2. Overview of Apple Inc. Apple Inc. was founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Ronald Wayne and Steve Wozniak. The tech giant is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Cupertino, California. Apple designs, develops and sells consumer electronics, computer software and personal computers. Apple's product line includes the Mac line of computers, the iPod music player, the iPhone smartphone and the iPad tablet (Portable IT UK, nd).2.1 The iPad The global market for tablet computers is growing rapidly. According to Gartner, “end users reached 195.4 million units in 2013, an increase of 68% from 2012” (Gartner, 2014). Apple Inc. was the first player in the tablet computer industry and therefore enjoyed an instant competitive advantage in the tablet industry. In April 2010, Apple's first iPad became an instant hit and sold 3.27 million iPads in the first three months (Statista, 2012). According to Steve Jobs, “iPad is Apple's most advanced technology in a magical, revolutionary device at an incredible price” (Apple Inc, 2014). Before Apple's competitors could develop a tablet PC, Apple released the upgraded iPad 2 in March 2011. So far, the tech giant has released 7 versions of iPad, including the most recent versions and very successful, the iPad Air and the iPad Mini with Retina screen. The fast-cycling consumer electronics market is defined by disruptive technologies and first-mover advantages. After such a successful debut in the tablet PC industry, Apple is more focused on product updates and improvements than on comprehensive new innovations.3. Internal environment 3.1 Intangible resources The company has experienced immense development over the past year which is due to excellent sales and ...... middle of paper ...... the company must remain the market leader in technology industry.9. ConclusionA big opportunity for Apple in the future is the growing tablet market, with high customer demands. At the same time, this could also pose a threat to Apple's iPad, as Android tablets are following Apple at a very fast pace and could soon overtake iPad. The technology industry is a highly competitive industry, but Apple is able to maintain its leadership position in the tablet market as long as it retains its loyal customers and constantly improves its coordinated and sustainable ecosystem. Additionally, their well-established brand image is based on constant innovations and high customer satisfaction. In the long term, Apple will remain the market leader, provided it strives for the highest performance, focusing on its core competencies in technology, design and quality of service..