Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Contents [hide]
1 History
1.1 1976–1980: The early years
1.2 1981–1985: Lisa and Macintosh
1.3 1986–1993: Rise and fall
1.4 1994–1997: Attempts at
reinvention
1.5 1998–2005: Return to
profitability
1.6 2005–2007: The Intel transition
1.7 2007–present: Mobile consumer
electronics era
2 Products
2.1 Mac and accessories
2.2 iPad
2.3 iPod
2.4 iPhone
2.5 Apple TV
2.6 Software
3 Timeline of Apple products
4 Culture
4.1 Corporate
4.2 Users
5 Corporate affairs
5.1 Headquarters
5.2 Advertising
5.2.1 Logos
5.2.2 Slogans
5.2.3 Commercials
6 Environmental record
7 Labor practices
8 See also
9 Notes
10 References
11 Further reading
12 External links
History
Main article: History of Apple
1976–1980: The early years
The Apple I, Apple's first product. Sold as an assembled circuit board, it lacked basic
features such as a keyboard, monitor, and case. The owner of this unit added a
keyboard and a wooden case.
Apple was established on April 1, 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak,
and Ronald Wayne,[1] to sell the Apple I personal computer kit. They
were hand-built by Wozniak[19][20] and first shown to the public at the
Homebrew Computer Club.[21] The Apple I was sold as a motherboard
(with CPU, RAM, and basic textual-video chips)—less than what is
today considered a complete personal computer.[22] The Apple I went
on sale in July 1976 and was market-priced at $666.66 ($2.55 thousand
in 2010 dollars, adjusted for inflation.)[23][24][25][26][27][28]
Apple was incorporated January 3, 1977[9] without Wayne, who sold his
share of the company back to Jobs and Wozniak for $800. Multi-
millionaire Mike Markkula provided essential business expertise and
funding of $250,000 during the incorporation of Apple.[29][30]
The Apple II was introduced on April 16, 1977 at the first West Coast
Computer Faire. It differed from its major rivals, the TRS-80 and
Commodore PET, because it came with color graphics and an open
architecture. While early models used ordinary cassette tapes as
storage devices, they were superseded by the introduction of a
5 1/4 inch floppy disk drive and interface, the Disk II.[31]
The Apple II was chosen to be the desktop platform for the first "killer
app" of the business world—the VisiCalc spreadsheet program.[32]
VisiCalc created a business market for the Apple II, and gave home
users an additional reason to buy an Apple II—compatibility with the
office.[32] According to Brian Bagnall, Apple exaggerated its sales
figures and was a distant third place to Commodore and Tandy until
VisiCalc came along.[33][34]
By the end of the 1970s, Apple had a staff of computer designers and a
production line. The company introduced the ill-fated Apple III in May
1980 in an attempt to compete with IBM and Microsoft in the business
and corporate computing market.[35]
Jobs and several Apple employees including Jef Raskin visited Xerox
PARC in December 1979 to see the Xerox Alto. Xerox granted Apple
engineers three days of access to the PARC facilities in return for the
option to buy 100,000 shares of Apple at the pre-IPO price of $10 a
share.[36] Jobs was immediately convinced that all future computers
would use a graphical user interface (GUI), and development of a GUI
began for the Apple Lisa.[37]
In December 1980, Apple launched the initial public offering of its stock
to the investing public.[citation needed] When Apple went public, it
generated more capital than any IPO since Ford Motor Company in
1956 and instantly created more millionaires (about 300) than any
company in history. Several venture capitalists cashed out, reaping
billions in long-term capital gains.[citation needed]
1981–1985: Lisa and Macintosh
The heroine from Apple's "1984" ad, set in a dystopian future modeled after the
George Orwell novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, set the tone for the introduction of the
Macintosh.
Steve Jobs began working on the Apple Lisa in 1978 but in 1982 he
was pushed from the Lisa team due to infighting, and took over Jef
Raskin's low-cost-computer project, the Macintosh. A turf war broke out
between Lisa's "corporate shirts" and Jobs' "pirates" over which product
would ship first and save Apple. Lisa won the race in 1983 and became
the first personal computer sold to the public with a GUI, but was a
commercial failure due to its high price tag and limited software titles.[38]
The Macintosh Portable was Apple's first "portable" Macintosh computer, released in
1989.
Having learned several painful lessons after introducing the bulky
Macintosh Portable in 1989, Apple introduced the PowerBook in 1991,
which established the modern form factor and ergonomic layout of the
laptop computer.[47] The Macintosh Portable was designed to be just as
powerful as a desktop Macintosh, but weighed 17 pounds with a 12
hour battery life. Apple sold fewer than 100,000 units.[citation needed] The
Powerbook was 7 pounds and had a 3 hour battery life, and sold a
billion dollars worth within the first year.[citation needed] The same year,
Apple introduced System 7, a major upgrade to the operating system,
which added color to the interface and introduced new networking
capabilities. It remained the architectural basis for Mac OS until 2001.
The success of the PowerBook and other products led to increasing
revenue.[45] For some time, it appeared that Apple could do no wrong,
introducing fresh new products and generating increasing profits in the
process. The magazine MacAddict has named the period between 1989
and 1991 as the "first golden age" of the Macintosh.
Following the success of the Macintosh LC, Apple introduced the
Centris line, a low-end Quadra offering, and the ill-fated Performa line
that was sold in several confusing configurations and software bundles
to avoid competing with the various consumer outlets such as Sears,
Price Club, and Wal-Mart, the primary dealers for these models. The
result was disastrous for Apple as consumers did not understand the
difference between models.
During this time Apple experimented with a number of other failed
consumer targeted products including digital cameras, portable CD
audio players, speakers, video consoles, and TV appliances. Enormous
resources were also invested in the problem-plagued Newton division
based on John Sculley's unrealistic market forecasts. Ultimately, all of
this proved too-little-too-late for Apple as their market share and stock
prices continued to slide.
Apple saw the Apple II series as too expensive to produce, while taking
away sales from the low end Macintosh.[48] In 1990, Apple released the
Macintosh LC with a single expansion slot for the Apple IIe Card to
migrate Apple II users to the Macintosh platform.[49] Apple stopped
selling the Apple IIe in 1993.
Microsoft continued to gain market share with Windows, focusing on
delivering software to cheap commodity personal computers while
Apple was delivering a richly engineered, but expensive, experience.[50]
Apple relied on high profit margins and never developed a clear
response. Instead they sued Microsoft for using a graphical user
interface similar to the Apple Lisa in Apple Computer, Inc. v. Microsoft
Corporation.[51] The lawsuit dragged on for years before it was thrown
out of court. At the same time, a series of major product flops and
missed deadlines sullied Apple's reputation, and Sculley was replaced
by Michael Spindler.[52]
1994–1997: Attempts at reinvention
The Newton was Apple's first foray into the PDA markets, as well as one of the first in
the industry. Despite being a financial flop at the time of its release, it helped pave
the way for the Palm Pilot and Apple's own iPhone and iPad in the future.
By the early 1990s, Apple was developing alternative platforms to the
Macintosh, such as the A/UX. Apple had also begun to experiment in
providing a Mac-only online portal which they called eWorld, developed
in collaboration with America Online and designed as a Mac-friendly
alternative to other online services such as CompuServe. The
Macintosh platform itself was becoming outdated since it was not built
for multitasking, and several important software routines were
programmed directly into the hardware. In addition, Apple was facing
competition from OS/2 and UNIX vendors like Sun Microsystems. The
Macintosh would need to be replaced by a new platform, or reworked to
run on more powerful hardware.[53]
In 1994, Apple allied with IBM and Motorola in the AIM alliance. The
goal was to create a new computing platform (the PowerPC Reference
Platform), which would use IBM and Motorola hardware coupled with
Apple's software. The AIM alliance hoped that PReP's performance and
Apple's software would leave the PC far behind, thus countering
Microsoft. The same year, Apple introduced the Power Macintosh, the
first of many Apple computers to use IBM's PowerPC processor.[54]
In 1996, Michael Spindler was replaced by Gil Amelio as CEO. Gil
Amelio made many changes at Apple, including massive layoffs.[55]
After multiple failed attempts to improve Mac OS, first with the Taligent
project, then later with Copland and Gershwin, Amelio chose to
purchase NeXT and its NeXTSTEP operating system, bringing Steve
Jobs back to Apple as an advisor.[56] On July 9, 1997, Gil Amelio was
ousted by the board of directors after overseeing a three-year record-
low stock price and crippling financial losses. Jobs became the interim
CEO and began restructuring the company's product line.
At the 1997 Macworld Expo, Steve Jobs announced that Apple would
join Microsoft to release new versions of Microsoft Office for the
Macintosh, and that Microsoft made a $150 million investment in non-
voting Apple stock.[57]
On November 10, 1997, Apple introduced the Apple Store, tied to a new
build-to-order manufacturing strategy.[58][59]
1998–2005: Return to profitability
On August 15, 1998, Apple introduced a new all-in-one computer
reminiscent of the Macintosh 128K: the iMac. The iMac design team
was led by Jonathan Ive, who would later design the iPod and the
iPhone.[60][61] The iMac featured modern technology and a unique
design. It sold close to 800,000 units in its first five months.[62]
Through this period, Apple purchased several companies to create a
portfolio of professional and consumer-oriented digital production
software. In 1998, Apple announced the purchase of Macromedia's
Final Cut software, signaling its expansion into the digital video editing
market.[63] The following year, Apple released two video editing
products: iMovie for consumers, and Final Cut Pro for professionals, the
latter of which has gone on to be a significant video-editing program,
with 800,000 registered users in early 2007.[64] In 2002 Apple
purchased Nothing Real for their advanced digital compositing
application Shake,[65] as well as Emagic for their music productivity
application Logic, which led to the development of their consumer-level
GarageBand application.[66][67] iPhoto's release the same year
completed the iLife suite.[68]
The entrance of the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue in New York City is a glass cube,
housing a cylindrical elevator and a spiral staircase that leads into the subterranean
store.
Mac OS X, based on NeXT's OPENSTEP and BSD Unix was released
on March 24, 2001, after several years of development. Aimed at
consumers and professionals alike, Mac OS X aimed to combine the
stability, reliability and security of Unix with the ease of use afforded by
an overhauled user interface. To aid users in migrating from Mac OS 9,
the new operating system allowed the use of OS 9 applications through
Mac OS X's Classic environment.[69]
On May 19, 2001, Apple opened the first official Apple Retail Stores in
Virginia and California.[70] later on July 9 they bought Spruce
Technologies, a DVD authoring company. The same year, Apple
introduced the iPod portable digital audio player. The product was
phenomenally successful — over 100 million units were sold within six
years.[71][72] In 2003, Apple's iTunes Store was introduced, offering
online music downloads for $0.99 a song and integration with the iPod.
The service quickly became the market leader in online music services,
with over 5 billion downloads by June 19, 2008.[73]
Since 2001 Apple's design team has progressively abandoned the use
of translucent colored plastics first used in the iMac G3. This began with
the titanium PowerBook and was followed by the white polycarbonate
iBook and the flat-panel iMac.[74][75]
2005–2007: The Intel transition
Main article: Apple–Intel transition
The MacBook Pro (15.4" widescreen) was Apple's first laptop with an Intel
microprocessor. It was announced in January 2006 and is aimed at the professional
market.
At the Worldwide Developers Conference keynote address on June 6,
2005, Steve Jobs announced that Apple would begin producing Intel-
based Mac computers in 2006.[76] On January 10, 2006, the new
MacBook Pro and iMac became the first Apple computers to use Intel's
Core Duo CPU. By August 7, 2006 Apple had transitioned the entire
Mac product line to Intel chips, over 1 year sooner than announced.[76]
The Power Mac, iBook, and PowerBook brands were retired during the
transition; the Mac Pro, MacBook, and MacBook Pro became their
respective successors.[77][78] On April 29, 2009, The Wall Street
Journal reported that Apple was building its own team of engineers to
design microchips.[79]
Apple also introduced Boot Camp to help users install Windows XP or
Windows Vista on their Intel Macs alongside Mac OS X.[80]
Apple's success during this period was evident in its stock price.
Between early 2003 and 2006, the price of Apple's stock increased
more than tenfold, from around $6 per share (split-adjusted) to over
$80. In January 2006, Apple's market cap surpassed that of Dell.[81]
Nine years prior, Dell's CEO Michael Dell said that if he ran Apple he
would "shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders."[82]
Although Apple's market share in computers has grown, it remains far
behind competitors using Microsoft Windows, with only about 8% of
desktops and laptops in the U.S.[83]
2007–present: Mobile consumer electronics era
Delivering his keynote at the Macworld Expo on January 9, 2007, Jobs
announced that Apple Computer, Inc. would from that point on be
known as Apple Inc., due to the fact that computers are no longer the
singular focus of the company. This change reflects the company's shift
of emphasis to mobile electronic devices from personal computers. The
event also saw the announcement of the iPhone and the Apple TV.[84]
The following day, Apple shares hit $97.80, an all-time high at that
point. In May, Apple's share price passed the $100 mark.[85]
In an article posted on Apple's website on February 6, 2007, Steve Jobs
wrote that Apple would be willing to sell music on the iTunes Store
without DRM (which would allow tracks to be played on third-party
players) if record labels would agree to drop the technology.[86] On April
2, 2007, Apple and EMI jointly announced the removal of DRM
technology from EMI's catalog in the iTunes Store, effective in May.[87]
Other record labels followed later that year.
The Mac, iPad, and iPhone now form the core of Apple's business.
In July of the following year, Apple launched the App Store to sell third-
party applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch.[88] Within a month,
the store sold 60 million applications and brought in $1 million daily on
average, with Jobs speculating that the App Store could become a
billion-dollar business for Apple.[89] Three months later, it was
announced that Apple had become the third-largest mobile handset
supplier in the world due to the popularity of the iPhone.[90]
On December 16, 2008, Apple announced that after over 20 years of
attending Macworld, 2009 would be the last year Apple would be
attending the Macworld Expo, and that Phil Schiller would deliver the
2009 keynote in lieu of the expected Jobs.[91] Almost exactly one month
later, on January 14, 2009, an internal Apple memo from Jobs
announced that he would be taking a six-month leave of absence, until
the end of June 2009, to allow him to better focus on his health and to
allow the company to better focus on its products with out having the
rampant media speculating about his health.[92] Despite Jobs' absence,
Apple recorded its best non-holiday quarter (Q1 FY 2009) during the
recession with a revenue of $8.16 billion and a profit of $1.21 billion.[93]
Products
See also: Timeline of Apple products and List of products discontinued
by Apple Inc.
Mac and accessories
See also: Timeline of Macintosh models, List of Macintosh models
grouped by CPU type, and List of Macintosh models by case type
The current iPod family, featuring the iPod Shuffle, iPod Nano, iPod Classic, and
iPod Touch.
On October 23, 2001, Apple introduced the iPod digital music player. It
has evolved to include various models targeting the wants of different
users. The iPod is the market leader in portable music players by a
significant margin, with more than 220 million units shipped as of
September 9, 2009.[105] Apple has partnered with Nike to offer the
Nike+iPod Sports Kit enabling runners to synchronize and monitor their
runs with iTunes and the Nike+ website. Apple currently sells four
variants of the iPod.
▪ iPod Classic (previously named iPod from 2001 to 2007), portable
media player first introduced in 2001, currently available in a
160 GB model.
▪ iPod Nano, portable media player first introduced in 2005, currently
available in 8 and 16 GB models. The newest generation has a
FM radio, a pedometer, and a new multi-touch interface that
replaced the traditional iPod click wheel.
▪ iPod Shuffle, digital audio player first introduced in 2005, currently
available in 2 and 4 GB models.
▪ iPod Touch, portable media player that runs iOS, first introduced in
September 2007 after the iPhone went on sale. Currently
available in 8, 32, and 64 GB models. The latest generation
features the Apple A4 processor, a Retina Display and dual
cameras on the front and back. The back camera allows video
recording at 720p.
iPhone
Main article: iPhone
2010 Apple TV
At the 2007 Macworld conference, Jobs demonstrated the Apple TV,
(previously known as the iTV),[113] a set-top video device intended to
bridge the sale of content from iTunes with high-definition televisions.
The device links up to a user's TV and syncs, either via Wi-Fi or a wired
network, with one computer's iTunes library and streams from an
additional four. The Apple TV originally incorporated a 40 GB hard drive
for storage, includes outputs for HDMI and component video, and plays
video at a maximum resolution of 720p.[114] On May 31, 2007 a 160 GB
drive was released alongside the existing 40 GB model[115] and on
January 15, 2008 a software update was released, which allowed media
to be purchased directly from the Apple TV.[116] In September 2009,
Apple discontinued the original 40 GB Apple TV and now continues to
produce and sell the 160 GB Apple TV. On September 1, 2010,
alongside the release of the new line of iPod devices for the year, Apple
released a completely redesigned Apple TV. The new deivce is 1/4 the
size, runs quieter, and replaces the need for a hard drive with media
streaming from any iTunes library on the network along with 8 GB of
flash memory to cache media downloaded. Apple with the Apple TV has
added another device to its portfolio that runs on its A4 processor along
with the iPad and the iPhone. The memory included in the device is the
same as the iPhone at 512 MB. It has HDMI out as the only video out
source. Features include access to the iTunes Store to rent movies and
TV shows (purchasing has been discontinued), streaming from internet
video sources, including YouTube and Netflix, and media streaming
from your iTunes library. Apple also reduced the price of the device to
$99.
Software
See also: List of Macintosh software
Apple develops its own operating system to run on Macs, Mac OS X,
the latest version being Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard. Apple also
independently develops computer software titles for its Mac OS X
operating system. Much of the software Apple develops is bundled with
its computers. An example of this is the consumer-oriented iLife
software package that bundles iDVD, iMovie, iPhoto, iTunes,
GarageBand, and iWeb. For presentation, page layout and word
processing, iWork is available, which includes Keynote, Pages, and
Numbers. iTunes, QuickTime media player, Safari web browser, and
Software Update are available as free downloads for both Mac OS X
and Windows.
Apple also offers a range of professional software titles. Their range of
server software includes the operating system Mac OS X Server; Apple
Remote Desktop, a remote systems management application;
WebObjects, Java EE Web application server; and Xsan, a Storage
Area Network file system. For the professional creative market, there is
Aperture for professional RAW-format photo processing; Final Cut
Studio, a video production suite; Logic, a comprehensive music toolkit
and Shake, an advanced effects composition program.
Apple also offers online services with MobileMe (formerly .Mac) that
bundles personal web pages, email, Groups, iDisk, backup, iSync, and
Learning Center online tutorials. MobileMe is a subscription-based
internet suite that capitalizes on the ability to store personal data on an
online server and thereby keep all web-connected devices in sync.[117]
Announced at MacWorld Expo 2009, iWork.com allows iWork users to
upload documents for sharing and collaboration.
Users
According to surveys by J. D. Power, Apple has the highest brand and
repurchase loyalty of any computer manufacturer.[citation needed] While
this brand loyalty is considered unusual for any product, Apple appears
not to have gone out of its way to create it. At one time, Apple
evangelists were actively engaged by the company, but this was after
the phenomenon was already firmly established. Apple evangelist Guy
Kawasaki has called the brand fanaticism "something that was stumbled
upon".[125] Apple has, however, supported the continuing existence of a
network of Mac User Groups in most major and many minor centers of
population where Mac computers are available.
Mac users would meet at the European Apple Expo and the San
Francisco Macworld Conference & Expo trade shows where Apple
traditionally introduced new products each year to the industry and
public until Apple pulled out of both events. While the conferences
continue, Apple does not have official representation there. Mac
developers, in turn, continue gather at the annual Apple Worldwide
Developers Conference.
Apple Store openings can draw crowds of thousands, with some waiting
in line as much as a day before the opening or flying in from other
countries for the event.[126] The New York City Fifth Avenue "Cube"
store had a line as long as half a mile; a few Mac fans took the
opportunity of the setting to propose marriage.[127] The Ginza opening
in Tokyo was estimated in the thousands with a line exceeding eight city
blocks.[128]
John Sculley told The Guardian newspaper in 1997: "People talk about
technology, but Apple was a marketing company. It was the marketing
company of the decade."[129]
Research by NetRatings indicate that the average Apple consumer is
usually more affluent and more well-educated than PC consumers, the
research indicated that this correlation could stem from the fact that on
average Apple Inc. products are more expensive than PC products.[130]
Corporate affairs
See also: List of mergers and acquisitions by Apple, Braeburn
Capital, and FileMaker Inc.
Apple has a history of vertical integration in their products,
manufacturing the hardware on which they pre-install their software.
[
citation needed]
The original Apple logo The rainbow "bitten" logo, The monochrome logo is
featuring Isaac Newton used from late 1976 until still used. An Aqua themed
under the fabled apple tree. replaced in 1998 by version was used from
monochrome themes using 2001—2003, and a Glass
the same shape. themed version from 2003.
Slogans
Main article: List of Apple Inc. slogans
Apple's first slogan, "Byte into an Apple", was coined in the late 1970s.
[148] From 1997–2002, Apple used the slogan Think Different in
advertising campaigns. The slogan had a lasting impact on their image
and revived their popularity with the media and customers. Although the
slogan has been retired, it is still closely associated with Apple.[149]
Apple also has slogans for specific product lines — for example, "iThink,
therefore iMac" was used in 1998 to promote the iMac,[150] and "Say
hello to iPhone" has been used in iPhone advertisements.[151] "Hello"
was also used to introduce the original Macintosh, Newton, iMac ("hello
(again)"), and iPod.[152]
Commercials
See also: 1984 (advertisement), Lemmings (advertisement), iPod
advertising, and music used by Apple Inc.
Apple's product commercials gained fame for launching musicians into
stardom as a result of their eye-popping graphics and catchy tunes.[153]
First, the company popularized Canadian singer Feist's "1234" song in
its ad campaign.[153] Then Apple used the song "New Soul" by French-
Israeli singer-songwriter Yael Naim to promote the MacBook Air.[153]
The debut single shot to the top of the charts and sold hundreds of
thousands of copies in a span of weeks.[153] Apple then used Miss Li's
song Bourgeois Shangri-La to advertise the new iPod nano (nano
shoots video).
Environmental record
Greenpeace, an environmental organization, has confronted Apple on
various environmental issues, including promoting a global end-of-life
take-back plan, non-recyclable hardware components, and toxins within
the iPhone hardware.[154][155] Since 2003 they have campaigned
against Apple regarding their chemical policies, in particular the
inclusion of PVC and BFRs in their products, both of which have serious
negative health effects.[154] At the 2007 Macworld Expo, Greenpeace
presented a critique of Apple. Rick Hind, the legislative director of
Greenpeace's toxics campaign, said, "(The company) is getting
greener, but not green enough." Hind commented further, "The
Macbook Air has less toxic PVC plastic and less toxic BFRs, but it could
have zero and that would make Apple an eco-leader."[156] On May 2,
2007, Steve Jobs released a report announcing plans to eliminate PVC
and BFRs by the end of 2008.[157][158] Apple has eliminated toxic vinyl
plastic (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) across its
product range.[159] It became the first laptop maker to remove PVC and
BFRs.[160]
In Greenpeace’s Guide to Greener Electronics that scores electronics
manufacturers on their policies regarding toxic chemicals, recycling and
climate change, Apple ranked 5th out of 18 leading electronic makers in
May 2010 with a score of 4.9/ 10.[161] Greenpeace criticises for
example that Apple has yet to make a statement on the need for
mandatory greenhouse gas emissions reductions.[162] In the first
edition, released in August 2006, Apple scored 2.7/10.[163]
In May 2008, Climate Counts, a nonprofit organization dedicated to
directing consumers toward the greenest companies, gave Apple 11
points out of a possible 100, which placed the company last among
electronics companies. Climate Counts also labeled Apple with a "stuck
icon," and the environmental group added that Apple was "a choice to
avoid for the climate conscious consumer."[18] By 2010, Apple had
earned a score of 52 / 100, which puts Apple in their top category
"Striding"[164]
The Environmental Protection Agency rates Apple highest amongst
producers of notebook computers, and fairly well compared to
producers of desktop computers and LCD displays.[165][166]
In June 2007, Apple upgraded the MacBook Pro, replacing cold cathode
fluorescent lamp (CCFL) backlit LCD displays with mercury-free LED
backlit LCD displays and arsenic-free glass,[167] and has since done
this for all notebooks. Apple has also phased out BFRs and PVCs from
various internal components.[157][168][169] Apple also offers detailed
information about the emissions, materials, and electrical usage of each
product.[170] Apple has also begun to advertise how environmentally
friendly their new laptops are with television spots and magazine ads
along with stating these facts on their website.[citation needed]
In June 2009, Apple's iPhone 3GS was free of PVC, arsenic, BFR's and
had an efficient power adapter.[171]
In October 2009, Apple upgraded the iMac and MacBook, replacing the
cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) backlit LCD displays with
mercury-free LED backlit LCD displays and arsenic-free glass.[172] This
means all Apple computers have mercury free LED backlit displays,
arsenic-free glass and are without PVC cables. All Apple computers
also have EPEAT Gold status.[171]
Labor practices
Further information: Apple labor practices
In 2006, the Mail on Sunday reported that sweatshop conditions existed
in factories in China, where the contract manufacturers, Foxconn and
Inventec, operate the factories that produce the iPod.[173] The article
stated that one complex of factories that assemble the iPod, among
other items, for instance, had over 200,000 workers that lived and
worked in the factory, with workers regularly doing more than 60 hours
of labor per week. The article also reported that workers made around
$100 per month were required to live on the premises and pay for rent
and food from the company, which generally amounted to a little over
half of workers' earnings.[17][174][175]
Immediately after the allegations, Apple launched an investigation and
worked with their manufacturers to ensure that conditions were
acceptable to Apple.[176] In 2007, Apple started yearly audits of all its
suppliers regarding worker's rights, slowly raising standards and pruning
suppliers that did not comply. Yearly progress reports have been
published since 2008.[177] In 2010, workers in China planned to sue
iPhone contractors over poisoning by a cleaner used to clean LCD
screens. One worker claimed that they were not informed of possible
occupational illnesses.[178]