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    • Sat Jul 12th 13:06 PM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      Did Apple Manufacture a First-Day iPhone Shortage?
      Of course the other alternative is that the store clerk lied, or the "reader" lied about the store clerk saying "could not start selling them until Saturday morning due to his contract with Apple". Or in fact that you lied. Not possible I suppose that disinformation exists, naive to think anyone tries to manipulate a stock. It's insane to think an article can be written based on substantiated fact these days I suppose. Rumor means squat.

      But then again, the only relevant fact is that Apple is selling a ton of phones globally.
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    • Fri Apr 25th 09:06 AM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      Apple's Branding Strategy Delivers Superior Results
      As a branding specialist I can tell you that you only have half the equation right. Yes indeed Apple is among the best in positioning and exploiting their brand; however, it doesn't matter how good your brand is if the product doesn't deliver an exceptional experience. In Apple's case, it's the best of both worlds, thus the brand and product feed off each other synergistically; the product line meshes well, seamless, and all product lines representing the edge of technological achievement. No small feat.

      I find it interesting as competitors; Dell a good example that I'll use here (who's had a decent "brand"); they fall all over themselves trying to reinvent themselves thinking it's their stale brand that's made them fall behind, Dell extends this thinking into revamping the industrial design of the products, in their mind this and increased emphasis on improved marketing efforts is what it will take for them to regain their luster. They will fail because they're just a box maker who's past success was efficiencies passed on to the consumer. Those days are gone because it's the experience that's suffering, they're beholden to others for that.

      So while yes, the Apple brand is exceptional, so is the product and experience. One without the other would not see Apple at the pinnacle it is today.
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    • Fri Apr 11th 09:28 AM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      Apple Looks Undervalued Based on Past Earnings
      Growth stocks are all about the future, trite comment, yes, but especially true in Apple's case. There's an interesting Business Week release this a.m. www.businessweek.com/t...

      This artcile encapsulates the longs views pretty accurately. When considering the small market share Apple still currently holds in all its business categories sans the MP3 market and factor in the huge growth potential in it's other business segments, growth which has been demonstrated in previous quarters, factor in the huge cash position, that continues to grow...well, using an old school blue chip collar smoke stack logic of "intrinsic" value is indeed trite. Historic growth isn't relative, but ignoring the mounting evidence of what the future holds for this company IS relative, the evidence is such that I wouldn't bet against it.
      View article »
    • Mon Mar 10th 16:18 PM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      Apple and RIM Battle for the Corporate Mobile Market
      Most phones will have a GPS chip in them in the future, e911 is the primary driver behind that. About 28% of all phones have it to date. Although a GPS chip obviously allows for a much larger set of GPS capable applications. This will be seen in future iPhones almost certainly.
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    • Sat Mar 8th 11:14 AM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      Apple and RIM Battle for the Corporate Mobile Market
      The competition argument is moot in many ways. Those in business simply needing a phone with good email capability will continue to use RIM phones, but that's where the so called competition will end and where the iPhone begins.

      Apple's OS for the iPhone is a version of their desktop OS, this is an incredibly powerful OS that's seen decades of development as an evolution process for Mac OS. RIM's OS doesn't come close to the depth and power of Leopard OS, sorry RIM fans, it's like comparing a Ferrari to a Mustang. The extensible nature of the iPhone's OS has been barely scratched the surface of in capability, but why it's grabbed as much market share in the smart phone market in less than a year. It's not fashion, although the iPhone has that too, and no doubt contributed to the initial uptake.

      The idea that Apple "was" focused on consumers and RIM "business" is funny in many ways when considering Apples iPhone has been on the market less than a year.

      This competition will be short lived when the iPhone hits second gear and the new applications start pouring out from global buckets of developers, in tandem with a 3G iPhone. In the U.S. Verizon will keep RIM in the game being that CDMA plays an important competitive roll here. Look out globally though where GSM is the standard bearer and as Apple continues to bring on new carriers there.
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    • Fri Mar 7th 11:26 AM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      iPhone in Your Business: Pondering the ROI Case
      All corporate America has to do is allow it on premises, which many likely will since there's no reason not to. Many employees will buy their own, opening the doors to wider adoption.
      View article »
    • Thu Mar 6th 09:19 AM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      Apple: Next Leg Up Will Be From Enterprise Accounts
      Always follow the money, in this case saving it.

      Sure, Apple computers are more expensive, but they're less demanding to service and more user friendly. No doubt there will be IT push back because of this, however, even if an entire business doesn't go Mac in one fell swoop, look for the product to encroach on the edges of big business. Once the value proposition is evident the floodgates will open. Small to mid size business will be easier. Look too for Mac business apps to become more robust brought about because of less risk in their development aka bootcamp etc., which provides a sort of crossover safety net making these intellectual assets transient.
      View article »
    • Thu Feb 28th 10:42 AM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      Apple: Get Ready for a Business-Friendly iPhone
      You have to remember Apple is focused on making the best possible GSM phone. There's not many options in the U.S. other than T-Mobile that offers a GSM network.

      Apple was smart to focus on GSM first, it's the most widely used network in the world, thus more addressable market share, and a good choice to market their first phone. Just remember, someone can't unlock a phone and use it on i.e. Verizon's network, which is based on CDMA technology.
      View article »
    • Wed Feb 27th 09:01 AM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      Jim Cramer's Stop Trading! 2/26/08: Much Ado about Price Wars
      "Cramer called IBM’s quarter “unbelievable” and prefers it to his former horsemen, GOOG and AAPL, which reported lackluster quarters."

      More disinformation by the master Mad Money hypster. Lackluster quarter? Apple reported the best quarter in their history last quarter beating expectations as usual (this was their fiscal 1st quarter). They were under the analysts guidance for this coming quarter (is that unusual for them?). Let's get real for a change.
      View article »
    • Tue Feb 26th 11:38 AM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      Last Year's Leaders Have Become This Year's Laggards
      Very simply put it's a bear attack on these issues. So many of the financial institutions have been decimated from the housing bubble. This bear attack simply lowers the elevator for many of these companies to get on board so to eventually help mitigate some of their losses. This day and age there's coercion between press and analysts to play into fear. This will be denied but it's a fact of life today.
      View article »
    • Tue Feb 19th 11:29 AM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      Apple's AT&T Deal Is Costly
      RIMM has done well with itself but has reached the beginning of its end as a leader. It's vulnerable to the more potent OS of Apple that is in nascent stages of its capability. The power players behind its stock know this but will sponge that issue for all its worth.

      The applications that will result from the release of Apples SDK will vault it decisively as the powerful OS it is as it gets fully exploited. This will be further strengthened through the release of 3G iPhones which will likely also contain a GPS chip.
      View article »
    • Tue Feb 19th 09:21 AM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      Apple's AT&T Deal Is Costly
      My bet is watch as Apple releases their SDK, the only way to get the apps will be mostly through contracted carrier channels, making unlocked phones poor step children. I think you underestimate the walled garden mentality of carriers. If the before holds true then the value added functionality of the iPhone apps will gradually wear away the appeal of unlocked iphones.
      View article »
    • Tue Feb 12th 09:05 AM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      Three Reasons I Chose Microsoft over Apple for Home Media
      So you think the X-Box is a beautiful in home decoration by virtue of deduction.

      "...every XBox 360 has a DVD player in it....By using XBox 360s as extender units (I've got two installed now -- one in the bedroom and one in the living room and a third for the kitchen on the way)."

      Then you say about Apple: "...for a home media strategy, people would not want 2 boxes in every room, with one of the boxes being a big ugly black DVD player."

      Yet 3 X-Boxes? Give us a break you flipping idiot.

      Now, you aside, I would venture to guess that most people don't have, nor want, a DVD player in every room, TV perhaps, but not DVD.
      View article »
    • Fri Feb 8th 08:58 AM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      Apple Production Plans: Strength in Macs, Weakness in iPods and iPhones
      Suggests a blowout quarter. The profits from desktops and notebooks eclipse by several orders of magnitude profits for iPods etc.

      The note suggests overbuild of iPods in December quarter, Apple reported flat U.S. growth for that quarter ending and about 5% growth in Europe. Obviously manufacturing costs will be down this quarter for the iPod considering they have leftover inventory from preceding period.

      This is nothing but a shell guessing game. Apple will beat the quarter as usual my guess.
      View article »
    • Wed Jan 30th 17:11 PM | Rating: 0 0
      Commented on:
      Contrary to Some Opinions, Apple Doesn't Do Loss Leaders
      Good post Carl,

      A couple points. One should basically boycott all street.com news, they make money off of clicks (ads viewed). Most of it is FUD as described by a previous individual. Cramer made it be known how he and his hedge fund buddies operated in his hedge fund days youtube.com/watch?v=GO... Cramer still operates this way and Mad Money and Street.com are his tools.

      In reference to the street.coms mention that Apple "needs" to lower its iPhone price to make the 2008 10 million goal is another example of how thier FUD is used. This article creates doubt (purposefully), it makes no mention that Apple will have more channels for sales as the year progresses (asia), it says nothing about the 3G phone coming out mid year that many probably are holding off purchase in wait for. Do you think they do not know this?

      So, as Apple moves through the year the iPhone will be enhanced aka SDK. A 3G will come out. They'll open up to much broader markets. None of these are subtle things, all these points will likely be huge drivers of iPhone sales. And there is a chance Apple will lower the price of the current breed of iPhone when they launch the 3G variant min 08.
      View article »
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