2007 was a very eventful year for Apple (News - Alert) Inc. The company changed its name from Apple Computers Inc., to Apple Inc. This was a strategic move to reflect the company’s focus to the consumer electronics market in addition to its focus on personal computers. The year saw the launch of one of the most awaited consumer gadgets – the iPhone (News - Alert). The year also saw interesting additions from Apple to its other range of products – the launch of iPod Touch; the latest addition to the iPod series; the launch of an all-in-one iMac; and the introduction of its latest version of the operating system, Mac OS X Leopard.

Apple, known for its innovative designs and technology, made its entry into the mobile market early this year with the release of the iPhone in January. The launch was preceded by unprecedented interest from the technology community as well as the media. The revolutionary mobile device was first launched in the US and later in the U.K, Germany and France. The iPhone has captured unparalleled market share, and with the worldwide launch continuing, its popularity is only bound to increase.

Later in the year, the market witnessed another great addition to Apple’s breakthrough iPod series – the iPod Touch. The iPod was given a new interface similar to that of the iPhone. The iPod Touch lets you have a glimpse of Apple’s futuristic “multi-touch” user interface. The iPod Touch has just 2 buttons – one for powering on the device and the other to take the user to the home page from the other screens. All the other functionality is achieved through a multi-touch screen. It has a virtual keyboard, virtual slide controls and it lets the user flick and toss all virtual objects. The iPod has been Apple’s most popular product till date and has helped Apple become the leader in the digital music player category.

Apple unveiled the all-in-one iMac in August. This is a slimmer computer that has the motherboard behind the flat-panel display. Later in October, Apple launched the sixth version of its operating system, Mac OS X Leopard. Although the launch was delayed, it sold about 2 million copies over the first weekend it was available. This operating system upgrade has some noteworthy features like the “Time Machine” application, which simplifies the task of backing up and restoring files. With standardized specifications, good looks, competitive pricing, and user-delightling applications, the popularity of the Macintosh series is bound to increase.

The year 2007 also saw the launch of Apple TV, which is intended to revolutionize the manner in which we watch television. However, so far it has not received the response that was anticipated. Apple has a history of launching great products and improving them over time and the same can be anticipated with the Apple TV too.

Headquartered in Cupertino, California, Apple Inc. is a leader in the areas of personal computers, portable digital music players and mobile phones. Apple reported fourth quarter revenue of $6.22 billion. The company expects to generate EPS of about $1.42, including an anticipated 7 cents per share related to stock-based compensation for Q1 of 2008.

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Radhika Raghunath is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To see more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.

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