Apple: hardware or software?

[Socrats]

Why do people define apple as a hardware company? They don't create any of their chips or processors. The only thing they actually put on an "i" device is the os. Apples A4 processor in the ipad was created by samsung, and and the same for the iphone 4. Unless I'm wrong Steve jobs has it right, Apple is a software company. I'd say the biggest hardware company is HTC but that's in mobile devices.

 

[Usta]

Well, if you ignore all those Macs and ipads, iphones, itouchs, and all other i-things, then yeah, Apple is a SW company...

 

[pastafarian]

Apple designs and markets the platform that exclusively runs its software, so that makes them a hardware company. That they farm out the assembly to foxconn (and others) is a technicality. Many companies even if they own manufacturing and assembly facilities farm out some of those tasks to other companies. The processor analogy is a poor one, as far as I know, no one manufacturer makes all the components that go into a phone. HTC certainly doesn't

 

[TZRaceR6]

Why do people define apple as a hardware company? They don't create any of their chips or processors. The only thing they actually put on an "i" device is the os. Apples A4 processor in the ipad was created by samsung, and and the same for the iphone 4. Unless I'm wrong Steve jobs has it right, Apple is a software company. I'd say the biggest hardware company is HTC but that's in mobile devices.

Apple designs their chips, not Samsung. Samsung does the factory assembly though.

 

[lordofthereef]

Well, what about HTC (as an example). They don't make their hardware either, but more people look at them as hardware than software as well. Hell, for that matter, this is the case with almost all phone companies. Most of these companies don't make much (if any) of what ends up going into their systems.

 

[Dark Jedi]

Name a company that makes everything 100% in house. doubt you can.

 

[Bob Maxey]

Why do people define apple as a hardware company? They don't create any of their chips or processors. The only thing they actually put on an "i" device is the os. Apples A4 processor in the ipad was created by samsung, and and the same for the iphone 4. Unless I'm wrong Steve jobs has it right, Apple is a software company. I'd say the biggest hardware company is HTC but that's in mobile devices.

Apple is well known for iPads, iPods, iPhones. To not think of Apple as a hardware company means you should not think of any hardware company as a hardware company because most likely, no hardware company makes each and every component in their hardware. Is Dell a hardware company? Nope, they do not make their own chips and microprocessors. At least I do not think so.

Was RIO an MP3 Player Hardware company? No, because we built their players, not them. I think it is just splitting hairs, I suppose.

Apple is not a music company either, but a significant portion of their profits comes from music and movies, I should think. Then again, Apple was a great record company, but that is a different Apple.

Bob

 

[Tslide91]

I don't think of Apple as either a hardware or software company. They're a design company. And they're damn good at it. For computers, I'm Apple all the way. But smartphones? I'll take Android, cause I like to mess with that stuff.

What's funny is, my desktop on my Mac right now is the factory default wallpaper.
Though, it's being changed right now. lol

(Mac Mini, 1.5 Ghz Intel Core Solo, 2 gigs of ram)
I need to upgrade.

 

[Socrats]

Yea I usually prefer macs, over pc's for a computer. But I have to agree that android on a phone is better then ios. Although the iphone 4 looks really good !

 

[Thefoodman52]

A thread about apple where, we aren't all flaming them, but are doing a logical break down of how they work!

GENIUS!!!