Merriam-Webster, an American company that publishes reference books, especially known for its dictionaries, dates back all the way to the 19th century (1843, to be precise). It says the first usage of the word “sheeple” was back in 1945. This was obviously long before Apple was founded as a company and started manufacturing Macs, iPods, iPhones, and a whole range of its devices.
From the article: