Apple has promised to bring artificial intelligence powered features to a host of its devices since June. And this week, Apple users finally got a chance to try out Apple Intelligence for themselves just ahead of the company's latest quarterly earnings report.

On Oct. 28, Apple publicly released a new software update that brought Apple Intelligence, the company's branded generative artificial intelligence model, to supported iPhones, iPads and Mac devices.

This first iteration includes generative AI tools that can help users with a variety of tasks, such as rewriting things like texts, emails and notes, searching for certain photos by describing what they're looking for and creating video montages, according to the Oct. 28 press release.

"Apple Intelligence builds on years of innovation in AI and machine learning to put Apple's generative models at the core of our devices, giving our users a personal intelligence system that is easy to use — all while protecting their privacy," Apple CEO Tim Cook said in the press release.

On June 11, a day after the iPhone maker initially announced the AI features, Apple's share price surged 7% to $207.15 — a record close at the time. Apple's stock has continued to climb, surging to a 52-week high of $237.49 on Oct. 15.

How much an investment in Apple is worth

Apple reported its fiscal fourth quarter earnings after the market close on Oct. 31.

The company reported earnings per share of $1.64, adjusted, which beat the $1.60 analysts expected, according to LSEG consensus estimates. And Apple reported revenue of $94.93 billion for the quarter, which surpassed analysts' prediction of $94.58 billion.

The company made its stock market debut nearly 44 years ago, on Dec. 12, 1980, at $22 per share. Since then, Apple has soared to a $3.4 trillion market capitalization with shares priced at $230.10 as of the market close on Oct. 30.

DON'T MISS: The ultimate guide to negotiating a higher salary

With that in mind, CNBC calculated how much a $1,000 investment in Apple made one, five, 10 and 44 years ago would be worth currently. CNBC's calculations are based on Apple's Oct. 30 closing share price and don't factor in potential changes in the company's share price following its recent earnings report.

If you invested one year ago

• Percentage change: 36%
• Total as of October 30: $1,357

If you invested five years ago

• Percentage change: 286%
• Total as of October 30: $3,857

If you invested 10 years ago

• Percentage change: 789%
• Total as of October 30: $8,885

If you invested when Apple went public in 1980

• Percentage change: 185,889%
• Total as of October 30: $1,859,888

Why investors should spread their dollars

When it comes to investing, financial experts commonly advise against hand-picking individual stocks purely based on how the company is performing in the short term. That's because the stock market can be unpredictable and any number of factors can cause share prices to drop or rise unexpectedly.

Instead, a more passive approach tends to benefit most investors. One tried-and-true strategy is to invest in low-cost index funds.

These types of funds aim to mirror a market index like the S&P 500, which measures the stock performance of around 500 large American companies across a variety of industries. When you invest in an index fund, you gain exposure to a wide range of companies, including Nvidia, Apple and Netflix, instead of putting all of your eggs into one basket.

As of Oct. 30, the S&P 500 is up by nearly 40% compared with 12 months ago, according to CNBC's calculations. Its value has grown by close to 90% since the same time in 2019, about 191% compared with a decade ago in 2014 and around 4,414% since December 1980.

Want to earn more money at work? Take CNBC's new online course How to Negotiate a Higher Salary. Expert instructors will teach you the skills you need to get a bigger paycheck, including how to prepare and build your confidence, what to do and say, and how to craft a counteroffer. Pre-register now and use coupon code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 50% off through Nov. 26, 2024.