Results. 2011. Web. Yoffie, David and Renee Kim. Apple Inc in 2010. 2011. Web.15 Aug 2011.

Strong Acid Definition and Examples

Strong Acid Definition and Examples A strong acid is an acid that is completely dissociated or ionized in an aqueous solution. It is a chemical species with a high capacity to lose a proton, H. In water, a strong acid loses one proton, which is captured by water to form the hydronium ion: HA(aq) H2O → H3O(aq) A−(aq) Diprotic and polyprotic acids may lose more than one proton, but the strong acid pKa value and reaction only refers to the loss of the first proton. Strong acids have a small logarithmic constant (pKa) and a large acid dissociation constant (Ka). Most strong acids are corrosive, but some of the superacids are not corrosive. In contrast, some of the weak acids (e.g., hydrofluoric acid) may be highly corrosive. Note: As acid concentration increases, the ability to dissociate diminishes. Under normal conditions in water, strong acids dissociate completely, but extremely concentrated solutions do not. Examples of Strong Acids While there are many weak acids, there are few strong acids. The common strong acids include: HCl (hydrochloric acid)H2SO4 (sulfuric acid)HNO3 (nitric acid)HBr (hydrobromic acid)HClO4 (perchloric acid)HI (hydroiodic acid)p-toluenesulfonic acid (an organic soluble strong acid)methanesulfonic acid (a liquid organic strong acid) The following acids dissociate almost completely in water, so they are often considered to be strong acids, although they are not more acidic than the hydronium ion, H3O. HNO3Â  (nitric acid)HClO3Â  (chloric acid) Some chemists consider the hydronium ion, bromic acid, periodic acid, perbromic acid, and periodic acid to be strong acids. If the ability to donate protons is used as the primary criterion for acid strength, then the strong acids (from strongest to weakest) would be: H[SbF6]Â  (fluoroantimonic acid)FSO3HSbF5Â  (magic acid)H(CHB11Cl11)Â  (carborane superacid)FSO3HÂ  (fluorosulfuric acid)CF3SO3HÂ  (triflic acid) These are the superacids, which are defined as acids that are more acidic than 100% sulfuric acid. The superacids permanently protonate water. Factors That Determine Acid Strength You may be wondering why the strong acids dissociate so well, or why certain weak acids do not completely ionize. A few factors come into play: atomic radius - As the atomic radius increases, so does acidity. For example, HI is a stronger acid than HCl (iodine is a larger atom than chlorine).electronegativity - The more electronegative a conjugate base in the same period of the periodic table is (A-), the more acidic it is.electrical charge - The more positive the charge on an atom, the higher its acidity. In other words, its easier to take a proton from a neutral species than from one with a negative charge.equilibrium - When an acid dissociates, equilibrium is reached with its conjugate base. In the case of strong acids, the equilibrium strongly favors the product or is to the right of a chemical equation. The conjugate base of a strong acid is much weaker than water as a base.solvent - In most applications, strong acids are discussed in relation to water as a solvent. However, acidity and basicity have meaning in nonaqueous solvent. For example, in liquid ammonia, acetic acid ionizes completely and may be considered a str ong acid, even though it is a weak acid in water.