User:Ryan Norton/APPL

Apple Inc. is a public multinational corporation headquartered in Cupertino, California that designs, markets, and produces consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. Established on April 1, 1976 and incorporated January 3, 1977 as "Apple Computer, Inc.", the company rose to prominance in the late 1980s with its Macintosh line of personal computers and associated Mac OS operating system. Later, Apple Inc. would dominate the digital music player market with the iPod as well as establish footholds in other related markets with the iPhone and iPad, although it would come under fire for its labor practices when reports of possible child labor and poor working conditions in its outsourced manufacturing surfaced.

The company also produces various types of software such as the iTunes media browser, the iWork suite of productivity software, the Aperture professional photography package, and the Final Cut Studio suite of professional audio and film-industry software products. A chain of retail stores and corresponding online store is also ran by the company, under the Apple Store brand. It is known for being one of the companies bucking the traditional corporate culture of the 1970s, such as formal attire. Over the years Apple Inc. has received criticism for the vertical integration of its products, having limited compatability in general with non-Apple Inc. products.

For reasons as various as its philosophy of comprehensive aesthetic industrial design to its distinctive advertising campaigns, Apple has established a unique reputation in the consumer electronics industry, including a customer base that is unusually devoted to the company and its brand. The advertising compaigns launched various musicians into stardom; some of more well-known campaigns include the 1984 Super Bowl commercial and the 'Get a Mac' campaign, the latter of which drew criticism for potentially misleading statements. Apple Inc. has a mixed environmental record, especially in comparison with other electronics companies.