Steven Yang

1103-006

10/7/2015

The Apple Question: A Proposal

For the last decade, one company in particular has made a point. One that spans the entire

globe and proves that the consumer is sometimes ignorant and misinformed. A point that most

people don’t even know exists, and one that Apple created. Now don’t get me wrong, Apple

makes great products, I even use some of their products. But what is it about Apple that makes

them different? Why do they produce a new iPhone every 6 months? Why do consumers buy

them? Why is it that Apple seems so be a social symbol for the better off? Why is society so

focused on Apple? I don’t have the answers, but that’s what I hope to find out.

So what do I know about Apple? Well first, visionary Steve Jobs and entrepreneur Steve

Wozniak had a vision. A vision to deliver personal computers to the greater public. They focused

on quality of their innovative Mac personal computers. They made sure customer satisfaction

was key to their business, because “the customer is always right”. Since then, Apple has grown

to a large corporation that sells more than just computers. However, the main source of Apple’s

success will always be the iPhone. When the first iteration of the iPhone came out, the world was

taken aback by the innovation it represented. The first consumer product introduced multi-touch

touchscreens, a new way of interacting with the computer through touch. Steven Jobs even

introduced the iPhone at a keynote address as a combination of three devices: an iPod with

touch, a mobile phone, and an internet communicator. Never before had all three been put in a

single product that had critical widespread acclaim. The iPhone redefined what the consumer

looked for in the mobile industry, but what makes Apple so special? Even though it was a

technological innovation at the time, it still didn’t sell as well as the iPhones of today. So why

did other companies such as Google, another globally recognized technological think tank, not

become a social icon?

Why did I choose to research Apple? Why not research why other companies didn’t rise

like Apple? Well, I have a special interest in technology. Ever since I was a kid, messing with

technology has sort of been my hobby. But most importantly, I am the sort of person that

embraces all sorts of technology, and as a result I use a combination of Microsoft, Google, Apple

and countless other product brands. My friends question me when they see me with a Windows

laptop as well as a MacBook paired with my iPad and Samsung Android phone. “So are you a

Windows or Mac kind of guy?” they ask. But why discriminate? Technology comes from all

different places. But the only thing I don’t understand is why. Why do people line up 2 weeks

ahead of the latest iPhone release year after year? Why is Apple so revered? This has become a

cult gathering of phone-crazed individuals who want their hands on the latest and the greatest

tech products. But from what I know, iPhones aren’t always the greatest, often times their

competitors are better in certain aspects of their phones. Therefore, I want to know why Apple is

still considered the best.

Questions:

1) What is it about the way Apple markets and advertise their products that makes it

appealing?

2) What makes Apple products appealing?

3) What are some drawbacks to Apple products?

4) Is the high price of Apple products justified?

5) What makes society oriented on iPhones?

6) Why is only the iPhone seen in the media such as movies and tv shows?

7) What are some truly innovative things Apple has done? Or are they copying others?

8) What makes this generation and the previous generation different with iPhones?

9) Is Apple a monopoly?

10) Which is better? Android or Apple?

I think I will mostly find my information on the web through blogs, news articles, and

statistical sites. I’m sure there have also been studies performed to observe Apple products in

society as well. Social media also has a big part as we use mostly our phones to access that in

general. In addition, I plan to interview several people who can relate to this topic. Abigail has a

relative who is one of these “Apple Fanatics” and it would be interesting to ask some questions

that pertain to his/her view on certain brands as well as Apple’s products. A good thing to ask is

whether he/she is aware that there are drawbacks to Apple’s ecosystem, and that competitors

excel in certain areas. I also have a friend whose dad works at Apple, so it will be interesting to

see what he thinks of Apple’s products and role in society. My topic should be narrowed down

enough that I should have plenty of sources to back my findings. In the event that I do have too

much information, I can focus on certain iterations of Apple products or possibly focus on just

the past 2 years of Apple’s products. Specifically, the iPhone 5 and iPhone 6 were monumental

upgrades from their predecessors. I could also focus on the years that Steve Jobs worked at

Apple so see how much of an impact he had on Apple’s success. However, I feel that the

problem will not be finding too much information but rather not finding an abundant amount of

information to report on. I fear that there is simply not enough people going out and asking the

same questions I do. I might need to broaden my topic to include other players in the industry

such as Google, and Microsoft and see how they affect each other and society itself responds and

reacts to their products. A potential way to get more information is to interview people from

other companies, such as Microsoft. But this is what my research is for; to inform others of

concepts that may have little context to back up.

My proposal is to research Apple and its causes and effects on society. Why does the

Apple question exist? Because not many have taken a “bite” out of it, and I intend to find out

why.