The History of AppleIn almost every region of the world, Apple and at least one of its products are known. The Apple brand began in the 1970s. Three men founded the organization in 1976 to produce a computer that every citizen could use personally (Sohail, 2010). The first item released was the Apple 1 personal computer kit made by Steve Wozniak (Sohail, 2010). During the 1970s, Apple focused on the development of storage technologies such as the floppy disk and the use of colors, graphics, and spreadsheets used for business purposes (Sohail, 2010). Apple was about to launch its first major product with a million-dollar advertising campaign. This was the release of the Macintosh personal computer, which also led to Apple's great reputation (Sohail, 2010). The following decade brought an increase in Apple brand awareness and organizational fame. In 1991, Apple's PowerBook launched the concept of a more portable computer, a new idea in computers in general. Then, in the late 1990s, the company began manufacturing other electronic devices besides computers. These other products included digital computers, cameras, speakers, and other products that were not widely recognized by the public (Sohail, 2010). This marks a decline for Apple, which is on the verge of recovery. In the late 1990s, with the release of Windows, Apple was put on the right track. Apple released its 20th anniversary Macintosh in 1997, marking the beginning of Apple's comeback (Crofford, 2011). The following year, Apple released the IMac, which was very well received by the public. Apple reported more than $80 billion in cash on its most recent Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Emerson, 2011). Today, Apple manufactures several different products, including the iPhone...... middle of paper......which could be detrimental to Apple's supply chain. With some workplace security, Apple can ensure that its supply chain will not be disrupted. Apple's Competitive Advantage Over the past few years, Apple has developed a competitive advantage in its market. Competitive advantage involves creating a unique advantage over competitors (Heizer & Render, 2011). Apple notably competes through differentiation, that is, by distinguishing an organization's offerings in a way that the customer perceives as added value (Heizer & Render, 2011). Apple has also created a competitive advantage by differentiating the experience or engaging a customer with a product through imaginative use of the five senses so that the customer experiences the product (Heizer & Render, 2011). Through differentiation, Apple has created a real competitive advantage over many of its competitors..