Apple Inc: FORM 10-K
Apple Inc: FORM 10-K
Apple Inc: FORM 10-K
FORM 10-K
(Annual Report)
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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form 10-K
(Mark One)
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended September 27, 2008
or
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934
For the transition period from to
Commission file number: 000-10030
APPLE INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
California 94-2404110
(State or other jurisdiction (I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation or organization) Identification No.)
1 Infinite Loop
Cupertino, California 95014
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (408) 996-1010
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Common Stock, no par value The NASDAQ Global Select Market
(Title of class) (Name of exchange on which registered)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes No
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes No
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject
to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes No
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (section 229.405 of this chapter) is not
contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated
by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting
company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange
Act.
Large accelerated filer Accelerated filer
Non-accelerated filer (Do not check if smaller reporting company) Smaller Reporting Company
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes No
The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant, as of March 29, 2008, was approximately
$118,441,000,000 based upon the closing price reported for such date on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. For purposes of this disclosure,
shares of common stock held by persons who hold more than 5% of the outstanding shares of common stock and shares held by executive
officers and directors of the registrant have been excluded because such persons may be deemed to be affiliates. This determination of executive
officer or affiliate status is not necessarily a conclusive determination for other purposes.
888,935,123 shares of Common Stock Issued and Outstanding as of October 24, 2008
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
(1) Portions of the registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement relating to its 2009 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, to be held on February 25, 2009,
are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K where indicated.
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The Business section and other parts of this Annual Report on Form 10-K (“Form 10-K”) contain forward-looking statements that involve risks
and uncertainties. Many of the forward-looking statements are located in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
Results of Operations.” Forward-looking statements provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any
statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Forward-looking statements can also be identified by words such as
“anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “predicts,” and similar terms. Forward-looking statements are not
guarantees of future performance and the Company’s actual results may differ significantly from the results discussed in the forward-looking
statements. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in the subsection entitled “Risk Factors”
under Part I, Item 1A of this Form 10-K, which are incorporated herein by reference. The Company assumes no obligation to revise or update
any forward-looking statements for any reason, except as required by law.
PART I
Item 1. Business
Company Background
Apple Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (collectively “Apple” or the “Company”) design, manufacture, and market personal computers,
portable digital music players, and mobile communication devices and sell a variety of related software, services, peripherals, and networking
solutions. The Company sells its products worldwide through its online stores, its retail stores, its direct sales force, and third-party wholesalers,
resellers, and value-added resellers. In addition, the Company sells a variety of third-party Macintosh® (“Mac”), iPod® and iPhone™
compatible products, including application software, printers, storage devices, speakers, headphones, and various other accessories and
peripherals through its online and retail stores, and digital content through the iTunes Store®. The Company sells to consumer, small and mid-
sized business (“SMB”), education, enterprise, government, and creative customers. The Company’s fiscal year is the 52 or 53-week period that
ends on the last Saturday of September. Unless otherwise stated, all information presented in this Form 10-K is based on the Company’s fiscal
calendar.
Business Strategy
The Company is committed to bringing the best personal computing, portable digital music and mobile communication experience to consumers,
students, educators, businesses, and government agencies through its innovative hardware, software, peripherals, services, and Internet offerings.
The Company’s business strategy leverages its unique ability to design and develop its own operating system, hardware, application software,
and services to provide its customers new products and solutions with superior ease-of-use, seamless integration, and innovative industrial
design. The Company believes continual investment in research and development is critical to the development and enhancement of innovative
products and technologies. In addition to evolving its personal computers and related solutions, the Company continues to capitalize on the
convergence of the personal computer, digital consumer electronics and mobile communications by creating and refining innovations, such as
the iPod, iPhone, iTunes Store, and Apple TV®. The Company desires to support a community for the development of third-party products that
complement the Company’s offerings through its developer programs. The Company offers various third-party software applications and
hardware accessories for Mac® computers, iPods and iPhones through its retail and online stores, as well as software applications for the iPhone
platform through its iTunes® App Store. The Company’s strategy also includes expanding its distribution network to effectively reach more of
its targeted customers and provide them with a high-quality sales and post-sales support experience.
enhance reseller sales, including the Apple Sales Consultant Program, which places Apple employees and contractors at selected third-party
reseller locations. The Company believes providing direct contact with its targeted customers is an efficient way to demonstrate the advantages
of its Mac computers and other products over those of its competitors.
At the end of fiscal 2008, the Company had opened a total of 247 retail stores, including 205 stores in the U.S. and a total of 42 stores
internationally. The Company has typically located its stores at high-traffic locations in quality shopping malls and urban shopping districts.
A goal of the Company’s retail business is to expand its installed base through sales to customers who currently do not already own the
Company’s products. By operating its own stores and locating them in desirable high-traffic locations, the Company is better positioned to
control the customer buying experience and attract new customers. The stores are designed to simplify and enhance the presentation and
marketing of the Company’s products and related solutions. To that end, retail store configurations have evolved into various sizes in order to
accommodate market-specific demands. The stores employ experienced and knowledgeable personnel who provide product advice, service, and
training. The stores offer a wide selection of third-party hardware, software, and various other accessory products and peripherals selected to
complement the Company’s own products.
Education
Throughout its history, the Company has focused on the use of technology in education and has been committed to delivering tools to help
educators teach and students learn. The Company believes effective integration of technology into classroom instruction can result in higher
levels of student achievement, especially when used to support collaboration, information access, and the expression and representation of
student thoughts and ideas. The Company has designed a range of products and services to address the needs of education customers. These
products and services include the Company’s Mac computers, iPods, and iTunes, in addition to various solutions for video creation and editing,
wireless networking, professional development, and one-to-one (“1:1”) learning. A 1:1 learning solution typically consists of a portable
computer for every student and teacher along with the installation of a wireless network.
Other
In addition to consumer, SMB, education, enterprise, government and creative markets, the Company provides hardware and software products
and solutions for customers in the information technology and scientific markets.
Business Organization
The Company manages its business primarily on a geographic basis. The Company’s reportable operating segments consist of the Americas,
Europe, Japan, and Retail. The Americas, Europe, and Japan reportable segments do not include activities related to the Retail segment. The
Americas segment includes both North and South America. The Europe segment includes European countries as well as the Middle East and
Africa. The Retail segment operates Apple-owned retail stores in the U.S. and in international markets. Each reportable geographic operating
segment and the Retail operating segment provide similar hardware and software products and similar services. Further information regarding
the Company’s operating segments may be found in Part II,
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Item 7 of this Form 10-K under the heading “Segment Operating Performance,” and in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K in Notes to
Consolidated Financial Statements at Note 9, “Segment Information and Geographic Data.”
Products
The Company offers a range of personal computing products including desktop and portable personal computers, related devices and peripherals,
and various third-party hardware and software products. In addition, the Company offers its own software products, including Mac OS X, the
Company’s proprietary operating system software for the Mac; server software and related solutions; professional application software; and
consumer, education, and business oriented application software. The Company also designs, develops, and markets to Mac and Windows users
its family of iPod digital music players and its iPhone mobile communication device, along with related accessories and services, including the
online distribution of third-party content through the Company’s iTunes Store. The Company’s primary products are discussed below.
Hardware Products
The Company offers a range of personal computing products including desktop and notebook computers, server and storage products, related
devices and peripherals, and various third-party hardware products. The Company’s Mac desktop and portable systems feature Intel
microprocessors, the Company’s Mac OS X Version 10.5 Leopard® (“Mac OS X Leopard”) operating system and iLife® suite of software for
creation and management of digital photography, music, movies, DVDs, and website.
MacBook® Pro
The MacBook Pro family of notebook computers is designed for professionals and advanced consumer users. First introduced in January 2006,
the MacBook Pro includes a 15-inch or 17-inch widescreen display, a built-in iSight® video camera, and the MagSafe® magnetic power
adapter. In October 2008, the Company redesigned its 15-inch MacBook Pro models to include a widescreen light-emitting diode (“LED”)
display, the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors running at up to 2.8GHz, and a new Nvidia GeForce 9600M graphics processor. The 15-inch
MacBook Pro includes up to 4GB of 1066MHz synchronous dynamic random access memory (“SDRAM”) with a 1066MHz frontside bus, up to
a 320GB hard drive, a slot-loading double-layer SuperDrive®, a glass trackpad with Multi-Touch TM gesture support, AirPort Extreme® 802.11n
wireless networking, and Bluetooth 2.1. In addition, the Company updated its 17-inch MacBook Pro models to include larger hard drives of up
to 320GB, as well as an optional 128GB solid state drive.
MacBook®
The MacBook is designed for consumer and education users. First introduced in May 2006, the MacBook includes a 13-inch widescreen display,
a built-in iSight video camera, and the MagSafe magnetic power adapter. In October 2008, the Company introduced new MacBook models with
all-metal unibody enclosures, LED-backlit glossy widescreen displays, Intel Core 2 Duo processors running at up to 2.4GHz, NVIDIA GeForce
9400M graphics processor, support for up to 4GB of 1066MHz SDRAM memory, up to 320GB Serial ATA hard drive, a double-layer
SuperDrive, a glass trackpad with Multi-Touch TM gesture support, and built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1.
MacBook Air™
In October 2008, the Company updated its MacBook Air, an ultra-slim notebook computer that measures 0.16-inches at its thinnest point and
0.76-inches at its maximum height. The new MacBook Air includes an Intel Core 2 Duo processor running at up to 1.86GHz with 6MB of Level
2 cache, an NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor, 2GB of memory, and a 120GB hard drive. The MacBook Air includes a 13.3-inch
LED-backlit widescreen display, a full-size backlit keyboard, a built-in iSight video camera, a trackpad with Multi-Touch gesture support, and
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1.
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Mac® Pro
The Mac Pro desktop computer is targeted at business and professional users and is designed to meet the performance, expansion, and
networking needs of the most demanding Mac user. In January 2008, the Company introduced the new Mac Pro featuring up to two Intel Quad-
Core Xeon processors running at up to 3.2GHz, 12MB of Level 2 cache per processor and dual-independent 1.6GHz front-side buses, and up to
32GB of 800MHz fully buffered memory. The Mac Pro also features a direct attach storage solution for snap-in installation of up to four 1TB
hard drives for a total of 4TB of internal storage and optional AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0.
iMac®
The iMac desktop computer is targeted at consumer, education and business customers. In April 2008, the Company updated the iMac to include
Intel Core 2 Duo processors running at up to 3.06GHz, up to 4GB of 800MHz SDRAM memory, a faster graphics card option using NVIDIA
GeForce 8800 GS graphics, and a slot-loading double-layer SuperDrive. All iMac models also include a built-in iSight video camera, AirPort
Extreme 802.11n wireless networking, and Bluetooth 2.1.
Mac® mini
The Mac mini is an Intel-based desktop computer that includes 1GB of 667MHz memory that is expandable to 2GB and either a 1.83GHz or
2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor. All Mac mini models include built-in Gigabit Ethernet, AirPort Extreme 802.11g wireless networking,
Bluetooth 2.0, a total of four USB 2.0 ports, and one FireWire 400 port. Mac mini includes a full-size digital video interface and a video graphics
array output adapter to connect to a variety of displays.
Xserve®
Xserve is a 1U rack-mount server powered by up to two Quad-Core 128-bit Intel Xeon processors running at up to 3.0GHz and features Mac OS
X Server 10.5 Leopard, which became available in October 2007. Xserve supports up to 32GB of random access memory, remote management,
storage drives of up to 3TB, and an optional internal Xserve RAID card.
iPod® shuffle
The iPod shuffle weighs half an ounce and features an aluminum design and a built-in clip. The iPod shuffle is available in 1GB or 2GB flash
memory configurations and is capable of holding up to 240 or 500 songs, respectively. The iPod shuffle is available in a variety of colors and
provides up to 12 hours of battery life. The iPod shuffle includes a shuffle switch feature that allows users to listen to their music in random
order or in the order of their playlists synced through iTunes. iPod shuffle works with iTunes’ patent-pending AutoFill option that automatically
selects songs to fill the iPod shuffle from a user’s iTunes library.
iPod® nano
In September 2008, the Company introduced the new iPod nano, a flash-memory-based iPod featuring the thinnest iPod design ever. The iPod
nano incorporates a two-inch display with 204 pixels per inch, a built-in
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accelerometer, and an updated user interface featuring Cover Flow® and Shake to Shuffle mode. The new iPod nano also features “Genius”
technology allowing users to automatically create playlists from songs in their music libraries. The new iPod nano provides up to 24 hours of
audio playback or up to four hours of video playback and is available in 8GB and 16GB configurations in a variety of colors.
iPod® classic
The iPod classic is an upgraded version of the original iPod, the Company’s hard-drive based portable digital music player. In September 2008,
the Company introduced the new iPod classic, which has 120GB of storage and is capable of holding up to 30,000 songs, 150 hours of video, or
25,000 photos. The iPod classic provides up to 36 hours of audio playback or up to six hours of video playback, features “Genius” technology,
and includes a 2.5-inch color screen that can display album artwork, photos, and video content including music videos, video and audio podcasts,
short films, television shows, movies, and games.
iPod® touch
In September 2008, the Company introduced the new iPod touch, a flash-memory-based iPod that is 8.5 mm thin and features a 3.5-inch
widescreen display, “Genius” technology, a built-in speaker, and an accelerometer. The iPod touch’s user interface is based on the Company’s
Multi-Touch display allowing users to control the device with a touchscreen. It also includes Wi-Fi wireless networking, which allows users to
access the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store and iTunes App Store to purchase and/or download audio and video files, as well as a variety of other
applications. The iPod touch is available in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB configurations and features up to 36 hours of audio playback and up to six
hours of video playback.
iTunes® 8
iTunes is an application for playing, downloading, and organizing digital audio and video files and is available for both Mac and Windows-based
computers. iTunes is integrated with the iTunes Store, a service that allows customers to find, purchase, rent, and download third-party digital
music, audio books, music videos, short films, television shows, movies, games, and other applications. Originally introduced in the U.S. in
April 2003, the iTunes Store now serves customers in 22 countries. In September 2008, the Company announced iTunes 8, which includes the
new “Genius” technology and features new ways of viewing music and video libraries and allows the purchase of high definition television
programs from the iTunes Store. In July 2008, the Company launched the iTunes App Store that allows users to browse, search, purchase, and
wirelessly download third-party applications directly onto their iPhone or iPod touch. In January 2008, the Company announced iTunes Movie
Rentals, a service allowing customers to rent movies from the iTunes Store that can be watched on Macs, Windows-based computers, current
generation video-enabled iPods, iPhones, and digitally enabled televisions using Apple TV.
iPhone™
In June 2008, the Company announced iPhone ™ 3G, the second-generation iPhone that combines in a single handheld product a mobile phone,
a widescreen iPod with touch controls, and an Internet communications device. iPhone features desktop-class email, web browsing, searching,
and maps and is compatible with both Macs and Windows-based computers. iPhone automatically syncs content from users’ iTunes libraries, as
well as contacts, bookmarks, and email accounts. Its user interface is based on the Company’s Multi-Touch display allowing users to control the
device with a touchscreen. iPhone 3G combines the features of the original iPhone, which was released in June 2007, with 3G networking, a
built-in global positioning system (“GPS”), and iPhone 2.0 software. iPhone 2.0 software incorporates new enterprise features, including support
for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and Cisco IPsec virtual private network (“VPN”). iPhone 3G is a quad-band GSM phone featuring 3G,
EDGE and Wi-Fi wireless technologies for data networking, Bluetooth 2.0, a built-in 2.0 megapixel camera, and a 3.5-inch touch widescreen
with 480-by-320 resolution at 163 pixels per inch. iPhone 3G provides up to 10 hours of talk time on 2G networks and five hours using 3G
networks, up to five to six hours of web browsing, up to seven hours of video playback, or up to 24 hours of audio playback. It is available in
8GB and 16GB configurations.
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In July 2008, the Company began shipping iPhone 3G in certain countries and made iPhone 2.0 software available to all iPhone customers. The
Company has signed multi-year agreements with various cellular network carriers authorizing them to distribute and provide cellular network
services for iPhone 3G in over 70 countries. These agreements are generally not exclusive with a specific carrier, except in the U.S., U.K.,
France, Germany, Spain, Ireland, and certain other countries. The Company expects to ship iPhone 3G in over 70 countries by the end of
calendar year 2008.
In addition to the Company’s own iPhone accessories, third-party iPhone compatible products, including headsets, cables and docks, power
supplies, and carrying cases, are available through the Company’s online and retail stores or from third parties.
Peripheral Products
The Company sells a variety of Apple-branded and third-party Mac-compatible peripheral products directly to end-users through its retail and
online stores, including printers, storage devices, computer memory, digital video and still cameras, and various other computing products and
supplies.
Displays
The Company manufactures a family of widescreen flat panel displays including the 23-inch and 30-inch Apple Cinema High Definition (“HD”)
Displays™, and the 20-inch Apple Cinema Display®. In October 2008, the Company introduced a 24-inch LED Cinema Display that features a
built-in iSight camera, microphone, built-in 2.1 speaker system, and MagSafe charger.
Apple TV®
Apple TV is a device that permits users to wirelessly play iTunes content on a widescreen television. Compatible with a Mac or Windows-based
computer, Apple TV includes either a 40GB or 160GB hard drive capable of storing up to 200 hours of video, 36,000 songs, 25,000 photos, or a
combination of each and is capable of displaying content in high definition resolution up to 720p. Apple TV connects to a broad range of
widescreen televisions and home theater systems and comes standard with high-definition multimedia interface, component video, and both
analog and digital optical audio ports. Using high-speed AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking, Apple TV can auto-sync content from
one computer or stream content from up to five additional computers directly to a television.
Application Software
iLife® ’08
In August 2007, the Company introduced iLife ’08, the latest release of its consumer-oriented digital lifestyle application suite, which features
iPhoto®, iDVD®, GarageBand®, iWeb™, and iMovie® ’08. All of these applications are Universal, meaning that they run natively on both
Intel and PowerPC-based Mac computers (“Universal”).
iPhoto® is the Company’s consumer-oriented digital photo software application. iPhoto ’08 adds new features for organizing and
browsing photos, including event-based grouping, new professional quality image editing tools, and enables publishing to the
MobileMe™ Web Gallery. The MobileMe Web Gallery, is fully integrated with iPhoto ’08 and iMovie ’08, allowing MobileMe users
to share photos and movies over the web. iPhoto ’08 features print, photo book, greeting card, and calendar layout tools and integrated
online ordering services.
iMovie® ’08 is the latest version of the Company’s consumer-oriented digital video editing software application. iMovie ’08 provides
new tools for quick movie creation and video enhancements, including transitions, titles, music and sound effects. Projects in iMovie
’08 can also be published to the MobileMe Web Gallery.
iDVD® is the Company’s consumer-oriented software application that enables users to turn iMovie files, QuickTime® files, and digital
pictures into interactive DVDs that can be played on most consumer DVD players. iDVD ’08 features 10 new Apple-designed menu
themes in both widescreen (16:9) and standard (4:3) formats.
GarageBand® is the Company’s consumer-oriented music creation software application that allows users to play, record and create
music using a simple interface. With GarageBand, software instruments, digital audio recordings and looping tracks can be arranged and
edited to create songs. GarageBand ’08 allows users to export finished songs to their iTunes library, or publish a podcast through iWeb
and MobileMe that includes artwork, sound effects, and music jingles.
iWeb™ allows users to create online photo albums, blogs and podcasts, and to customize websites using editing tools. iWeb’08 offers
new features to make websites more interactive by adding live web widgets, which are snippets of live content from other websites,
such as Google Maps, targeted ads using Google AdSense, and photos or movies from the MobileMe Web Galleries.
iWork® ’08
In August 2007, the Company introduced iWork ’08, the latest version of the Company’s integrated productivity suite designed to help users
create, present, and publish documents, presentations, and spreadsheets. iWork ’08 includes updates to Pages® ’08 for word processing and page
layout, Keynote® ’08 for presentations, and introduces Numbers® ’08 for spreadsheets. All of these programs are Universal and feature
advanced image tools, including enhanced photo masking, resizable picture frames and edges, and Instant Alpha, which easily removes the
background of a photo.
Logic® Studio
In September 2007, the Company introduced Logic Studio, a comprehensive suite of professional tools used by musicians and professionals to
create, perform, and record music. Logic Studio features Logic Pro 8, an upgraded
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version of the Company’s music creation and audio production software; MainStage®, a new live performance application; Soundtrack Pro 2, a
professional audio post production software; Studio Instruments, made up of 40 instrument plug-ins; Studio Effects, with 80 professional effect
plug-ins; and studio Sound Library. In addition, the Company offers Logic Express 8, a standalone version of the Logic Pro 8 application that
provides an easy entry into professional music production. All of these applications are Universal.
FileMaker® Pro
The FileMaker Pro database software is Universal and offers relational databases and desktop-to-web publishing capabilities. In July 2007, the
Company introduced FileMaker Pro 9 featuring a new Quick Start screen, which stores users’ favorites and gives them access to the new videos
in the FileMaker Learning Center; Conditional Formatting, which highlights data based on parameters the user sets; and the ability to email a
link to other FileMaker users to instantly access a database.
Safari®
In March 2008, the Company made available Safari 3.1, a web browser compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Mac OS X. Safari
3.1 includes built-in Google search; SnapBack™ to instantly return to search results; a way to name, organize and present bookmarks; tabbed
browsing; and automatic “pop-up” ad blocking. Safari 3.1 supports the new video and audio tags in HTML 5 and supports Cascading Style
Sheets Animations and Web Fonts, which provide designers additional choices of fonts to create web sites.
QuickTime®
QuickTime, the Company’s multimedia software for Mac or Windows-based computers, features streaming of live and stored video and audio
over the Internet and playback of high-quality audio and video on computers. QuickTime 7 features H.264 encoding and can automatically
determine a user’s connection speed to ensure they are getting the highest-quality content stream possible. QuickTime 7 also delivers multi-
channel audio and supports a wide range of industry standard audio formats.
The Company offers several other QuickTime products. QuickTime 7 Pro, a suite of software tools, allows creation and editing of Internet-ready
audio and video files. QuickTime 7 Pro allows users to create H.264 video, capture audio and video, create multi-channel audio, and export
multiple files while playing back or editing video.
MobileMe™
In June 2008, the Company introduced MobileMe, an annual subscription-based suite of Internet services that delivers email, contacts and
calendars to and from native applications on iPhone, iPod touch, Macs, and Windows-based computers. MobileMe services include Internet
message access protocol (“IMAP”) mail, an ad-free email service; website hosting for publishing websites from iWeb; iDisk, a virtual hard drive
accessible anywhere with Internet access; Web Gallery for viewing and sharing photos; MobileMe Sync, which keeps Safari bookmarks, iCal®
calendars, Address Book information, Keychain®, and Mac OS X Mail preferences up-to-date across multiple computers, iPhones, and iPod
touches. MobileMe provides combined email and file storage of 20GB for individuals and 40GB for families with additional storage options.
Competition
The Company is confronted by aggressive competition in all areas of its business. The markets for consumer electronics, personal computers,
related software and peripheral products, digital music devices and related services, and mobile communication devices are highly competitive.
These markets are characterized by rapid technological advances in both hardware and software that have substantially increased the capabilities
and use of personal computers, other digital electronic devices, and mobile communication devices that have resulted in the frequent introduction
of new products with competitive price, feature, and performance characteristics. Over the past several years, price competition in these markets
has been particularly intense. The Company’s competitors who sell personal computers based on other operating systems have aggressively cut
prices and lowered their product margins to gain or maintain market share. The Company’s financial condition and operating results can be
adversely affected by these and other industry-wide downward pressures on gross margins. The principal competitive factors include price,
product features, relative price/performance, product quality and reliability, design innovation, availability of software and peripherals,
marketing and distribution capability, service and support, and corporate reputation. Further, as the personal computer industry and its customers
place more reliance on the Internet, an increasing number of Internet devices that are smaller, simpler, and less expensive than traditional
personal computers may compete with the Company’s products.
The Company’s music products and services have faced significant competition from other companies promoting their own digital music and
content products and services, including those offering free peer-to-peer music and video services. The Company believes it currently retains a
competitive advantage by offering superior innovation and integration of the entire solution including the hardware (personal computer, iPod,
and iPhone), software (iTunes), and distribution of content (iTunes Store and iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store). However, the Company expects
competition in this space to intensify as competitors attempt to imitate the Company’s approach to tightly integrating these elements within their
own offerings or, alternatively, collaborate with each other to offer solutions that are more integrated than those they currently offer. Some of
these current and potential competitors have substantial resources and may be able to provide such products and services at little or no profit or
even at a loss to compete with the Company’s offerings.
The Company is currently focused on market opportunities related to mobile communication devices including the iPhone. The mobile
communications industry is highly competitive with several large, well-funded, and experienced competitors. The Company faces competition
from mobile communication device companies that may attempt to imitate some of the iPhone’s functions and applications within their own
smart phones. This industry is characterized by aggressive pricing practices, frequent product introductions, evolving design approaches and
technologies, rapid adoption of technological and product advancements by competitors, and price sensitivity on the part of consumers.
The Company’s future financial condition and operating results are substantially dependent on the Company’s ability to continue to develop and
offer new innovative products and services in each of its markets.
Raw Materials
Although most components essential to the Company’s business are generally available from multiple sources, certain key components
including, but not limited to microprocessors, enclosures, certain LCDs, certain optical drives, and application-specific integrated circuits
(“ASICs”) are currently obtained by the Company from single or limited sources, which subjects the Company to significant supply and pricing
risks. Many of these and other key components that are available from multiple sources including, but not limited to NAND flash memory,
dynamic random access memory (“DRAM”), and certain LCDs, are subject at times to industry-wide shortages and significant commodity
pricing fluctuations. In addition, the Company has entered into certain agreements for
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the supply of key components including, but not limited to microprocessors, NAND flash memory, DRAM and LCDs at favorable pricing, but
there is no guarantee that the Company will be able to extend or renew these agreements on similar favorable terms, or at all, upon expiration or
otherwise obtain favorable pricing in the future. Therefore, the Company remains subject to significant risks of supply shortages and/or price
increases that can have a material adverse effect on its financial condition and operating results.
The Company and other participants in the personal computer, consumer electronics and mobile communication industries also compete for
various components with other industries that have experienced increased demand for their products. In addition, the Company uses some
custom components that are not common to the rest of the personal computer, consumer electronics and mobile communication industries, and
new products introduced by the Company often utilize custom components available from only one source until the Company has evaluated
whether there is a need for, and subsequently qualifies, additional suppliers. When a component or product uses new technologies, initial
capacity constraints may exist until the suppliers’ yields have matured. If the Company’s supply of a key single-sourced component for a new or
existing product were delayed or constrained, if such components were available only at significantly higher prices, or if a key manufacturing
vendor delayed shipments of completed products to the Company, the Company’s financial condition and operating results could be materially
adversely affected. The Company’s business and financial performance could also be adversely affected depending on the time required to
obtain sufficient quantities from the original source, or to identify and obtain sufficient quantities from an alternative source. Continued
availability of these components at acceptable prices, or at all, may be affected if those suppliers decided to concentrate on the production of
common components instead of components customized to meet the Company’s requirements.
Significant portions of the Company’s Mac computers, iPods, iPhones, logic boards, and other assembled products are manufactured by
outsourcing partners, primarily in various parts of Asia. A significant concentration of this outsourced manufacturing is currently performed by
only a few of the Company’s outsourcing partners, often in single locations. Certain of these outsourcing partners are the sole-sourced suppliers
of components and manufacturing outsourcing for many of the Company’s key products, including but not limited to final assembly of
substantially all of the Company’s portable Mac computers, iPods, iPhones and most of the Company’s iMacs. Although the Company works
closely with its outsourcing partners on manufacturing schedules, the Company’s operating results could be adversely affected if its outsourcing
partners were unable to meet their production commitments. The Company’s purchase commitments typically cover its requirements for periods
ranging from 30 to 150 days.
The Company believes there are several component suppliers and manufacturing vendors whose loss to the Company could have a material
adverse effect upon the Company’s business and financial condition. At this time, such vendors include, without limitation, Amperex
Technology Limited, ASUSTeK Corporation, ATI Technologies, Inc., Atheros Communications Inc., AU Optronics Corporation, Broadcom
Corporation, Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corporation, Cypress Semiconductor Corporation, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, Hon Hai
Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Infineon Technologies AG, Intel Corporation, Inventec Appliances Corporation, LG Display, LSI Corporation,
Matsushita, Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., National Semiconductor Corporation, NVIDIA Corp., Inc., Quanta Computer, Inc., Renesas
Semiconductor Co. Ltd., Samsung Electronics, Sony Corporation, Synaptics, Inc., Texas Instruments, and Toshiba Corporation.
Seasonal Business
The Company has historically experienced increased net sales in its first and fourth fiscal quarters compared to other quarters in its fiscal year
due to seasonal demand related to the holiday season and the beginning of the school year. This historical pattern should not be considered a
reliable indicator of the Company’s future net sales or financial performance.
Warranty
The Company offers a basic limited parts and labor warranty on most of its hardware products, including Mac computers, iPods and iPhones.
The basic warranty period is typically one year from the date of purchase by the
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original end-user. The Company also offers a 90-day basic warranty for its service parts used to repair the Company’s hardware products. In
addition, consumers may purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan, which extends service coverage on many of the Company’s hardware
products in most of its major markets.
Backlog
In the Company’s experience, the actual amount of product backlog at any particular time is not a meaningful indication of its future business
prospects. In particular, backlog often increases in anticipation of or immediately following new product introductions as dealers anticipate
shortages. Backlog is often reduced once dealers and customers believe they can obtain sufficient supply. Because of the foregoing, backlog
should not be considered a reliable indicator of the Company’s ability to achieve any particular level of revenue or financial performance.
Environmental Laws
Compliance with federal, state, local, and foreign laws enacted for the protection of the environment has to date had no material effect on the
Company’s capital expenditures, earnings, or competitive position. In the future, these laws could have a material adverse effect on the
Company.
Production and marketing of products in certain states and countries may subject the Company to environmental and other regulations including,
in some instances, the requirement to provide customers the ability to return product at the end of its useful life, and place responsibility for
environmentally safe disposal or recycling with the Company. Such laws and regulations have been passed in several jurisdictions in which the
Company operates including various countries within Europe and Asia, certain Canadian provinces, and certain states within the U.S. Although
the Company does not anticipate any material adverse effects in the future based on the nature of its operations and the thrust of such laws, there
is no assurance that such existing laws or future laws will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition or operating
results.
Employees
As of September 27, 2008, the Company had approximately 32,000 full-time equivalent employees and an additional 3,100 temporary equivalent
employees and contractors.
Available Information
The Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to reports filed
pursuant to Sections 13(a) and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, are filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission (the “SEC”). Such reports and other information filed by the Company with the SEC are available on the Company’s website at
http://www.apple.com/investor when such reports are available on the SEC website. The public may read and copy any materials filed by the
Company with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, NE, Room 1580, Washington, DC 20549. The public may obtain
information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC maintains an Internet site that
contains reports, proxy, and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at
http://www.sec.gov. The contents of these websites are not incorporated into this filing. Further, the Company’s references to the URLs for these
websites are intended to be inactive textual references only.
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Robert Mansfield , Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, joined the Company in November 1999 as Vice President of Development
Engineering and assumed his current position in May 2008. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Mansfield was Vice President of Engineering at
Raycer Graphics and a Senior Director at Silicon Graphics, Inc.
Peter Oppenheimer, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, joined the Company in July 1996. Mr. Oppenheimer also served the
Company as Vice President and Corporate Controller and as Senior Director of Finance for the Americas. Prior to joining the Company,
Mr. Oppenheimer was Chief Financial Officer of one of the four business units for Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (“ADP ” ). Prior to joining
ADP, Mr. Oppenheimer spent six years in the Information Technology Consulting Practice with Coopers and Lybrand.
Philip W. Schiller, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Product Marketing, rejoined the Company in 1997. Prior to rejoining the Company,
Mr. Schiller was Vice President of Product Marketing at Macromedia, Inc. from December 1995 to March 1997 and Director of Product
Marketing at FirePower Systems, Inc. from 1993 to December 1995. Prior to that, Mr. Schiller spent six years at the Company in various
marketing positions.
Bertrand Serlet, Senior Vice President, Software Engineering, joined the Company in February 1997 upon the Company’s acquisition of NeXT
and also served the Company as Vice President of Platform Technology. At NeXT, Mr. Serlet held several engineering and managerial positions,
including Director of Web Engineering. Prior to NeXT, Mr. Serlet worked as a research engineer at Xerox PARC from 1985 to 1989.
Sina Tamaddon, Senior Vice President, Applications, joined the Company in September 1997. Mr. Tamaddon has also served with the
Company as Senior Vice President, Worldwide Service and Support, and Vice President and General Manager, Newton Group. Before joining
the Company, Mr. Tamaddon held the position of Vice President, Europe with NeXT from September 1996 through March 1997. From
August 1994 to August 1996, Mr. Tamaddon was Vice President, Professional Services with NeXT.
related to debt securities as well as equity and other investments; interest rates; cash balances; and changes in fair value of derivative
instruments. The current volatility in the financial markets and overall economic uncertainty increases the risk that the actual amounts realized in
the future on the Company’s financial instruments could differ significantly from the fair values currently assigned to them.
Uncertainty about current global economic conditions could also continue to increase the volatility of the Company’s stock price.
The matters relating to the Company’s past stock option practices and the restatement of the Company’s consolidated financial statements may
result in additional litigation.
The findings from the Company’s investigation into its past stock option granting practices and the resulting restatement of prior financial
statements in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year September 30, 2006 (the “2006 Form 10-K”) have exposed the
Company to greater risks associated with litigation, regulatory proceedings and government enforcement actions. As described in Part I, Item 3,
“Legal Proceedings,” several derivative complaints and a class action complaint have been filed in state and federal courts against the Company
and certain current and former directors and executive officers pertaining to allegations relating to past stock option grants. The Company has
provided the results of its investigation to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and the United States Attorney’s Office for the
Northern District of California, and the Company has responded to their requests for documents and additional information. The Company
intends to continue to provide its full cooperation.
On April 24, 2007, the SEC filed an enforcement action against two former officers of the Company. In announcing the lawsuit, the SEC stated
that it would not bring an enforcement action against the Company based in part on the Company’s “swift, extensive, and extraordinary
cooperation in the Commission’s investigation.” According to the SEC’s statement, the Company’s “cooperation consisted of, among other
things, prompt self-reporting, an independent internal investigation, the sharing of the results of that investigation with the government, and the
implementation of new controls designed to prevent the recurrence of fraudulent conduct.” The enforcement actions against each of these former
officers have now been settled.
No assurance can be given regarding the outcomes from litigation relating to the Company’s past stock option practices. These and related
matters have required, and will continue to require, the Company to incur substantial expenses for legal, accounting, tax, and other professional
services, and may divert management’s attention from the Company’s business. If the Company is subject to adverse findings, it could be
required to pay damages and penalties and might face additional remedies that could harm its financial condition and operating results.
Global markets for personal computers, digital music devices, mobile communication devices, and related peripherals and services are highly
competitive and subject to rapid technological change. If the Company is unable to compete effectively in these markets, its financial condition
and operating results could be materially adversely affected.
The Company competes in global markets that are highly competitive and characterized by aggressive price cutting, with its resulting downward
pressure on gross margins, frequent introduction of new products, short product life cycles, evolving industry standards, continual improvement
in product price/performance characteristics, rapid adoption of technological and product advancements by competitors, and price sensitivity on
the part of consumers.
The Company’s ability to compete successfully depends heavily on its ability to ensure a continuing and timely introduction of new innovative
products and technologies to the marketplace. The Company believes it is unique in that it designs and develops nearly the entire solution for its
personal computers, consumer electronics, and mobile communication devices, including the hardware, operating system, several software
applications, and related services. As a result, the Company must make significant investments in research and development and as such, the
Company currently holds a significant number of patents and copyrights and has registered and/or has applied to register numerous patents,
trademarks and service marks. By contrast, many of the Company’s competitors seek to compete primarily through aggressive pricing and very
low cost structures. If the Company is unable to continue to develop and sell innovative new products with attractive margins or if other
companies
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infringe on the Company’s intellectual property, the Company’s ability to maintain a competitive advantage could be negatively affected and
have a materially adverse affect on its financial condition and operating results.
In the market for personal computers and peripherals, the Company faces a significant number of competitors, many of which have broader
product lines, lower priced products, and larger installed customer bases. Consolidation in this market has resulted in larger and potentially
stronger competitors. Price competition has been particularly intense as competitors selling Windows-based personal computers have
aggressively cut prices and lowered product margins. The Company also faces increased competition in key market segments, including
consumer, SMB, education, enterprise, government, and creative markets. An increasing number of Internet devices that include software
applications and are smaller and simpler than traditional personal computers compete for market share with the Company’s existing products.
The Company is currently the only authorized maker of hardware using the Mac OS. The Mac OS has a minority market share in the personal
computer market, which is dominated by makers of computers using competing operating systems, most notably Windows. The Company’s
financial condition and operating results depend substantially on the Company’s ability to continually improve the Mac platform to maintain
design and functional advantages. Use of unauthorized copies of the Mac OS on other companies’ hardware products may result in decreased
demand for the Company’s hardware products, and could materially adversely affect the Company’s financial condition and operating results.
The Company is currently focused on certain mobile communication devices, such as iPhone; consumer electronic devices, including the iPod
family of digital music players, and digital content distribution. The Company faces substantial competition from companies that have
significant technical, marketing, distribution, and other resources, as well as established hardware, software, and digital content supplier
relationships. The Company has only recently entered the mobile communications market, and many of its competitors in the mobile
communications market have significantly greater experience, product breadth, and distribution channels than the Company. The Company also
competes with illegitimate ways to obtain digital content. Because some current and potential competitors have substantial resources and
experience and a lower cost structure, they may be able to provide such products and services at little or no profit or even at a loss. The Company
also expects competition to intensify as competitors attempt to imitate the Company’s approach to providing these components seamlessly
within their individual offerings or work collaboratively to offer integrated solutions.
There can be no assurance the Company will be able to continue to provide products and services that compete effectively.
To remain competitive and stimulate customer demand, the Company must successfully manage frequent product introductions and transitions.
Due to the highly volatile and competitive nature of the personal computer, consumer electronics and mobile communication industries, the
Company must continually introduce new products and technologies, enhance existing products, and effectively stimulate customer demand for
new and upgraded products. The success of new product introductions depends on a number of factors, including timely and successful product
development, market acceptance, the Company’s ability to manage the risks associated with new products and production ramp issues, the
availability of application software for new products, the effective management of purchase commitments and inventory levels in line with
anticipated product demand, the availability of products in appropriate quantities and costs to meet anticipated demand, and the risk that new
products may have quality or other defects in the early stages of introduction. Accordingly, the Company cannot determine in advance the
ultimate effect of new product introductions and transitions on its financial condition and operating results.
value of the assets exceeds its fair market value. Although the Company believes its inventory, asset, and related provisions are currently
adequate, no assurance can be given that, given the rapid and unpredictable pace of product obsolescence in the global personal computer,
consumer electronics, and mobile communication industries, the Company will not incur additional inventory or asset related charges. Such
charges have had, and could have, a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and operating results.
The Company must order components for its products and build inventory in advance of product announcements and shipments. Consistent with
industry practice, components are normally acquired through a combination of purchase orders, supplier contracts, and open orders based on
projected demand. Such purchase commitments typically cover forecasted component and manufacturing requirements for 30 to 150 days.
Because the Company’s markets are volatile, competitive and subject to rapid technology and price changes, there is a risk the Company will
forecast incorrectly and order or produce excess or insufficient inventories of components or products. The Company’s financial condition and
operating results have been in the past and could be in the future materially adversely affected by the Company’s ability to manage its inventory
levels and respond to short-term shifts in customer demand patterns.
Future operating results depend upon the Company’s ability to obtain key components including, but not limited to microprocessors, NAND
flash memory, DRAM and LCDs at favorable prices and in sufficient quantities.
Because the Company currently obtains certain key components including, but not limited to microprocessors, enclosures, certain LCDs, certain
optical drives, and ASICs, from single or limited sources, the Company is subject to significant supply and pricing risks. Many of these and other
key components that are available from multiple sources including, but not limited to NAND flash memory, DRAM and certain LCDs, are
subject at times to industry-wide shortages and significant commodity pricing fluctuations. The Company has entered into certain agreements for
the supply of key components including, but not limited to microprocessors, NAND flash memory, DRAM and LCDs at favorable pricing, but
there is no guarantee that the Company will be able to extend or renew these agreements on similar favorable terms, or at all, upon expiration or
otherwise obtain favorable pricing in the future. Therefore, the Company remains subject to significant risks of supply shortages and/or price
increases that can have a material adverse effect on its financial condition and operating results. The Company expects to experience decreases
in its gross margin percentage in future periods, as compared to levels achieved during 2008 and 2007, due largely to the anticipated impact of
product transitions, flat or reduced pricing on new and innovative products that have higher cost structures, both expected and potential future
cost increases for key components, and higher logistical costs. For additional information refer to Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” under the subheading “Gross Margin,” which is incorporated herein by reference.
The Company and other participants in the personal computer, consumer electronics and mobile communication industries compete for various
components with other industries that have experienced increased demand for their products. The Company uses some custom components that
are not common to the rest of the personal computer, consumer electronics or mobile communication industries. The Company’s new products
often utilize custom components available from only one source until the Company has evaluated whether there is a need for, and subsequently
qualifies, additional suppliers. When a component or product uses new technologies, initial capacity constraints may exist until the suppliers’
yields have matured. Continued availability of these components at acceptable prices, or at all, may be affected if those suppliers decided to
concentrate on the production of common components instead of components customized to meet the Company’s requirements. If the supply of
a key single-sourced component for a new or existing product were delayed or constrained, if such components were available only at
significantly higher prices, or if a key manufacturing vendor delayed shipments of completed products to the Company, the Company’s financial
condition and operating results could be materially adversely affected.
The Company depends on component and product manufacturing and logistical services provided by third parties, many of whom are located
outside of the U.S.
Most of the Company’s components and products are manufactured in whole or in part by a few third-party manufacturers. Many of these
manufacturers are located outside of the U.S., and are geographically concentrated
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in single locations. The Company has also outsourced much of its transportation and logistics management. While these arrangements may lower
operating costs, they also reduce the Company’s direct control over production and distribution. It is uncertain what effect such diminished
control will have on the quality or quantity of products or services, or the Company’s flexibility to respond to changing conditions. In addition,
the Company relies on third-party manufacturers to adhere to the Company’s supplier code of conduct. Although arrangements with such
manufacturers may contain provisions for warranty expense reimbursement, the Company may remain responsible to the consumer for warranty
service in the event of product defects. Any unanticipated product defect or warranty liability, whether pursuant to arrangements with contract
manufacturers or otherwise, could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s reputation, financial condition and operating results.
Final assembly of the Company’s products is currently performed in the Company’s manufacturing facility in Ireland, and by external vendors in
California, Korea, China and the Czech Republic. Currently, the supply and manufacture of many critical components is performed by sole-
sourced third-party vendors in the U.S., China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Singapore. Sole-sourced third-party
vendors in China perform final assembly of substantially all of the Company’s portable products, including MacBook Pro, MacBook, MacBook
Air, iPods, iPhones and most of the Company’s iMacs. If manufacturing or logistics in these locations is disrupted for any reason, including
natural disasters, information technology system failures, military actions or economic, business, labor, environmental, public health, or political
issues, the Company’s financial condition and operating results could be materially adversely affected.
The Company relies on third-party digital content, which may not be available to the Company on commercially reasonable terms or at all.
The Company contracts with certain third parties to offer their digital content through the Company’s iTunes Store. The Company pays
substantial fees to obtain the rights to audio and video content. The Company’s licensing arrangements with these third parties are short-term and
do not guarantee the continuation or renewal of these arrangements on reasonable terms, if at all. Some third-party content providers currently or
in the future may offer competing products and services, and could take action to make it more difficult or impossible for the Company to license
their content in the future. Other content owners, providers or distributors may seek to limit the Company’s access to, or increase the total cost
of, such content. If the Company is unable to continue to offer a wide variety of content at reasonable prices with acceptable usage rules, or
continue to expand its geographic reach, the Company’s financial condition and operating results may be materially adversely affected.
Many third-party content providers require that the Company provide certain digital rights management (“DRM”) and other security solutions. If
these requirements change, the Company may have to develop or license new technology to provide these solutions. There is no assurance the
Company will be able to develop or license such solutions at a reasonable cost and in a timely manner. In addition, certain countries have passed
or may propose legislation that would force the Company to license its DRM, which could lessen the protection of content and subject it to
piracy and also could affect arrangements with the Company’s content providers.
The Company relies on access to third-party patents and intellectual property, and the Company’s future results could be materially adversely
affected if it is alleged or found to have infringed intellectual property rights.
Many of the Company’s products are designed to include third-party intellectual property, and in the future the Company may need to seek or
renew licenses relating to various aspects of its products and business methods. Although the Company believes that, based on past experience
and industry practice, such licenses generally could be obtained on reasonable terms, there is no assurance that the necessary licenses would be
available on acceptable terms or at all.
Because of technological changes in the global personal computer, consumer electronics and mobile communication industries, current extensive
patent coverage, and the rapid issuance of new patents, it is possible that certain components of the Company’s products and business methods
may unknowingly infringe the patents or other intellectual property rights of third parties. From time to time, the Company has been notified that
it may be infringing such rights. Regardless of merit, responding to such claims can consume significant time and
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expense. At present, the Company is vigorously defending more than 21 patent infringement cases, 13 of which were filed during fiscal 2008,
and several pending claims are in various stages of evaluation. In certain cases, the Company may consider the desirability of entering into
licensing agreements, although no assurance can be given that such licenses can be obtained on acceptable terms or that litigation will not occur.
If the Company is found to be infringing such rights, it may be required to pay substantial damages. If there is a temporary or permanent
injunction prohibiting the Company from marketing or selling certain products or a successful claim of infringement against the Company
requires it to pay royalties to a third party, the Company’s financial condition and operating results could be materially adversely affected,
regardless of whether it can develop non-infringing technology. While in management’s opinion the Company does not have a potential liability
for damages or royalties from any known current legal proceedings or claims related to the infringement of patent or other intellectual property
rights that would individually or in the aggregate have a material adverse effect on its financial condition and operating results, the results of
such legal proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty. Should the Company fail to prevail in any of the matters related to infringement of
patent or other intellectual property rights of others or should several of these matters be resolved against the Company in the same reporting
period, the Company’s financial condition and operating results could be materially adversely affected.
With the June 2007 introduction of iPhone, the Company has begun to compete with mobile communication device companies that hold
significant patent portfolios. Regardless of the scope or validity of such patents or the merits of any potential patent claims by competitors, the
Company may have to engage in protracted litigation, enter into expensive agreements or settlements and/or modify its products. Any of these
events could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s financial condition and operating results.
The Company’s future performance depends on support from third-party software developers. If third-party software applications and services
cease to be developed and maintained for the Company’s products, customers may choose not to buy the Company’s products.
The Company believes decisions by customers to purchase its hardware products, including its Macs, iPods and iPhones, are often based to a
certain extent on the availability of third-party software applications and services. There is no assurance that third-party developers will continue
to develop and maintain applications and services for the Company’s products on a timely basis or at all, and discontinuance or delay of these
applications and services could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and operating results.
With respect to its Mac products, the Company believes the availability of third-party software applications and services depends in part on the
developers’ perception and analysis of the relative benefits of developing, maintaining, and upgrading such software for the Company’s products
compared to Windows-based products. This analysis may be based on factors such as the perceived strength of the Company and its products,
the anticipated revenue that may be generated, continued acceptance by customers of Mac OS X, and the costs of developing such applications
and services. If the Company’s minority share of the global personal computer market causes developers to question the Company’s prospects,
developers could be less inclined to develop or upgrade software for the Company’s products and more inclined to devote their resources to
developing and upgrading software for the larger Windows market. The Company’s development of its own software applications and services
may also negatively affect the decisions of third-party developers, such as Microsoft, Adobe, and Google, to develop, maintain, and upgrade
similar or competitive software and services for the Company’s products. Mac OS X Leopard, which became available in October 2007, includes
a new feature that enables Intel-based Mac systems to run Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Vista operating systems. This feature may deter
developers from creating software applications for Mac OS X if such applications are already available for the Windows platform.
With respect to iPhone and iPod touch, the Company relies on the continued availability and development of compelling and innovative software
applications. As with applications for the Company’s Mac products, the availability and development of these applications also depend on
developers’ perceptions and analysis of the relative benefits of developing software for the Company’s products rather than its competitors’,
including devices that use competing platforms. If developers focus their efforts on these competing platforms, the availability and quality of
applications for the Company’s devices may suffer.
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The Company’s products and services experience quality problems from time to time that can result in decreased sales and operating margin.
The Company sells highly complex hardware and software products and services that can contain defects in design and manufacture.
Sophisticated operating system software and applications, such as those sold by the Company, often contain “bugs” that can unexpectedly
interfere with the software’s intended operation. Defects may also occur in components and products the Company purchases from third parties.
There can be no assurance the Company will be able to detect and fix all defects in the hardware, software and services it sells. Failure to do so
could result in lost revenue, harm to reputation, and significant warranty and other expenses, and could have a material adverse impact on the
Company’s financial condition and operating results.
The Company expects its quarterly revenue and operating results to fluctuate for a variety of reasons.
The Company’s profit margins vary among its products and its distribution channels. The Company’s software, accessories, and service and
support contracts generally have higher gross margins than certain of the Company’s other products. Gross margins on the Company’s hardware
products vary across product lines and can change over time as a result of product transitions, pricing and configuration changes, and
component, warranty, and other cost fluctuations. The Company’s direct sales generally have higher associated gross margins than its indirect
sales through its channel partners. In addition, the Company’s gross margin and operating margin percentages, as well as overall profitability,
may be materially adversely impacted as a result of a shift in product, geographic or channel mix, new products, component cost increases, or
price competition. The Company has typically experienced greater net sales in the first and fourth fiscal quarters compared to the second and
third fiscal quarters due to seasonal demand related to the holiday season and the beginning of the school year, respectively. Furthermore, the
Company sells more products from time-to-time during the third month of a quarter than it does during either of the first two months.
Developments late in a quarter, such as lower-than-anticipated demand for the Company’s products, an internal systems failure, or failure of one
of the Company’s key logistics, components supply, or manufacturing partners, could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s
financial condition and operating results.
In certain countries, including the U.S., the Company relies on a single cellular network carrier to provide service for iPhone.
In the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Spain, Ireland, and certain other countries, the Company has contracted with a single carrier to provide
cellular network services for iPhone on an exclusive basis. If these exclusive carriers cannot successfully compete with other carriers in their
markets for any reason, including but not limited to the quality and coverage of wireless voice and data services, performance and timely build-
out of advanced wireless networks, and pricing and other terms of conditions of end-user contracts, or if these exclusive carriers fail to promote
iPhone aggressively or favor other handsets in their promotion and sales activities or service plans, sales may be materially adversely affected.
The Company is subject to risks associated with laws, regulations and industry-imposed standards related to mobile communications devices.
Laws and regulations related to mobile communications devices in the many jurisdictions in which the Company operates are extensive and
subject to change. Such changes, which could include but are not limited to restrictions on production, manufacture, distribution, and use of the
device, locking the device to a carrier’s network, or mandating the use of the device on more than one carrier’s network, could have a material
adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and operating results.
Mobile communication devices, such as iPhone, are subject to certification and regulation by governmental and standardization bodies, as well
as by cellular network carriers for use on their networks. These certification processes are extensive and time consuming, and could result in
additional testing requirements, product modifications or delays in product shipment dates, which could have a material adverse effect on the
Company’s financial condition and operating results.
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The Company may be subject to information technology system failures, network disruptions and breaches in data security.
Information technology system failures, network disruptions and breaches of data security could disrupt the Company’s operations by causing
delays or cancellation of customer, including channel partner, orders, negatively affecting the Company’s online offerings and services,
impeding the manufacture or shipment of products, processing transactions and reporting financial results, resulting in the unintentional
disclosure of customer or Company information, or damage to the Company’s reputation. While management has taken steps to address these
concerns by implementing sophisticated network security and internal control measures, there can be no assurance that a system failure or data
security breach will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and operating results.
Political events, war, terrorism, public health issues, natural disasters and other circumstances could materially adversely affect the Company.
War, terrorism, geopolitical uncertainties, public health issues, and other business interruptions have caused and could cause damage or
disruption to international commerce and the global economy, and thus could have a strong negative effect on the Company, its suppliers,
logistics providers, manufacturing vendors and customers, including channel partners. The Company’s business operations are subject to
interruption by natural disasters, fire, power shortages, terrorist attacks, and other hostile acts, labor disputes, public health issues, and other
events beyond its control. Such events could decrease demand for the Company’s products, make it difficult or impossible for the Company to
make and deliver products to its customers, including channel partners, or to receive components from its suppliers, and create delays and
inefficiencies in the Company’s supply chain. Should major public health issues, including pandemics, arise, the Company could be negatively
affected by more stringent employee travel restrictions, additional limitations in freight services, governmental actions limiting the movement of
products between regions, delays in production ramps of new products, and disruptions in the operations of the Company’s manufacturing
vendors and component suppliers. The majority of the Company’s research and development activities, its corporate headquarters, information
technology systems, and other critical business operations, including certain component suppliers and manufacturing vendors, are located near
major seismic faults. Because the Company does not carry earthquake insurance for direct quake-related losses and significant recovery time
could be required to resume operations, the Company’s financial condition and operating results could be materially adversely affected in the
event of a major earthquake.
The Company’s success depends largely on its ability to attract and retain key personnel.
Much of the Company’s future success depends on the continued service and availability of skilled personnel, including its CEO, its executive
team and key employees in technical, marketing and staff positions. Experienced personnel in the technology industry are in high demand and
competition for their talents is intense, especially in the Silicon Valley, where most of the Company’s key employees are located. The Company
has relied on equity awards as one means for recruiting and retaining this highly skilled talent. Accounting regulations requiring the expensing of
stock options have resulted in increased stock-based compensation expense, which has caused the Company to reduce the number of stock-based
awards issued to employees and could negatively impact the Company’s ability to attract and retain key personnel. Additionally, significant
adverse volatility in the Company’s stock price could result in a stock option’s exercise price exceeding the underlying stock’s market value or a
significant deterioration in the value of restricted stock units (“RSUs”) granted, thus lessening the
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effectiveness of retaining employees through stock-based awards. There can be no assurance that the Company will continue to successfully
attract and retain key personnel.
Unfavorable results of legal proceedings could materially adversely affect the Company.
The Company is subject to various legal proceedings and claims that have arisen out of the ordinary conduct of its business and are not yet
resolved and additional claims may arise in the future. Results of legal proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty. Regardless of its merit,
litigation may be both time-consuming and disruptive to the Company’s operations and cause significant expense and diversion of management
attention. In recognition of these considerations, the Company may enter into material settlements. Should the Company fail to prevail in certain
matters, or should several of these matters be resolved against the Company in the same reporting period, the Company may be faced with
significant monetary damages or injunctive relief against it that would materially adversely affect a portion of its business and might materially
affect the Company’s financial condition and operating results.
The Company’s retail business has required and will continue to require a substantial investment and commitment of resources and is subject to
numerous risks and uncertainties.
Through September 27, 2008, the Company had opened 247 retail stores. The Company’s retail stores have required substantial fixed investment
in equipment and leasehold improvements, information systems, inventory, and personnel. The Company also has entered into substantial
operating lease commitments for retail space with terms ranging from 5 to 20 years, the majority of which are for 10 years. Certain stores have
been designed and built to serve as high-profile venues to promote brand awareness and serve as vehicles for corporate sales and marketing
activities. Because of their unique design elements, locations and size, these stores require substantially more investment than the Company’s
more typical retail stores. Due to the high fixed cost structure associated with the Retail segment, a decline in sales or the closure or poor
performance of individual or multiple stores could result in significant lease termination costs, write-offs of equipment and leasehold
improvements, and severance costs that could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and operating results.
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Many factors unique to retail operations, some of which are beyond the Company’s control, pose risks and uncertainties that could have a
material adverse effect on the Retail segment’s future results, cause its actual results to differ from anticipated results and have a material
adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and operating results. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, macro-
economic factors that could have a negative effect on general retail activity, as well as the Company’s inability to manage costs associated with
store construction and operation, inability to sell third-party products at adequate margins, failure to manage relationships with existing retail
channel partners, more challenging environment in managing retail operations outside the U.S., costs associated with unanticipated fluctuations
in the value of retail inventory, and inability to obtain and renew leases in quality retail locations at a reasonable cost.
Investment in new business strategies and initiatives could disrupt the Company’s ongoing business and present risks not originally
contemplated.
The Company has invested, and in the future may invest, in new business strategies or acquisitions. Such endeavors may involve significant risks
and uncertainties, including distraction of management from current operations, insufficient revenue to offset liabilities assumed and expenses
associated with the strategy, inadequate return of capital, and unidentified issues not discovered in the Company’s due diligence. Because these
new ventures are inherently risky, no assurance can be given that such strategies and initiatives will be successful and will not have a material
adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and operating results.
The Company’s future operating performance depends on the performance of distributors, carriers, and other resellers.
The Company distributes its products through wholesalers, resellers, national and regional retailers, value-added resellers, and cataloguers, many
of whom distribute products from competing manufacturers. The Company also sells many of its products and resells third-party products in
most of its major markets directly to end-users, certain education customers, and certain resellers through its online and retail stores. iPhone is
distributed through the Company, its cellular network carriers’ distribution channels, and certain third-party resellers.
Many resellers operate on narrow product margins and have been negatively affected in the past by weak economic conditions. Some resellers
have perceived the expansion of the Company’s direct sales as conflicting with their business interests as distributors and resellers of the
Company’s products. Such a perception could discourage resellers from investing resources in the distribution and sale of the Company’s
products or lead them to limit or cease distribution of those products. The Company’s financial condition and operating results could be
materially adversely affected if the financial condition of these resellers weakens, if resellers stopped distributing the Company’s products, or if
uncertainty regarding demand for the Company’s products caused resellers to reduce their ordering and marketing of the Company’s products.
The Company has invested and will continue to invest in programs to enhance reseller sales, including staffing selected resellers’ stores with
Company employees and contractors and improving product placement displays. These programs could require a substantial investment while
providing no assurance of return or incremental revenue.
The Company is exposed to credit risk and fluctuations in the market values of its investment portfolio.
Although the Company has not recognized any material losses on its cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, future declines in their
market values could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and operating results. Given the global nature of its
business, the Company has investments both domestically and internationally. Additionally, the Company’s overall investment portfolio is often
concentrated in the financial sector, which has been negatively impacted by the recent market liquidity conditions. Credit ratings and pricing of
these investments can be negatively impacted by liquidity, credit deterioration or losses, financial results, or other factors. As a result, the value
or liquidity of the Company’s cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments could decline and result in a material impairment, which could
have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and operating results.
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The Company is exposed to credit risk on its accounts receivable and prepayments related to long-term supply agreements. This risk is
heightened during periods when economic conditions worsen.
A substantial majority of the Company’s outstanding trade receivables are not covered by collateral or credit insurance. The Company also has
unsecured non-trade receivables resulting from the sale by the Company of components to vendors who manufacture sub-assemblies or assemble
final products for the Company. In addition, the Company has made prepayments associated with long-term supply agreements to secure supply
of NAND flash memory. While the Company has procedures to monitor and limit exposure to credit risk on its trade and non-trade receivables
as well as long-term prepayments, there can be no assurance such procedures will effectively limit its credit risk and avoid losses, which could
have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and operating results.
The Company is subject to risks associated with laws and regulations related to health, safety and environmental protection.
The Company’s products and services, and the production and distribution of those goods and services, are subject to a variety of laws and
regulations. These may require the Company to offer customers the ability to return a product at the end of its useful life and place responsibility
for environmentally safe disposal or recycling with the Company. Such laws and regulations have been passed in several jurisdictions in which
the Company operates, including various countries within Europe and Asia, certain Canadian provinces and certain states within the U.S.
Although the Company does not anticipate any material adverse effects based on the nature of its operations and the thrust of such laws, there is
no assurance such existing laws or future laws will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and operating
results.
Changes in the Company’s tax rates could affect its future results.
The Company’s future effective tax rates could be affected by changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates,
changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, or changes in tax laws or their interpretation. The Company is subject to the
continuous examination of its income tax returns by the Internal Revenue Service and other tax authorities. The Company regularly assesses the
likelihood of adverse outcomes resulting from these examinations to determine the adequacy of its provision for taxes. There can be no
assurance that the outcomes from these examinations will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and operating
results.
The Company is subject to risks associated with the availability and coverage of insurance.
For certain risks, the Company does not maintain insurance coverage because of cost and/or availability. Because the Company retains some
portion of its insurable risks, and in some cases self-insures completely, unforeseen or catastrophic losses in excess of insured limits could have a
material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and operating results.
Item 2. Properties
The Company’s headquarters are located in Cupertino, California. The Company has a manufacturing facility in Cork, Ireland. As of
September 27, 2008, the Company leased approximately 4.2 million square feet of space, primarily in the U.S., and to a lesser extent, in Europe,
Japan, Canada, and the Asia Pacific region. The major facility leases are generally for terms of 3 to 20 years and generally provide renewal
options for terms of 1 to 5 additional years. Leased space includes approximately 1.8 million square feet of retail space, a majority of which is in
the U.S. Lease terms for retail space range from 5 to 20 years, the majority of which are for 10 years, and often contain multi-year renewal
options.
As of September 27, 2008, the Company owned a 367,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in Cork, Ireland that also housed a customer
support call center. The Company also owned 805,000 square feet of facilities in
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Sacramento, California that include warehousing and distribution operations, as well as a customer support call center. In addition, the Company
owned approximately 2.3 million square feet of facilities for research and development and corporate functions in Cupertino, California,
including approximately 1.0 million square feet purchased in 2007 and 2006 for the future development of the Company’s second corporate
campus in Cupertino, California, and approximately 107,000 square feet for a data center in Newark, California. Outside the U.S., the Company
owned additional facilities totaling approximately 129,000 square feet as of September 27, 2008. The Company believes its existing facilities
and equipment are well maintained and in good operating condition.
The Company has invested in internal capacity and strategic relationships with outside manufacturing vendors, and therefore believes it has
adequate manufacturing capacity for the foreseeable future. The Company continues to make investments in capital equipment as needed to meet
anticipated demand for its products.
pleadings, which the Court denied. Plaintiffs filed a Fifth Amended Complaint on March 19, 2008 and a Corrected Fifth Amended Complaint on
April 1, 2008. The Company filed an answer to the Corrected Fifth Amended Complaint on April 18, 2008. The Company filed a motion for
judgment on the pleadings for an order dismissing plaintiffs’ fraud claim based upon the statute of limitations, which was granted by the Court
on June 24, 2008, with leave to amend. Plaintiffs filed a Sixth Amended Complaint on July 14, 2008 and a Seventh Amended Complaint on
August 22, 2008, adding three new reseller plaintiffs. On September 22, 2008, the Company filed its answer to the consumer-related claims
denying all allegations and asserting numerous affirmative defenses, and also filed a demurrer to the new reseller claims. The Company has filed
motions for summary adjudication of two named plaintiffs’ claims, which were heard on October 14, 2008. The Court requested further briefing
on the motions for summary adjudication. On August 22, 2008, plaintiffs filed a motion to certify the consumer class and on October 10, 2008,
the Company filed its opposition to plaintiffs’ motion. The class certification hearing is set for December 19, 2008.
In re Apple Computer, Inc. Derivative Litigation (formerly Karant v. Jobs, et al. and Related Actions) (Federal Action)
On June 30, 2006, a putative derivative action captioned Karant v. Jobs, et. al. , was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern
District of California, San Jose Division. A number of related actions were filed in the subsequent weeks and have been consolidated into a
single action captioned In re Apple Computer, Inc. Derivative Litigation , Master File No. C-06-04128-JF before the Hon. Jeremy Fogel. The
actions were filed after the Company’s announcement on June 29, 2006 that an internal investigation had discovered irregularities related to the
issuance of certain stock option grants made between 1997 and 2001, that a special committee of the Company’s outside directors had retained
independent counsel to perform an investigation and that the Company had informed the Securities and Exchange Commission. The action
purports to assert claims on behalf of the Company against several current and former executive officers and members of the Board of Directors
alleging improper backdating of stock option grants to maximize certain defendants’ profits, failing to properly account for and take tax
deductions for those grants, insider trading, and issuing false financial statements. The Company is named as a nominal defendant. The
consolidated complaint alleges various causes of action under federal and California law, including claims for unjust enrichment, breach of
fiduciary duty, violation of the California Corporations Code, abuse of control, gross mismanagement, rescission, constructive fraud and waste
of corporate assets, as well as claims under Sections 10(b), 14(a) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act. Plaintiffs seek damages,
disgorgement, restitution and imposition of a constructive trust. A Consolidated Shareholder Derivative Complaint was filed on December 18,
2006, and a First Amended Shareholder Derivative Complaint was filed on March 6, 2007. On June 12, 2007, the Company’s Board of Directors
approved a resolution appointing a Special Litigation Committee to make all decisions relating to options litigation. Defendants filed a motion to
dismiss on April 20, 2007, which was heard on September 7, 2007. On November 19, 2007, the Court granted the defendants’ motion to dismiss
with leave to amend. Plaintiffs filed an amended complaint on December 19, 2007. Defendants filed motions to dismiss the amended complaint
on January 25, 2008. The motions to dismiss were originally scheduled to be heard on April 4, 2008. Pursuant to a joint stipulation filed on
April 3, 2008, the Court vacated the hearing date. The parties have reached a settlement, and the Court has granted preliminary approval of the
settlement. The parties’ request for final approval of the settlement is pending.
In re Apple Computer, Inc. Derivative Litigation (formerly Plumbers and Pipefitters v. Jobs, et al. and Related Actions) (State Action); Boston
Retirement Board v. Apple Computer, Inc.
On July 5, 2006, a putative derivative action captioned Plumbers and Pipefitters v. Jobs, et. al. , was filed in California Superior Court for the
County of Santa Clara. A number of related actions were filed in the subsequent weeks, and have been consolidated into a single action
captioned In re Apple Computer, Inc. Derivative Litigation , No. 1:06CV066692, assigned to the Hon. Joseph Huber. These actions purport to
assert claims on behalf of the Company against several current and former executive officers and members of the Board of Directors alleging
improper backdating of stock option grants to maximize certain defendants’ profits, failing to properly account for and take tax deductions for
those grants and issuing false financial statements. The Company is named as a nominal defendant. A consolidated complaint was filed on
October 5, 2006, alleging a variety of causes of action under California law, including claims for unjust enrichment, breach of fiduciary duty,
violation of the California Corporations Code, abuse of control, accounting, constructive trust, rescission, deceit, gross mismanagement and
waste of corporate assets. On December 7, 2006, the Court granted the Company’s motion to stay these actions. The parties have reached a
settlement, and the Court has granted preliminary approval of the settlement. The parties’ request for final approval of the settlement is pending.
On November 3, 2006, the Boston Retirement Board, a purported shareholder, filed a petition for writ of mandate against the Company in
California Superior Court for the County of Santa Clara ( Boston Retirement Board v. Apple Computer Inc. ). The petition sought to compel the
Company to allow inspection of certain corporate records relating to the Company’s option practices and the Special Committee’s investigation.
Following a trial held on September 24, 2007, the Court granted the petition for inspection but narrowed the scope of the records to be
produced. On April 16, 2008, the Boston Retirement Board filed a derivative action in California Superior Court for the County of Santa Clara.
On July 31, 2008, Boston Retirement Board attempted to serve the new
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complaint on the Company. On September 15, 2008, defendants filed a motion to quash service of summons. On October 17, 2008, the Court
denied defendants’ motion to quash. On October 20, 2008, defendants requested consolidation of this action with In re Apple Computer, Inc.
Derivative Litigation , No. 1:06CV066692, and a stay of the action.
In re Apple iPod Nano Products Liability Litigation (formerly Wimmer v. Apple Computer, Inc.; Moschella, et al., v. Apple Computer, Inc. ;
Calado, et al. v. Apple Computer, Inc. ; Kahan, et al., v. Apple Computer, Inc .; Jennings, et al., v. Apple Computer, Inc. ; Rappel v. Apple
Computer, Inc. ; Mayo v. Apple Computer, Inc. ; Valencia v. Apple Computer, Inc. ; Williamson v. Apple Computer, Inc. ; Sioson v. Apple
Computer, Inc.
Beginning on October 19, 2005, eight complaints were filed in various United States District Courts and two complaints were filed in California
State Court alleging that the Company’s iPod nano was defectively designed so that it scratches excessively during normal use, rendering the
screen unreadable.
The federal actions were coordinated in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California and assigned to the Hon. Ronald
Whyte pursuant to an April 17, 2006 order of the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. Plaintiffs filed a First Consolidated and Amended
Master Complaint on September 21, 2006, alleging violations of California and other states’ consumer protection and warranty laws and
claiming unjust enrichment. The Master Complaint alleges two putative plaintiff classes: (1) all U.S. residents (excluding California residents)
who purchased an iPod nano that was not manufactured or designed using processes necessary to ensure normal resistance to scratching of the
screen; and (2) all iPod nano purchasers other than U.S. residents who purchased an iPod nano that was not manufactured or designed using
processes necessary to ensure normal resistance to scratching of the screen. The Company answered the Master Complaint on November 20,
2006.
The two California State Court actions were coordinated on May 4, 2006, and assigned to the Hon. Carl West in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Plaintiffs filed a Consolidated Amended Class Action Complaint on June 8, 2006, alleging violations of California state consumer protection,
unfair competition, false advertising and warranty laws and claiming unjust enrichment. The Consolidated Complaint alleges a putative plaintiff
class of all California residents who own an iPod nano containing a manufacturing defect that results in the nano being susceptible to excessive
scratching. The Company answered the Consolidated Amended Complaint on October 6, 2006. The parties have reached a settlement, which is
subject to court approval.
Two similar complaints, Carpentier v. Apple Canada, Inc ., and Royer-Brennan v. Apple Computer, Inc. and Apple Canada, Inc . were filed in
Montreal, Quebec, Canada on October 27, 2005 and November 9, 2005, respectively, seeking authorization to institute class actions on behalf of
iPod nano purchasers in Quebec. The Royer-Brennan file was stayed in May 2006 in favor of the Carpentier file. A similar complaint, Mund v.
Apple Canada Inc. and Apple Computer, Inc. , was filed in Ontario, Canada on January 9, 2006 seeking authorization to institute a class action
on behalf of iPod nano purchasers in Canada. Apple Canada Inc. and Apple Computer, Inc. have served Notices of Intent to Defend. The parties
have reached a settlement of the Quebec cases, and have received final court approval of the settlement.
Saito Shigeru Kenchiku Kenkyusho (Shigeru Saito Architecture Institute) v. iPod; Apple Japan Inc. v. Shigeru Saito Architecture Institute
Plaintiff Saito filed a petition in the Japan Customs Office in Tokyo on January 23, 2007 alleging infringement by the Company of
Japanese Patent No. 3852854, entitled “Touch Operation Input Device and Electronic Parts Thereof.” The petition sought an order barring the
importation into Japan of fifth generation iPods and second generation iPod nanos. The Customs Office held a hearing on March 22, 2007. The
Customs Office rejected the petition to bar importation and dismissed plaintiff’s case.
Apple Japan, Inc. filed a Declaratory Judgment action against Saito on February 6, 2007 in the Tokyo District Court, seeking a declaration that
the ‘854 patent is invalid and not infringed. Saito filed a Counter Complaint for infringement seeking damages.
The Apple iPod iTunes Antitrust Litigation (formerly Charoensak v. Apple Computer, Inc. and Tucker v. Apple Computer, Inc.); Somers v. Apple
Inc.
The first-listed action is a consolidated case combining two cases previously pending under the names Charoensak v. Apple Computer Inc.
(formerly Slattery v. Apple Computer Inc.) and Tucker v. Apple Computer, Inc . The original plaintiff (Slattery) in the Charoensak case filed a
purported class action on January 3, 2005 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California alleging various claims
including alleged unlawful tying of music purchased on the iTunes Store with the purchase of iPods and unlawful acquisition or maintenance of
monopoly market power. Plaintiff’s complaint alleged violations of §§1 and 2 of the Sherman Act (15 U.S.C. §§1 and 2), California Business &
Professions Code §16700 et seq. (the Cartwright Act), California Business & Professions Code §17200 (unfair competition), common law unjust
enrichment and common law monopolization. Plaintiff sought unspecified damages and other relief. The Company filed a motion to dismiss on
February 10, 2005. On September 9, 2005, the Court denied the motion in part and granted it in part. Plaintiff filed an amended complaint on
September 23, 2005 and the Company filed an answer on October 18, 2005. In August 2006, the Court dismissed Slattery without prejudice and
allowed plaintiffs to file an amended complaint naming two new plaintiffs (Charoensak and Rosen). On November 2, 2006, the Company filed
an answer to the amended complaint denying all material allegations and asserting numerous affirmative defenses.
The Tucker case was filed as a purported class action on July 21, 2006 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California
alleging various claims including alleged unlawful tying of music and videos purchased on the iTunes Store with the purchase of iPods and vice
versa and unlawful acquisition or maintenance of monopoly market power. The complaint alleges violations of §§1 and 2 of the Sherman Act
(15 U.S.C. §§1 and 2), California Business & Professions Code §16700 et seq. (the Cartwright Act), California Business & Professions Code
§17200 (unfair competition) and the California Consumer Legal Remedies Act. Plaintiff sought unspecified damages and other relief. On
November 3, 2006, the Company filed a motion to dismiss the complaint. On December 20, 2006, the Court denied the motion to dismiss. On
January 11, 2007, The Company filed an answer denying all material allegations and asserting numerous defenses.
On March 20, 2007, the Court consolidated the two cases. Plaintiffs filed a consolidated complaint on April 19, 2007. On June 6, 2007, the
Company filed an answer to the consolidated complaint denying all material allegations and asserting numerous affirmative defenses. On
July 17, 2008, plaintiffs filed a motion for class certification and on October 17, 2008, the Company filed its opposition to plaintiffs’ motion.
The class certification hearing is set for December 15, 2008.
A related class action complaint, Somers v. Apple Inc ., was filed on December 31, 2007 in the United States District Court for the Northern
District of California, alleging various claims including alleged unlawful tying of music and videos purchased on the iTunes Store with the
purchase of iPods and vice versa and unlawful acquisition or maintenance of monopoly market power. The complaint alleges violations of §§1
and 2 of the Sherman Act (15 U.S.C. §§1 and 2), California Business & Professions Code §16700 et seq. (the Cartwright Act), California
Business & Professions Code §17200 (unfair competition) and the California Consumer Legal Remedies Act. Plaintiff seeks unspecified
damages and other relief. On February 21, 2008, the Company filed an answer denying all material allegations and asserting numerous defenses.
The Court has scheduled the class certification hearing for April 20, 2009.
Union Fédérale des Consummateurs—Que Choisir v. Apple Computer France S.à.r.l. and iTunes S.à.r.l.
Plaintiff, a consumer association in France, filed this complaint on February 9, 2005 alleging that the above-listed entities are violating consumer
law by (1) omitting to mention that the iPod is allegedly not compatible with music from online music services other than the iTunes Store and
that the music from the iTunes Store is only compatible with the iPod and (2) allegedly tying the sales of iPods to the iTunes Store and vice
versa. Plaintiff seeks damages, injunctive relief and other relief. The first hearing on the case took place on May 24, 2005. The Company’s
response to the complaint was served on November 8, 2005. Plaintiff’s responsive pleading was filed on February 10, 2006. The Company filed
a reply on June 6, 2006 and UFC filed a response on September 19, 2006.
PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
The Company’s common stock is traded on the over-the-counter market and is quoted on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol
AAPL and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol APCD.
Holders
As of October 24, 2008, there were 30,445 shareholders of record.
Dividends
The Company did not declare or pay cash dividends in either fiscal 2008 or 2007. The Company anticipates that for the foreseeable future it will
retain any earnings for use in the operation of its business.
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Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
This section and other parts of this Form 10-K contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking
statements can also be identified by words such as “anticipates,” “expects,” “believes,” “plans,” “predicts,” and similar terms. Forward-
looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and the Company’s actual results may differ significantly from the results discussed
in the forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in the subsection
entitled “Risk Factors” above, which are incorporated herein by reference. The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the
consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K. All information presented herein is based on the
Company’s fiscal calendar. Unless otherwise stated, references in this report to particular years or quarters refer to the Company’s fiscal years
ended in September and the associated quarters of those fiscal years. The Company assumes no obligation to revise or update any forward-
looking statements for any reason, except as required by law.
Executive Overview
The Company designs, manufactures, and markets personal computers, portable digital music players, and mobile communication devices and
sells a variety of related software, services, peripherals, and networking solutions. The Company’s products and services include the Mac line of
desktop and portable computers, the iPod line of portable digital music players, iPhone, Apple TV, Xserve, a portfolio of consumer and
professional software applications, the Mac OS X operating system, third-party digital content through the iTunes Store, and a variety of
accessory, service and support offerings. The Company sells its products worldwide through its online stores, its retail stores, its direct sales
force, and third-party wholesalers, retailers, and value-added resellers. In addition, the Company sells a variety of third-party Mac, iPod and
iPhone compatible products, including application software, printers, storage devices, speakers, headphones, and various other accessories and
peripherals through its online and retail stores. The Company sells to consumer, small and mid-sized business (“SMB”), education, enterprise,
government, and creative markets.
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The Company is focused on providing innovative products and solutions to consumer, SMB, education, enterprise, government and creative
customers that greatly enhance their evolving digital lifestyles. The Company is the only participant in the personal computer and consumer
electronics industries that controls the design and development of the entire personal computer, including the hardware, operating system, and
sophisticated software applications, as well as the design and development of portable digital music players, mobile communication devices, and
a variety of products and solutions for obtaining and enjoying digital content. The Company is therefore uniquely positioned to offer superior
and well-integrated digital lifestyle products and solutions, which are further enhanced by the Company’s emphasis on ease-of-use and creative
industrial designs.
The Company participates in several highly competitive markets, including personal computers with its Mac line of personal computers,
consumer electronics with its iPod product families, mobile communications with iPhone, and distribution of third-party digital content through
its online iTunes Store. While the Company is widely recognized as a leading innovator in the personal computer and consumer electronics
markets as well as a leader in the emerging market for distribution of digital content, these markets are highly competitive and subject to
aggressive pricing. To remain competitive, the Company believes that increased investment in research and development and marketing and
advertising is necessary to maintain or expand its position in the markets where it competes. The Company’s R&D spending is focused on
further developing its existing Mac line of personal computers, its operating system, application software, iPhone and iPods; developing new
digital lifestyle consumer and professional software applications; and investing in new product areas and technologies. The Company also
believes increased investment in marketing and advertising programs is critical to increasing product and brand awareness.
The Company utilizes a variety of direct and indirect distribution channels. The Company believes that sales of its innovative and differentiated
products are enhanced by knowledgeable salespersons who can convey the value of the hardware, software, and peripheral integration,
demonstrate the unique digital lifestyle solutions that are available only on Mac computers, and demonstrate the compatibility of the Mac with
the Windows platform and networks. The Company further believes providing a high-quality sales and after-sales support experience is critical
to attracting new and retaining existing customers. To ensure a high-quality buying experience for its products in which service and education
are emphasized, the Company continues to expand and improve its distribution capabilities by opening its own retail stores in the U.S. and
internationally. The Company had 247 stores open as of September 27, 2008.
The Company has also invested in programs to enhance reseller sales, including the Apple Sales Consultant Program, which places Apple
employees and contractors at selected third-party reseller locations. The Company believes providing direct contact with its targeted customers is
an efficient way to demonstrate the advantages of its Mac computers and other products over those of its competitors. The Company also sells to
customers directly through its online stores around the world and through its direct sales force.
The Company’s iPods are sold through a significant number of distribution points to provide broad access. iPods can be purchased in certain
department stores, member-only warehouse stores, large retail chains, and specialty retail stores, as well as through the channels for Mac
distribution listed above.
iPhone is distributed through the Company, its cellular network carriers’ distribution channels, and certain third-party resellers. The Company
has signed multi-year agreements with various cellular network carriers authorizing them to distribute and provide cellular network services for
iPhone 3G in over 70 countries. These agreements are generally not exclusive with a specific carrier, except in the U.S., U.K., France, Germany,
Spain, Ireland, and certain other countries. The Company expects to ship iPhone 3G in over 70 countries by the end of calendar year 2008.
reported in its Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes. Note 1 “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” of Notes to
Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K describes the significant accounting policies and methods used in the preparation of the
Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements. Management bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions it
believes to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets
and liabilities. Actual results may differ from these estimates and such differences may be material.
Management believes the Company’s critical accounting policies and estimates are those related to revenue recognition, allowance for doubtful
accounts, inventory valuation and inventory purchase commitments, warranty costs, stock-based compensation, income taxes, and legal and
other contingencies. Management considers these policies critical because they are both important to the portrayal of the Company’s financial
condition and operating results, and they require management to make judgments and estimates about inherently uncertain matters. The
Company’s senior management has reviewed these critical accounting policies and related disclosures with the Audit and Finance Committee of
the Company’s Board of Directors.
Revenue Recognition
Net sales consist primarily of revenue from the sale of hardware, software, music products, digital content, peripherals, and service and support
contracts. The Company recognizes revenue for software products (operating system software and applications software), or any product that is
considered to be software-related, in accordance with the guidance in Emerging Issues Task Force (“EITF”) No. 03-5, Applicability of AICPA
Statement of Position 97-2 to Non-software Deliverables in an Arrangement Containing More-Than-Incidental Software , (e.g., Mac computers,
iPod portable digital music players and iPhone) pursuant to American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (“AICPA”) Statement of Position
(“SOP”) No. 97-2, Software Revenue Recognition , as amended. For products that are not software or software-related, (e.g., digital content sold
on the iTunes Store and certain Mac, iPod and iPhone supplies and accessories), the Company recognizes revenue pursuant to the Securities and
Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Staff Accounting Bulletin (“SAB”) No. 104, Revenue Recognition.
The Company recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred, the sales price is fixed or
determinable, and collection is probable. Product is considered delivered to the customer once it has been shipped and title and risk of loss have
been transferred. For most of the Company’s product sales, these criteria are met at the time the product is shipped. For online sales to
individuals, for some sales to education customers in the U.S., and for certain other sales, the Company defers revenue until the customer
receives the product because the Company retains a portion of the risk of loss on these sales during transit. If at the outset of an arrangement the
Company determines the arrangement fee is not, or is presumed not to be, fixed or determinable, revenue is deferred and subsequently
recognized as amounts become due and payable and all other criteria for revenue recognition have been met.
For both Apple TV and iPhone, the Company has indicated that from time-to-time it may provide future unspecified features and additional
software products free of charge to customers. Therefore, sales of Apple TV and iPhone handsets are recognized under subscription accounting
in accordance with SOP No. 97-2. The Company recognizes the associated revenue and cost of goods sold on a straight-line basis over the
currently estimated 24-month economic lives of these products, with any loss recognized at the time of sale. Costs incurred by the Company for
engineering, sales, marketing, and warranty are expensed as incurred.
The Company records reductions to revenue for estimated commitments related to price protection and for customer incentive programs,
including reseller and end-user rebates, and other sales programs and volume-based incentives. For transactions involving price protection, the
Company recognizes revenue net of the estimated amount to be refunded, provided the refund amount can be reasonably and reliably estimated
and the other conditions for revenue recognition have been met. The Company’s policy requires that, if refunds cannot be reliably estimated,
revenue is not recognized until reliable estimates can be made or the price protection lapses. For customer incentive programs, the estimated cost
of these programs is recognized at the later of the date at
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which the Company has sold the product or the date at which the program is offered. The Company also records reductions to revenue for
expected future product returns based on the Company’s historical experience. Future market conditions and product transitions may require the
Company to increase customer incentive programs and incur incremental price protection obligations that could result in additional reductions to
revenue at the time such programs are offered. Additionally, certain customer incentive programs require management to estimate the number of
customers who will actually redeem the incentive based on historical experience and the specific terms and conditions of particular incentive
programs. If a greater than estimated proportion of customers redeem such incentives, the Company would be required to record additional
reductions to revenue, which would have a negative impact on the Company’s results of operations.
Warranty Costs
The Company provides for the estimated cost for hardware and software warranties at the time the related revenue is recognized based on
historical and projected warranty claim rates, historical and projected cost-per-claim, and knowledge of specific product failures that are outside
of the Company’s typical experience. Each quarter, the Company reevaluates its estimates to assess the adequacy of its recorded warranty
liabilities considering the size of the installed base of products subject to warranty protection and adjusts the amounts as necessary. For products
accounted for under subscription accounting pursuant to SOP No. 97-2, the Company recognizes warranty expense as incurred. If actual product
failure rates or repair costs differ from estimates, revisions to the estimated warranty liability would be required and could negatively affect the
Company’s results of operations.
The Company periodically provides updates to its applications and operating system software to maintain the software’s compliance with
specifications. The estimated cost to develop such updates is accounted for as warranty cost that is recognized at the time related software
revenue is recognized. Factors considered in determining appropriate accruals related to such updates include the number of units delivered, the
number of updates expected to occur, and the historical cost and estimated future cost of the resources necessary to develop these updates.
Stock-Based Compensation
The Company accounts for stock-based compensation in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 123
(revised 2004), Share-Based Payment . Under the provisions of SFAS No. 123R, stock-based compensation cost is estimated at the grant date
based on the award’s fair-value as calculated by the Black-Scholes-Merton (“BSM”) option-pricing model and is recognized as expense ratably
on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. The BSM option-pricing model requires various judgmental assumptions including
expected volatility, forfeiture rates, and expected option life. Significant changes in any of these assumptions could materially affect the fair
value of stock-based awards granted in the future.
Income Taxes
The Company records a tax provision for the anticipated tax consequences of the reported results of operations. In accordance with SFAS
No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes , the provision for income taxes is computed using the asset and liability method, under which deferred
tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax
bases of assets and liabilities, and for operating losses and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the
currently enacted tax rates that apply to taxable income in effect for the years in which those tax assets are expected to be realized or settled. The
Company records a valuation allowance to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount that is believed more likely than not to be realized. Effective
at the beginning of 2008, the Company adopted Financial Interpretation No. (“FIN”) 48, Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes—an
interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109 . Further information may be found in Note 5, “Income Taxes” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial
Statements of this Form 10-K.
Management believes it is more likely than not that forecasted income, including income that may be generated as a result of certain tax planning
strategies, together with the tax effects of the deferred tax liabilities, will be sufficient to fully recover the remaining deferred tax assets. In the
event that the Company determines all or part of the net deferred tax assets are not realizable in the future, the Company will make an adjustment
to the valuation allowance that would be charged to earnings in the period such determination is made. In addition, the calculation of tax
liabilities involves significant judgment in estimating the impact of uncertainties in the application of FIN 48 and other complex tax laws.
Resolution of these uncertainties in a manner inconsistent with management’s expectations could have a material impact on the Company’s
financial condition and operating results.
various legal proceedings and claims that arise in the ordinary course of business. In accordance with SFAS No. 5, Accounting for
Contingencies , the Company records a contingent liability when it is probable that a loss has been incurred and the amount is reasonably
estimable. There is significant judgment required in both the probability determination and as to whether an exposure can be reasonably
estimated. In management’s opinion, the Company does not have a potential liability related to any current legal proceedings and claims that
would individually or in the aggregate have a material adverse effect on its financial condition or operating results. However, the outcomes of
legal proceedings and claims brought against the Company are subject to significant uncertainty. Should the Company fail to prevail in any of
these legal matters or should several of these legal matters be resolved against the Company in the same reporting period, the operating results of
a particular reporting period could be materially adversely affected.
Net Sales
Fiscal years 2008 and 2007 spanned 52 weeks while fiscal year 2006 spanned 53 weeks. An additional week is included in the first fiscal quarter
approximately every six years to realign fiscal quarters with calendar quarters.
The following table summarizes net sales and Mac unit sales by operating segment and net sales and unit sales by product during the three fiscal
years ended September 27, 2008 (in millions, except unit sales in thousands and per unit amounts):
2008 Change 2007 Change 2006
Net Sales by Operating Segment:
Americas net sales $ 14,573 26% $ 11,596 23% $ 9,415
Europe net sales 7,622 40% 5,460 33% 4,096
Japan net sales 1,509 39% 1,082 (11)% 1,211
Retail net sales 6,315 53% 4,115 27% 3,246
Other Segments net sales (a) 2,460 40% 1,753 30% 1,347
Total net sales $ 32,479 35% $ 24,006 24% $ 19,315
Unit Sales by Operating Segment:
Americas Mac unit sales 3,980 32% 3,019 24% 2,432
Europe Mac unit sales 2,519 39% 1,816 35% 1,346
Japan Mac unit sales 389 29% 302 (1)% 304
Retail Mac unit sales 2,034 47% 1,386 56% 886
Other Segments Mac unit sales (a) 793 50% 528 58% 335
Total Mac unit sales 9,715 38% 7,051 33% 5,303
Net Sales by Product:
Desktops (b) $ 5,603 39% $ 4,020 21% $ 3,319
Portables (c) 8,673 38% 6,294 55% 4,056
Total Mac net sales 14,276 38% 10,314 40% 7,375
iPod 9,153 10% 8,305 8% 7,676
Other music related products and services (d) 3,340 34% 2,496 32% 1,885
iPhone and related products and services (e) 1,844 NM 123 NM —
Peripherals and other hardware (f) 1,659 32% 1,260 15% 1,100
Software, service, and other sales (g) 2,207 46% 1,508 18% 1,279
Total net sales $ 32,479 35% $ 24,006 24% $ 19,315
Unit Sales by Product:
Desktops (b) 3,712 37% 2,714 12% 2,434
Portables (c) 6,003 38% 4,337 51% 2,869
Total Mac unit sales 9,715 38% 7,051 33% 5,303
Net sales per Mac unit sold (h) $ 1,469 —% $ 1,463 5% $ 1,391
iPod unit sales 54,828 6% 51,630 31% 39,409
Net sales per iPod unit sold (i) $ 167 4% $ 161 (17)% $ 195
iPhone unit sales 11,627 NM 1,389 NM —
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• Net sales of software, service, and other sales rose $699 million or 46% during 2008 compared to 2007. This growth was due in large
part to increased sales of Apple-branded and third-party developers’ software products and increased net sales of AppleCare Protection
Plan (“APP”) extended service and support contracts.
Americas
During 2008, net sales in the Americas segment increased $3.0 billion or 26% compared to 2007. The primary drivers of this growth were the
significant year-over-year increase in sales of the iPod touch, Mac portable systems, content from the iTunes Store, and iPhone. The Company
began shipping iPhone in June 2007 and the growth in iPhone sales in 2008 resulted from a full year of iPhone shipments. The increase in Mac
net sales of $1.3 billion or 30% and Mac unit sales of 961 million or 32% is attributable to growth in all of the Mac portable systems, particularly
the MacBook, and higher sales of the iMac. Net sales of iPods increased due to a shift in product mix toward higher priced iPods, particularly the
iPod touch, which was upgraded in June 2008. In 2008, the Americas segment represented 45% of the Company’s total net sales as compared to
48% in the same period of 2007. During 2008, U.S. education channel net sales and Mac unit sales increased by 14% and 19%, respectively,
compared to 2007. Net sales from the higher education market grew 15% during 2008 compared to 2007, while net sales in the K-12 market
grew 12% during the same period.
During 2007, net sales in the Americas segment increased $2.2 billion, or 23%, compared to 2006. The main sources of this growth were Mac
portable products, iMacs, iPods, and the sales of third-party content from the iTunes Store. Sales of Mac portable products increased due to the
popularity of the MacBook, introduced in May 2006 and updated in May 2007, as well as the MacBook Pro, introduced in January 2006 and
updated in June 2007. Sales of iMacs grew due to a shift in desktop product mix away from the Mac mini and discontinued eMac as well as the
strong reception of the new iMac introduced in August 2007. Sales of iPods grew due to increased demand for the iPod nano and iPod shuffle
and the introduction of the iPod touch in September 2007. During 2007, the Americas segment represented 48% of the Company’s total net sales
as compared to 49% in the same period of 2006. During 2007, U.S. education channel net sales and Mac unit sales increased by 14% and 18%,
respectively, compared to 2006. Net sales from the higher education market grew 17% during 2007 compared to 2006, while net sales in the K-
12 market grew 10% during the same period.
Europe
For 2008, net sales and unit sales in Europe increased 40% and 39%, respectively, compared to the same period in 2007. The main drivers of this
growth were strong sales of Mac portable systems and iMac, increased sales from the iTunes Store, and iPhone. Also contributing to the increase
in net sales were higher iPod net sales due primarily to the iPod touch, which was upgraded in June 2008. Sales of Mac portable products
increased due to the MacBook Pro and the MacBook, both updated in February 2008, as well as the MacBook Air, introduced in January 2008.
Mac desktop sales also increased due primarily to the popularity of the iMac, which was updated in April 2008. Sales from the iTunes Store
grew substantially by 79% from 2007 as a result of heightened consumer interest in downloading digital content and the expansion of third-party
audio and video content available for sale via the iTunes Store. The Europe segment represented 23% of total net sales in 2008, consistent with
2007.
Europe segment net sales increased $1.4 billion or 33% during 2007 compared to 2006. Consistent with the Americas segment, the primary
drivers of this growth were Mac portable products, iMacs, iPods, and the sales of third-party content from the iTunes Store. Sales of Mac
portable products increased due to the popularity of both the MacBook and MacBook Pro. Sales of iMacs grew due to a shift in desktop product
mix away from the Mac mini and discontinued eMac as well as the strong reception of the new iMac introduced in August 2007. Sales of iPods
grew due primarily to increased demand for the iPod nano and iPod shuffle. The Company believes that the growth in iTunes Store sales was the
result of heightened consumer interest in downloading digital content and the expansion of third-party audio and video content available for sale
via the iTunes Store.
Japan
Japan net sales increased $427 million or 39% in 2008 compared to 2007. The primary contributors to the growth in net sales were increases in
sales of iPods, iMac, Mac portable systems, and strong sales from the iTunes Store. Net sales, unit sales and the average selling price of iPods
increased during 2008 compared to 2007, driven by strong demand for iPod touch and iPod nano. Additionally, Mac net sales and unit sales
grew 42% and 29%, respectively, in 2008 compared to 2007 due to increase in sales of the iMac and Mac portable systems, particularly
MacBook, as well as the introduction of MacBook Air in January 2008.
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Japan’s net sales declined by $129 million or 11% in 2007 compared to 2006. Total Mac unit sales in Japan declined 1% during 2007. The
decrease in the Japan segment’s overall net sales was attributable primarily to decreases in iPod and Mac desktop sales, partially offset by an
increase in revenue from MacBooks and sales of third-party content from the iTunes Store. The decline in net sales and Mac unit sales is
partially attributable to Japan’s declining consumer PC market, and the iPod sales decline is due primarily to lower average selling prices. The
Company is continuing to evaluate ways to improve the future results of its Japan segment.
Retail
Retail net sales grew by 53% during 2008 compared to 2007, due in large part to increased sales of Mac portable and desktop products, strong
demand for the iPhone and iPod touch, and new store openings. The Company opened 50 new retail stores during 2008, including a total of 19
international stores, bringing the total number of open stores to 247 as of September 27, 2008. This compares to 197 open stores as of
September 29, 2007 and 165 open stores as of September 30, 2006. With an average of 211 stores and 178 stores opened during 2008 and 2007,
respectively, average revenue per store increased to $29.9 million for 2008, compared to $23.1 million in 2007.
Retail Mac net sales and Mac unit sales grew by 42% and 47%, respectively, during 2008 compared to the 2007, due primarily to strong demand
for MacBook, iMac, and MacBook Air, introduced in January 2008. Net sales of iPods increased due to the popularity of the iPod touch, which
was upgraded in June 2008, and a higher average selling price compared to 2007. The higher iPod average selling price was due to strong
demand for the iPod touch.
The Retail segment’s net sales increased by 27% to $4.1 billion during 2007 compared to 2006. Retail segment Mac unit sales increased 56%
during 2007 as compared to 2006. With an average of 178 stores open during 2007, average revenue per store was $23.1 million, compared to
$22.9 million in 2006. The increase in Retail segment net sales during 2007 compared to 2006 was due primarily to stronger sales of Mac
portable products, iMacs, accessories and services. The increase was partially offset primarily by lower net sales of iPods and other music related
products due to the expanded availability of those products through third-party resellers.
As measured by the Company’s operating segment reporting, the Retail segment reported operating income of $1.3 billion during 2008 as
compared to operating income of $875 million and $600 million during 2007 and 2006, respectively. This improvement in 2008 was attributable
primarily to the significant Retail net sales growth of 53% as compared to 2007.
Expansion of the Retail segment has required and will continue to require a substantial investment in fixed assets and related infrastructure,
operating lease commitments, personnel, and other operating expenses. Capital asset purchases associated with the Retail segment were $389
million in 2008, bringing the total capital asset purchases since inception of the Retail segment to $1.4 billion. As of September 27, 2008, the
Retail segment had approximately 15,900 full-time equivalent employees and had outstanding operating lease commitments associated with
retail store space and related facilities of $1.4 billion. The Company would incur substantial costs if it were to close multiple retail stores. Such
costs could adversely affect the Company’s financial condition and operating results.
Other Segments
The Company’s Other Segments, which consist of its Asia Pacific and FileMaker operations, experienced an increase in net sales of $707
million, or 40% during 2008 as compared to 2007. These increases are related primarily to strong growth in sales of all Mac portable systems,
iPods, the iMac, and content from the iTunes Store in the Company’s Asia Pacific region. Sales from the iTunes Store in the Company’s Asia
Pacific region grew significantly by 109% over 2007. Mac net sales and unit sales grew by 52% and 50%, respectively, due to increased sales of
the iMac and all Mac portables.
The Company’s Other Segments experienced an increase in net sales of $406 million, or 30% during 2007 compared to 2006. This increase
related primarily to a 58% increase in sales of Mac portable products and strong iPod sales in the Company’s Asia Pacific region.
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Gross Margin
Gross margin for the three fiscal years ended September 27, 2008, are as follows (in millions, except gross margin percentages):
2008 2007 2006
Net sales $ 32,479 $ 24,006 $ 19,315
Cost of sales 21,334 15,852 13,717
Gross margin $ 11,145 $ 8,154 $ 5,598
Gross margin percentage 34.3% 34.0% 29.0%
Gross margin percentage was relatively flat in 2008 as compared to 2007. Gross margin percentage of 34.0% in 2007 increased significantly
from 29.0% in 2006. The primary drivers of this increase were more favorable costs on certain commodity components, including NAND flash
memory and DRAM memory, higher overall revenue that provided for more leverage on fixed production costs and a higher percentage of
revenue from the Company’s direct sales channels.
The Company expects its gross margin percentage to decrease in future periods compared to levels achieved during 2008 and 2007, and
anticipates gross margin levels of about 30% in 2009. This expected decline is due largely to the anticipated impact of product transitions, flat or
reduced pricing on new and innovative products that have higher cost structures, both expected and potential future cost increases for key
components, a stronger U.S. dollar, and higher logistical costs.
The foregoing statements regarding the Company’s expected gross margin percentage are forward-looking and could differ from anticipated
levels because of several factors, including but not limited to certain of those set forth below in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” under the
subheading “ Future operating results depend upon the Company’s ability to obtain key components including, but not limited to
microprocessors, NAND flash memory, DRAM and LCDs at favorable prices and in sufficient quantities ,” which is incorporated herein by
reference. There can be no assurance that targeted gross margin percentage levels will be achieved. In general, gross margins and margins on
individual products will remain under downward pressure due to a variety of factors, including continued industry wide global product pricing
pressures, increased competition, compressed product life cycles, product transitions and expected increases in the cost of key components
including, but not limited to microprocessors, NAND flash memory, dynamic random access memory (“DRAM”) and liquid crystal displays
(“LCDs”), as well as potential increases in the costs of outside manufacturing services and a potential shift in the Company’s sales mix towards
products with lower gross margins. In response to these competitive pressures, the Company expects it will continue to take product pricing
actions, which would adversely affect gross margins. Gross margins could also be affected by the Company’s ability to manage product quality
and warranty costs effectively and to stimulate demand for certain of its products. Due to the Company’s significant international operations,
financial results can be significantly affected in the short-term by fluctuations in exchange rates.
Operating Expenses
Operating expenses for the three fiscal years ended September 27, 2008, are as follows (in millions, except for percentages):
2008 2007 2006
Research and development $ 1,109 $ 782 $ 712
Percentage of net sales 3.4% 3.3% 3.7%
Selling, general, and administrative $ 3,761 $ 2,963 $ 2,433
Percentage of net sales 11.6% 12.3% 12.6%
related to Mac OS X Version 10.6 Snow Leopard and excluded from R&D expense, while R&D expense for 2007 excluded $75 million of
capitalized software development costs related to Mac OS X Leopard and iPhone. Although total R&D expense increased 42% during 2008, it
remained relatively flat as a percentage of net sales given the 35% increase in revenue during 2008. The Company continues to believe that
focused investments in R&D are critical to its future growth and competitive position in the marketplace and are directly related to timely
development of new and enhanced products that are central to the Company’s core business strategy. As such, the Company expects to increase
spending in R&D to remain competitive.
Expenditures for R&D increased 10% or $70 million to $782 million in 2007 compared to 2006. The increases in R&D expense were due
primarily to an increase in R&D headcount in 2007 to support expanded R&D activities, partially offset by one less week of expenses in the first
quarter of 2007 and the capitalized software development costs mentioned above.
income that may be generated as a result of certain tax planning strategies, together with the tax effects of the deferred tax liabilities, will be
sufficient to fully recover the remaining deferred tax assets. The Company released a valuation allowance of $5 million since it has been
determined that it is more likely than not the associated deferred tax assets will be realized. The Company will continue to evaluate the
realizability of deferred tax assets quarterly by assessing the need for and amount of the valuation allowance.
The Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) has completed its field audit of the Company’s federal income tax returns for the years 2002 through
2003 and proposed certain adjustments. The Company has contested certain of these adjustments through the IRS Appeals Office. All IRS audit
issues for years prior to 2002 have been resolved. In addition, the Company is subject to audits by state, local, and foreign tax
authorities. Management believes that adequate provision has been made for any adjustments that may result from tax examinations. However,
the outcome of tax audits cannot be predicted with certainty. If any issues addressed in the Company’s tax audits are resolved in a manner not
consistent with management’s expectations, the Company could be required to adjust its provision for income tax in the period such resolution
occurs.
In March 2008, the FASB issued SFAS No. 161, Disclosures about Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities—an amendment of FASB
Statement No. 133, which requires companies to provide additional disclosures about its objectives and strategies for using derivative
instruments, how the derivative instruments and related hedged items are accounted for under SFAS No. 133, Accounting for Derivative
Instruments and Hedging Activities , and related interpretations, and how the derivative instruments and related hedged items affect the
Company’s financial statements. SFAS No. 161 also requires companies to disclose information about credit risk-related contingent features in
their hedged positions. SFAS No. 161 is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after November 15, 2008 and is required to be
adopted by the Company beginning in the second quarter of fiscal 2009. Although the Company will continue to evaluate the application of
SFAS No. 161, management does not currently believe adoption will have a material impact on the Company’s financial condition or operating
results.
Capital Assets
The Company’s cash payments for capital asset purchases were $1.1 billion during 2008, consisting of $389 million for retail store facilities and
$702 million for real estate acquisitions and corporate infrastructure including information systems enhancements. The Company anticipates
utilizing approximately $1.5 billion for capital asset purchases during 2009, including approximately $400 million for Retail facilities and
approximately $1.1 billion for corporate facilities and infrastructure.
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Lease Commitments
As of September 27, 2008, the Company had total outstanding commitments on noncancelable operating leases of $1.8 billion, $1.4 billion of
which related to the lease of retail space and related facilities. The Company’s major facility leases are generally for terms of 3 to 20 years and
generally provide renewal options for terms of 1 to 5 additional years. Leases for retail space are for terms of 5 to 20 years, the majority of which
are for 10 years, and often contain multi-year renewal options.
Other Obligations
Other outstanding obligations were $471 million as of September 27, 2008, which related to advertising, research and development, Internet and
telecommunications services, and other obligations.
During the first quarter of 2008, the Company adopted the provisions of FIN 48. The Company had historically classified interest and penalties
and unrecognized tax benefits as current liabilities, but beginning with the adoption of FIN 48 the Company has reclassified gross interest and
penalties and unrecognized tax benefits that are not expected to result in payment or receipt of cash within one year as non-current liabilities
within the Consolidated Balance Sheet. As of September 27, 2008, the Company recorded gross unrecognized tax benefits of $506 million and
gross interest and penalties of $219 million, both of which are classified as non-current liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheet. At this
time, the Company is unable to make a reasonably reliable estimate of the timing of payments in individual years due to uncertainties in the
timing of tax audit outcomes; therefore, such amounts are not included in the above contractual obligation table.
Indemnifications
The Company generally does not indemnify end-users of its operating system and application software against legal claims that the software
infringes third-party intellectual property rights. Other agreements entered into by the Company sometimes include indemnification provisions
under which the Company could be subject to costs and/or damages in the event of an infringement claim against the Company or an
indemnified third-party. However, the Company has not been required to make any significant payments resulting from such an infringement
claim asserted against it or an indemnified third-party and, in the opinion of management, does not have a liability related to unresolved
infringement claims subject to indemnification that would have a material adverse effect on its financial condition or operating results.
Therefore, the Company did not record a liability for infringement costs as of either September 27, 2008 or September 29, 2007.
equivalents, while highly liquid investments with initial maturities greater than three months at the date of purchase are classified as short-term
investments. As of September 27, 2008 and September 29, 2007, approximately $2.4 billion and $1.9 billion, respectively, of the Company’s
short-term investments had underlying maturities ranging from one to five years. The remainder all had underlying maturities of less than 12
months. The Company may sell its investments prior to their stated maturities for strategic purposes, in anticipation of credit deterioration, or for
duration management. The Company recognized no material net gains or losses during 2008, 2007 and 2006 related to such sales.
To provide a meaningful assessment of the interest rate risk associated with the Company’s investment portfolio, the Company performed a
sensitivity analysis to determine the impact a change in interest rates would have on the value of the investment portfolio assuming a 100 basis
point parallel shift in the yield curve. Based on investment positions as of September 27, 2008, a hypothetical 100 basis point increase in interest
rates across all maturities would result in a $46 million incremental decline in the fair market value of the portfolio. As of September 29, 2007, a
similar 100 basis point shift in the yield curve would have resulted in a $16 million incremental decline in the fair market value of the portfolio.
Such losses would only be realized if the Company sold the investments prior to maturity.
Three fiscal years ended September 27, 2008 2008 2007 2006
Net sales $ 32,479 $ 24,006 $ 19,315
Cost of sales (1) 21,334 15,852 13,717
Gross margin 11,145 8,154 5,598
Operating expenses:
Research and development (1) 1,109 782 712
Selling, general, and administrative (1) 3,761 2,963 2,433
Total operating expenses 4,870 3,745 3,145
Operating income 6,275 4,409 2,453
Other income and expense 620 599 365
Income before provision for income taxes 6,895 5,008 2,818
Provision for income taxes 2,061 1,512 829
Net income $ 4,834 $ 3,496 $ 1,989
Earnings per common share:
Basic $ 5.48 $ 4.04 $ 2.36
Diluted $ 5.36 $ 3.93 $ 2.27
Shares used in computing earnings per share:
Basic 881,592 864,595 844,058
Diluted 902,139 889,292 877,526
Cost of sales $ 80 $ 35 $ 21
Research and development $ 185 $ 77 $ 53
Selling, general, and administrative $ 251 $ 130 $ 89
Accumulated
Common Stock Other Total
Deferred Stock Comprehensive Shareholders’
Retained
Shares Amount Compensation Earnings Income Equity
Balances as of September 24, 2005 835,019 $ 3,564 $ (61) $ 3,925 $ — $ 7,428
Components of comprehensive income:
Net income — — — 1,989 — 1,989
Change in foreign currency translation — — — — 19 19
Change in unrealized gain on available-for-
sale securities, net of tax — — — — 4 4
Change in unrealized gain on derivative
instruments, net of tax — — — — (1) (1)
Total comprehensive income 2,011
Common stock repurchased (4,574) (48) — (307) — (355)
Stock-based compensation — 163 — — — 163
Deferred compensation — (61) 61 — — —
Common stock issued under stock plans 24,818 318 — — — 318
Tax benefit from employee stock plan awards — 419 — — — 419
Balances as of September 30, 2006 855,263 4,355 — 5,607 22 9,984
Components of comprehensive income:
Net income — — — 3,496 — 3,496
Change in foreign currency translation — — — — 51 51
Change in unrealized loss on available-for-
sale securities, net of tax — — — — (7) (7)
Change in unrealized gain on derivative
instruments, net of tax — — — — (3) (3)
Total comprehensive income 3,537
Stock-based compensation — 251 — — — 251
Common stock issued under stock plans, net of
shares withheld for employee taxes 17,066 364 — (2) — 362
Tax benefit from employee stock plan awards — 398 — — — 398
Balances as of September 29, 2007 872,329 5,368 — 9,101 63 14,532
Cumulative effect of change in accounting
principle — 45 — 11 — 56
Components of comprehensive income:
Net income — — — 4,834 4,834
Change in foreign currency translation — — — — (11) (11)
Change in unrealized loss on available-for-
sale securities, net of tax — — — — (63) (63)
Change in unrealized gain on derivative
instruments, net of tax — — — — 19 19
Total comprehensive income 4,779
Stock-based compensation — 513 — — — 513
Common stock issued under stock plans, net of
shares withheld for employee taxes 15,888 460 — (101) — 359
Issuance of common stock in connection with an
asset acquisition 109 21 — — — 21
Tax benefit from employee stock plan awards — 770 — — — 770
Balances as of September 27, 2008 888,326 $ 7,177 $ — $ 13,845 $ 8 $ 21,030
Three fiscal years ended September 27, 2008 2008 2007 2006
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of the year $ 9,352 $ 6,392 $ 3,491
Operating Activities:
Net income 4,834 3,496 1,989
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash generated by operating activities:
Depreciation, amortization and accretion 473 317 225
Stock-based compensation expense 516 242 163
Provision for deferred income taxes (368) 78 53
Loss on disposition of property, plant, and equipment 22 12 15
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net (785) (385) (357)
Inventories (163) (76) (105)
Other current assets (1,958) (1,540) (1,626)
Other assets (492) 81 (1,040)
Accounts payable 596 1,494 1,611
Deferred revenue 5,642 1,139 319
Other liabilities 1,279 612 973
Cash generated by operating activities 9,596 5,470 2,220
Investing Activities:
Purchases of short-term investments (22,965) (11,719) (7,255)
Proceeds from maturities of short-term investments 11,804 6,483 7,226
Proceeds from sales of short-term investments 4,439 2,941 1,086
Purchases of long-term investments (38) (17) (25)
Payments made in connection with business acquisitions, net of cash acquired (220) — —
Payment for acquisition of property, plant, and equipment (1,091) (735) (657)
Payment for acquisition of intangible assets (108) (251) (28)
Other (10) 49 10
Cash (used in)/generated by investing activities (8,189) (3,249) 357
Financing Activities:
Proceeds from issuance of common stock 483 365 318
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation 757 377 361
Cash used to net share settle equity awards (124) (3) (355)
Cash generated by financing activities 1,116 739 324
Increase in cash and cash equivalents 2,523 2,960 2,901
Cash and cash equivalents, end of the year $ 11,875 $ 9,352 $ 6,392
Supplemental cash flow disclosures:
Cash paid for income taxes, net $ 1,267 $ 863 $ 194
Financial Instruments
Cash Equivalents and Short-term Investments
All highly liquid investments with maturities of three months or less at the date of purchase are classified as cash equivalents. Highly liquid
investments with maturities greater than three months at the date of purchase are classified as short-term investments. The Company’s debt and
marketable equity securities have been classified and accounted for as available-for-sale. Management determines the appropriate classification
of its investments in debt securities at the time of purchase and reevaluates the available-for-sale designations as of each balance sheet date.
These securities are carried at fair value, with the unrealized gains and losses, net of taxes, reported as a component of shareholders’ equity. The
cost of securities sold is based upon the specific identification method.
Inventories
Inventories are stated at the lower of cost, computed using the first-in, first-out method, or market. If the cost of the inventories exceeds their
market value, provisions are made currently for the difference between the cost and the market value. The Company’s inventories consist
primarily of finished goods for all periods presented.
Revenue Recognition
Net sales consist primarily of revenue from the sale of hardware, software, music products, digital content, peripherals, and service and support
contracts. For any product within these groups that either is software, or is considered software-related in accordance with the guidance in
Emerging Issues Task Force (“EITF”) No. 03-5, Applicability of AICPA Statement of Position 97-2 to Non-Software Deliverables in an
Arrangement Containing More-Than-Incidental Software (e.g., Mac computers, iPod portable digital music players and iPhones), the Company
accounts for such products in accordance with the revenue recognition provisions of American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
(“AICPA”) Statement of Position (“SOP”) No. 97-2, Software Revenue Recognition , as amended. The Company applies Staff Accounting
Bulletin (“SAB”) No. 104, Revenue Recognition, for products that are not software or software-related, such as digital content sold on the iTunes
Store and certain Mac, iPod and iPhone supplies and accessories.
The Company recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred, the sales price is fixed or
determinable, and collection is probable. Product is considered delivered to the customer once it has been shipped and title and risk of loss have
been transferred. For most of the Company’s product sales, these criteria are met at the time the product is shipped. For online sales to
individuals, for some sales to education customers in the U.S., and for certain other sales, the Company defers revenue until the customer
receives the product because the Company legally retains a portion of the risk of loss on these sales during transit. If at the outset of an
arrangement the Company determines the arrangement fee is not, or is presumed not to be, fixed or determinable, revenue is deferred and
subsequently recognized as amounts become due and payable and all other criteria for revenue recognition have been met.
Revenue from service and support contracts is deferred and recognized ratably over the service coverage periods. These contracts typically
include extended phone support, repair services, web-based support resources, diagnostic tools, and extend the service coverage offered under
the Company’s one-year limited warranty.
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Shipping Costs
For all periods presented, amounts billed to customers related to shipping and handling are classified as revenue, and the Company’s shipping
and handling costs are included in cost of sales.
Warranty Expense
The Company generally provides for the estimated cost of hardware and software warranties at the time the related revenue is recognized. The
Company assesses the adequacy of its preexisting warranty liabilities and adjusts the amounts as necessary based on actual experience and
changes in future estimates. For products accounted for under subscription accounting pursuant to SOP No. 97-2, the Company recognizes
warranty expense as incurred.
Advertising Costs
Advertising costs are expensed as incurred. Advertising expense was $486 million, $467 million, and $338 million for 2008, 2007, and 2006,
respectively.
Stock-Based Compensation
The Company applies SFAS No. 123 (revised 2004), Share-Based Payment , for stock-based payment transactions in which the Company
receives employee services in exchange for (a) equity instruments of the enterprise or (b) liabilities that are based on the fair value of the
enterprise’s equity instruments or that may be settled by the issuance of such equity instruments. The Company uses the Black-Scholes-Merton
(“BSM”) option-pricing model to determine the fair-value of stock-based awards under SFAS No. 123R.
SFAS No. 123R prohibits recognition of a deferred tax asset for an excess tax benefit that has not been realized. The Company will recognize a
benefit from stock-based compensation in equity if an incremental tax benefit is
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Income Taxes
In accordance with SFAS No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes , the provision for income taxes is computed using the asset and liability
method, under which deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between
the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities, and for operating losses and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and
liabilities are measured using the currently enacted tax rates that apply to taxable income in effect for the years in which those tax assets are
expected to be realized or settled. The Company records a valuation allowance to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount that is believed more
likely than not to be realized.
During 2008, the Company adopted the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (“FASB”) Financial Interpretation No. (“FIN”) 48, Accounting
for Uncertainty in Income Taxes—an interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109 . FIN 48 changes the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes
by creating a new framework for how companies should recognize, measure, present, and disclose uncertain tax positions in their financial
statements. Under FIN 48, the Company may recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not the tax
position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in
the financial statements from such positions are then measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being
realized upon settlement. FIN 48 also provides guidance on the reversal of previously recognized tax positions, balance sheet classifications,
accounting for interest and penalties associated with tax positions, and income tax disclosures. See Note 5, “Income Taxes” for additional
information, including the effects of adoption on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.
Comprehensive Income
Comprehensive income consists of two components, net income and other comprehensive income. Other comprehensive income refers to
revenue, expenses, gains, and losses that under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles are recorded as an element of shareholders’ equity
but are excluded from net income. The Company’s other comprehensive income consists of foreign currency translation adjustments from those
subsidiaries not using the U.S. dollar as their functional currency, unrealized gains and losses on marketable securities categorized as available-
for-sale, and net deferred gains and losses on certain derivative instruments accounted for as cash flow hedges.
Segment Information
The Company reports segment information based on the “management” approach. The management approach designates the internal reporting
used by management for making decisions and assessing performance as the source of the Company’s reportable segments. Information about
the Company’s products, major customers, and geographic areas on a company-wide basis is also disclosed.
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2007
Less than 12 Months 12 Months or Greater Total
Unrealized Unrealized Unrealized
Security Description Fair Value Loss Fair Value Loss Fair Value Loss
U.S. Treasury and Agency Securities $ 338 $ — $ — $ — $ 338 $ —
U.S. Corporate Securities 2,521 (12) 32 — 2,553 (12)
Foreign Securities 474 (1) 8 — 482 (1)
Total $ 3,333 $ (13) $ 40 $ — $ 3,373 $ (13)
The unrealized losses on the Company’s investments in U.S. Treasury and Agency Securities, U.S. Corporate Securities, and Foreign Securities
were caused primarily by changes in interest rates, specifically, widening credit spreads. The Company’s investment policy requires investments
to be rated single-A or better with the objective of minimizing the potential risk of principal loss. Therefore, the Company considers the declines
to be temporary in nature. Fair values were determined for each individual security in the investment portfolio. When evaluating the investments
for other-than-temporary impairment, the Company reviews factors such as the length of time and extent to which fair value has been below cost
basis, the financial condition of the issuer, and the Company’s ability and intent to hold the investment for a period of time, which may be
sufficient for anticipated recovery in market value. During 2008, the Company did not record any material impairment charges on its outstanding
securities. As of September 27, 2008, the Company does not consider any of its investments to be other-than-temporarily impaired.
Accounts Receivable
Trade Receivables
The Company distributes its products through third-party distributors and resellers and directly to certain education, consumer, and commercial
customers. The Company generally does not require collateral from its customers. In addition, when possible, the Company attempts to limit
credit risk on trade receivables with credit insurance for certain customers in Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Australia and by arranging with
third-party financing companies to provide flooring arrangements and other loan and lease programs to the Company’s direct customers. These
credit-financing arrangements are directly between the third-party financing company and the end customer. As such, the Company generally
does not assume any recourse or credit risk sharing related to any of these arrangements. However, considerable trade receivables not covered by
collateral, third-party flooring arrangements, or credit insurance are outstanding with the Company’s distribution and retail channel partners.
Trade receivables from two of the Company’s customers accounted for 15% and 10% of trade receivables as of September 27, 2008, while one
customer accounted for approximately 11% of trade receivables as of September 29, 2007.
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Other Assets
2008 2007
Deferred costs under subscription accounting—non-current $ 1,089 $ 214
Long-term NAND flash memory prepayments 208 625
Deferred tax assets—non-current 138 88
Capitalized software development costs, net 67 83
Other assets 433 212
Total other assets $ 1,935 $ 1,222
Accrued Expenses
2008 2007
Deferred revenue—current $ 4,853 $ 1,391
Deferred margin on component sales 681 545
Accrued marketing and distribution 329 288
Accrued compensation and employee benefits 320 254
Accrued warranty and related costs 267 230
Other accrued tax liabilities 100 488
Other current liabilities 2,022 1,114
Total accrued expenses $ 8,572 $ 4,310
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Fiscal Years
2009 $ 50
2010 35
2011 32
2012 26
2013 13
Thereafter 29
Total $ 185
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Comprehensive Income
Comprehensive income consists of two components, net income and other comprehensive income. Other comprehensive income refers to
revenue, expenses, gains, and losses that under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles are recorded as an element of shareholders’ equity
but are excluded from net income. The Company’s other comprehensive income consists of foreign currency translation adjustments from those
subsidiaries not using the U.S. dollar as their functional currency, unrealized gains and losses on marketable securities categorized as available-
for-sale, and net deferred gains and losses on certain derivative instruments accounted for as cash flow hedges.
The following table summarizes the components of accumulated other comprehensive income, net of taxes, as of the three fiscal years ended
September 27, 2008 (in millions):
2008 2007 2006
Unrealized losses on available-for-sale securities $ (70) $ (7) $ —
Unrealized gains on derivative instruments 19 — 3
Cumulative foreign currency translation 59 70 19
Accumulated other comprehensive income $ 8 $ 63 $ 22
The change in fair value of available-for-sale securities included in other comprehensive income was $(63) million, $(7) million, and $4 million,
net of taxes in 2008, 2007, and 2006, respectively. The tax effect related to the change in unrealized gain/loss on available-for-sale securities was
$42 million, $4 million, and $(2) million for 2008, 2007, and 2006, respectively.
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Contingencies
The Company is subject to certain other legal proceedings and claims that have arisen in the ordinary course of business and have not been fully
adjudicated. In the opinion of management, the Company does not have a potential liability related to any current legal proceedings and claims
that would individually or in the aggregate have a material adverse effect on its financial condition or operating results. However, the results of
legal proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty. If the Company failed to prevail in any of these legal matters or if several of these legal
matters were resolved against the Company in the same reporting period, the operating results of a particular reporting period could be materially
adversely affected.
Production and marketing of products in certain states and countries may subject the Company to environmental, product safety and other
regulations including, in some instances, the requirement to provide customers the ability to return product at the end of its useful life, and place
responsibility for environmentally safe disposal or recycling with the Company. Such laws and regulations have been passed in several
jurisdictions in which the Company operates, including various countries within Europe and Asia, certain Canadian provinces and certain states
within the U.S. Although the Company does not anticipate any material adverse effects in the future based on the nature of its operations and the
thrust of such laws, there is no assurance that such existing laws or future laws will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s
financial condition or operating results.
(a) Other corporate expenses include research and development, corporate marketing expenses, manufacturing costs and variances not
included in standard costs, and other separately managed general and administrative expenses, including certain corporate expenses
associated with support of the Retail segment.
No single customer or single country outside of the U.S. accounted for more than 10% of net sales in 2008, 2007, or 2006. Net sales and long-
lived assets related to the U.S. and international operations for the three fiscal years ended September 27, 2008, are as follows (in millions):
2008 2007 2006
Net sales:
U.S. $ 18,469 $ 14,128 $ 11,486
International 14,010 9,878 7,829
Total net sales $ 32,479 $ 24,006 $ 19,315
Long-lived assets:
U.S. $ 2,269 $ 1,752 $ 1,150
International 410 260 218
Total long-lived assets $ 2,679 $ 2,012 $ 1,368
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(a) Includes iMac, Mac mini, Mac Pro, Power Mac, and Xserve product lines.
(b) Includes MacBook, iBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and PowerBook product lines.
(c) Consists of iTunes Store sales and iPod services, and Apple-branded and third-party iPod accessories.
(d) Derived from handset sales, carrier agreements, and Apple-branded and third-party iPhone accessories.
(e) Includes sales of Apple-branded and third-party displays, wireless connectivity and networking solutions, and other hardware
accessories.
(f) Includes sales of Apple-branded operating system and application software, third-party software, AppleCare, and Internet services.
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
None.
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
The information required by this Item under the heading “Directors” is incorporated herein by reference from the information to be contained in
the Company’s 2009 Proxy Statement to be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the solicitation of
proxies for the Company’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on February 25, 2009 (“2009 Proxy Statement”). The information under
the heading “Executive Officers of the Registrant” in Part I, Item 1 of this Form 10-K is also incorporated herein by reference.
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
The information required by this Item under the headings “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” and “Equity
Compensation Plan Information” are incorporated herein by reference from the information to be contained in the Company’s 2009 Proxy
Statement.
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
The information required by this Item under the heading “Review, Approval or Ratification of Transactions with Related Persons” is
incorporated herein by reference from the information to be contained in the Company’s 2009 Proxy Statement.
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules
(a) Documents filed as part of this report
(1) All financial statements
Index to Consolidated Financial Statements Page
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 27, 2008 and September 29, 2007 54
Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three fiscal years ended September 27, 2008 55
Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity for the three fiscal years ended September 27, 2008 56
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the three fiscal years ended September 27, 2008 57
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 58
Selected Quarterly Financial Information (Unaudited) 87
Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, KPMG LLP 88
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be
signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, this 4th day of November 2008.
APPLE INC.
Power of Attorney
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Steven P. Jobs and
Peter Oppenheimer, jointly and severally, his attorneys-in-fact, each with the power of substitution, for him in any and all capacities, to sign any
amendments to this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and to file the same, with exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with
the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact, or his substitute or substitutes,
may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the
registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated:
Name Title Date
/s/ S TEVEN P. J OBS Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal November 4, 2008
STEVEN P. JOBS Executive Officer)
/s/ P ETER O PPENHEIMER Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer November 4, 2008
PETER OPPENHEIMER (Principal Financial and Principal Accounting
Officer)
EXHIBIT INDEX
Incorporated by Reference
Exhibit Filing Date/
Number Exhibit Description Form Period End Date
3.1 Restated Articles of Incorporation, filed with the Secretary of State of the State of California on S-3 7/27/88
January 27, 1988.
3.2 Certificate of Amendment to Restated Articles of Incorporation, filed with the Secretary of State 10-Q 5/11/00
of the State of California on May 4, 2000.
3.3 Certificate of Amendment to Restated Articles of Incorporation, as amended, filed with the 10-Q 3/26/05
Secretary of State of the State of California on February 25, 2005.
3.4 Certificate of Determination of Preferences of Series A Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock 10-K 9/26/97
of the Registrant.
3.5 By-Laws of the Registrant, as amended through August 20, 2008. 8-K 8/25/08
4.1 Form of Stock Certificate of the Registrant. 10-Q 12/30/06
10.1* Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as amended through May 10, 2007. 8-K 5/16/07
10.2* Form of Indemnification Agreement between the Registrant and each officer of the Registrant. 10-K 9/26/97
10.3* 1997 Employee Stock Option Plan, as amended through October 19, 2001. 10-K 9/28/02
10.4* 1997 Director Stock Option Plan, as amended through May 10, 2007. 8-K 5/16/07
10.5* 2003 Employee Stock Plan, as amended through May 10, 2007. 8-K 5/16/07
10.6* Reimbursement Agreement dated as of May 25, 2001 by and between the Registrant and Steven 10-Q 6/29/02
P. Jobs.
10.7* Performance Bonus Plan dated April 21, 2005. 10-Q 3/26/05
10.8* Form of Option Agreements. 10-K 9/24/05
10.9* Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement effective as of August 28, 2007. 10-K 9/29/07
14.1 Business Conduct Policy of the Registrant dated January 2008. 10-Q 12/29/07
21** Subsidiaries of the Registrant.
23.1** Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
24.1** Power of Attorney (included on the Signature Page of this Annual Report on Form 10-K).
31.1** Rule 13a-14(a) / 15d-14(a) Certification of Chief Executive Officer.
31.2** Rule 13a-14(a) / 15d-14(a) Certification of Chief Financial Officer.
32.1*** Section 1350 Certifications of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer.
* Indicates management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.
** Filed herewith.
*** Furnished herewith.
95
Exhibit 21
SUBSIDIARIES OF
APPLE INC.*
Jurisdiction
Name of Incorporation
Apple Sales International (formerly Apple Computer International) Ireland
Braeburn Capital, Inc. Nevada, U.S.
* Pursuant to Item 601(b)(21)(ii) of Regulation S-K, the names of other subsidiaries of Apple Inc. are omitted because, considered in the
aggregate, they would not constitute a significant subsidiary as of the end of the year covered by this report.
Exhibit 23.1
I, Peter Oppenheimer, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that
the Annual Report of Apple Inc. on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 27, 2008 fully complies with the requirements of Section 13
(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and that information contained in such Form 10-K fairly presents in all material respects the
financial condition and results of operations of Apple Inc.
November 4, 2008
A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906 has been provided to Apple Inc. and will be retained by Apple Inc. and
furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.