Aapl Stock Quote

The company formerly known as Apple Computer, Inc., was founded in 1976 and is currently headquartered in Cupertino, California. Together with its subsidiaries, the company, which is now called Apple Inc., manufactures, designs, and markets a wide variety of computer-related and other products, including personal computers, desktop and notebook computers, servers, related devices and peripherals, and various third-party hardware products, portable video and digital music players, mobile communication devices, as well as related software items, peripherals, networking solutions, and services. AAPL is the NASDAQ stock symbol for the company.

Apple Inc. markets its many products across the globe through retail stores, online markets, direct sales, resellers, value-added resellers, and third-party wholesalers. Through its "brick and mortar" and online stores, Apple Inc. sells several third-party iPhone, iPod and Macintosh-compatible products. These include printers, storage devices, headphones, speakers, application software, to name just a few. The company also sells applications and digital content through the iTunes store.

Buyers of these products range from everyday consumers who need a home computer or who love music or videos, to educators, government workers, small and mid-size business owners, and enterprising and creative customers. As of late September, 2009, Apple Inc. had 273 total retail stores, including 217 in the United States and 56 other stores worldwide.

Apple Inc. also develops, designs, and markets its iPhone mobile communications devices as well as a large group of iPod digital music and video players to Macintosh and Windows users. Certain accessories and services, like the online distribution of third-party digital content and applications through the iTunes Store, is also included in this list of products. Also, Apple Inc. makes and markets its own software products, including Mac OS X, which is the company's proprietary operating system software for the Mac, as well as professional application software, server software and related solutions, and business, consumer, and education-oriented application software.

The company's Mac desktop and portable systems feature Intel microprocessors, which is Apple Inc.'s Mac OS X Version 10.6 Snow Leopard operating system as well as the iLife suite of software for creation and management of web sites, music, digital photography, and movies.