The Apple Way

by Jeffrey L. Cruikshank

Most hardware and software companies experience cycles of success and failure, that pattern is certainly not a compelling publishing topic. When you add in the name of Apple Computer, the picture changes from ho-hum to humdinger though. Right now, Apple's shares have surged to a 4-year high, and along with the runaway success of Apple's iPod (10 million iPods sold as of Dec 2004, and 2 million+ units sold in the last 3 months alone), Apple stock seems poised to only increase in value. There's a "halo" effect beginning to take hold — simple put, consumers and business people alike are so impressed with iPod's technology and success that they're taking a second look at other Apple products and in particular Macintosh computers. If the current trends continue, Apple will have sparked yet another revolution in the personal computer arena, and will regain ground many thought was lost for good. The Apple Way shows how this company's steps and missteps have molded and shaped them, and what le