During the time that Jobs was absent from Apple, the company had a long period of ups and downs. New products were released to both success and failures. It was during this time, however, that their status as a niche market retailer began to form. Apple customers were extraordinarily loyal. Many people were buying IBM and other personal computers because they had a need for the devices. On the other hand, many people were buying Apple brand computers because they wanted an Apple machine. Due to this increasing amount of dedication to the company, Apple was able to charge a higher price for their high-end, high-quality computers. This allowed them to stabilize financially as well as discover a new identity as a company. After this new identity was established and Steve Jobs was reestablished as CEO of the company,