Apple Computer Corporation and Microsoft

Steve Jobs and Bill Gates pioneered an industry that has transformed the entire world. Not unexpectedly, Gates, and to a lesser extent Jobs, became two of the richest and most powerful men in the world. In the movie, Gates is portrayed as smart but socially inept entrepreneur who nevertheless has the ambition and business savvy to make Microsoft a household name.

The 4 P's of Marketing: The 4 Ps of marketing are Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. The idea is to control these variables in such a way so that sales will increase. A company cannot make a customer purchase its products, but it can help a potential customer in coming to this decision by establishing the right price, the right distribution channels, creating or purchasing the appropriate type and the appropriate amount of advertising, and ensuring that its product features meet specific customer needs. These variables are interdependent, and together they constitute what is often referred to as the marketing mix.

When Microsoft develops its marketing mix, it must take into acco

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he right product for its target market requires knowing what corporate customers as well as consumers need and want. At Microsoft, the product is the full bundle of goods and services offered including software and after sales service. Product characteristics include the functionality, appearance, and support customers receive when Microsoft products are purchased. Product also includes the unique features, functions, and characteristics of Microsoft software that are not available from its competitors' products. It is important that Microsoft be able to continue to distinguish and differentiate its products from the competition. To that end, during fiscal years 2001, 2002, and 2003, research and development expenses were a staggering $4.38 billion, $4.31 billion, and $4.66 billion, respectively. Those amounts represented 17.3%, 15.2%, and 14.5%, respectively, of revenue in each of those years. Most of Microsoft's products are developed internally, but the company also purchases new technology, licenses intellectual property rights, and oversees third-party development of certain products. Microsoft's products include scalable operating systems for servers, personal computers, and intelligent devices; server applications for
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Approximate Word count = 1357
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)

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