With Microsoft And Pc's Dominating A Large Majority Of The Computer Market (An Estimated 90%), What Has Allowed Apple/Macintosh To Survive And Expand As A Business?

Since the early 1980's, when the establishment of Macintosh by the Apple company was established - mainly due to its involvement in various markets such as personal computers, and more recently; MP3 players and computer hardware and software - it has since then been known as one of the pioneers of the computer industry. With its computer products originally aimed at the market of education, home and professional creativity, Macintosh has now expanded massively across the globe as regards to their products and services. However with this in mind, and the fact that Macintosh currently dominates a worryingly small proportion of the computer industry whereas Microsoft dominates most of it; with their software compatibilities and compatible products used worldwide, it is still a relevant question Ð'- which I propose to answer within this essay Ð'- why and how have Apple/Macintosh's actions allowed them to survive as a business, even though Microsoft - the biggest multinational computer industry in the world Ð'- has been its largest competitor?

It seems relevant to have to explain the dominance and superiority of Microsoft, as it lies as Mac's biggest competitor since day one of its involvement into the computer industry. Starting of initially in 1975, Microsoft had a significant head start of 9 years into the development process of manufacturing their products. It is evident to this day that the 9 years would remain the gap that has allowed Microsoft to become one of the most successful global companies to exist in the history of mankind. However from the 9 year gap, Macintosh was given an insight on the basis of computer hardware and software processing, which has allowed it to manipulate and occupy certain markets that, without its dedication to the specialized software delivered by Macintosh, would see it to have collapsed years previous to today. The most recognizable products supplied worldwide by Microsoft is the Windows operating system, upholding generic use and compatibility in so many aspects and Microsoft office; a variety of productivity programs; allowing it to be consolidated into printing, used within websites and/or used in art/design. Initially made for the Mac OS and OS X system in 1989, production changed and in 1990 the Ð''Office' was created for use on the Microsoft system. With this Microsoft had weakened its main opposition, by creating software capable of running on the opposing computer system and familiarizing Mac users with Microsoft products. Microsoft also manufactured two other programs that were designed to be used on the Mac system; this was the Virtual PC and Microsoft Entourage. However this software's stayed dedicated to what Microsoft have continuously maintained what Microsoft have always offered to its customers, thus appeared to have no visible obstruction of persuading Mac users that Microsoft products were more efficient and of better quality. Unfortunately whilst Macintosh was still developing as a large computer company, its universal use was limited by the fact that most hardware manufactured for computers were designed to be used on the Microsoft/Windows operating systems. Printers, monitors, speakers, mice, keyboards, disk drives all had generic use for the various models of windows. This meant that Macintosh users had to discover specialist manufacturers and outlets that would supply the hardware and often software for use with the Mac/ Mac OS X operating system. As a result this caused extended division between the two competitors and lead to Macintosh/Apple to offer more innovative developed software and hardware that was incorporated into their computers. From 1991when the Ð''System 7' was released after a long awaited production; where the operating system was improved as regards to specification and operation, Macintosh had successfully rejuvenated its products to make them more appealing and more efficient to entice customers more.

Despite this rejuvenation and consistent Ð''bettering' of their products the release of the Windows 95 and its Pentium Processors saw the decline of Macintosh's market share in the mid 90's as the commercial power of Microsoft overtook the actual quality that Macintosh so eloquently provided. However as what I believe was instinctive business competition, in response Apple retaliated by creating the "Microsoft Clone" in order to re-grasp its Niche market of desktop publishing. It specialized in better graphic processing, more colours, efficiency in networking, multi-tasking and memory addressing. However, considered as a failure by the return of Steve Jobs in 1997, he discontinued the manufacturing of the clone as he saw Mac was losing vast amounts of money through its production. Contrasting to this it did however see an increase in its market share which upped its establishment into the modern market of computer manufacturing and consolidated its power to create easy to use hardware and software.

From this I have explained the situation that brought Macintosh to the forefront of its computer manufacturing involvement, without indulging into too much unnecessary information. However as I initially explained within the introduction, Macintosh have also immersed into manufacturing the world renowned Apple Ipod. This revolutionary portable MP3 player since 2001 Ð'- its unexpected and unrecognized release Ð'- saw it to bring Apple/Macintosh back into the publics eye of being a specialist company dedicated into producing