Apple Prototypes

Apple Computer runs a sophisticated prototyping and iteration process within their own company that the outside world rarely gets to see. Any particular product that they put out for factory production for the outside market goes through an intensive prototyping program that often goes through hundreds of fully working models before the company settles on one that works. According to the new book that charts the runaway success of Apple Computer over the past ten years in the consumer electronics sector, this process has been buffeted by their incredibly intense and risky process of development.

When most companies try to roll out a new product, they will make one or two prototypes and basically put all of their eggs in that single basket. At Apple, the first try is never the one that they end up picking. For a product like a new iPod, they will go through many different models with an eye for both functionality and design. Whether or not they can make money off of it and whether it can be mass produced profitably is also kept in mind throughout this process.

This process helped to make the iPod family of electronics the market leader after only a few years of release. Although they were portrayed as one of the first entrants into the MP3 player market, they actually came into it late - and managed to promote it along with their iTunes service to become the unquestioned platform dominator, despite stiff competition from other companies like Microsoft and Creative.