kbear2

Motorola's Droid Comes in Peace - For Now

Regarding the CDMA/GSM issue, there are phones that can work on either system. The HTC TouchPro2 has capabilities built in for both but the GSM has been disabled by firmware in order to avoid FCC testing. It would be very easy for Apple to include dual use capability.

Unless the Android community can come together to form some sort of coalition to create a user experience comparable to iTunes and offer 100,000 apps, they will suffer from the above mentioned fragmentation and disgruntled customers.

Verizon's Droid Is the Real Deal

As to the vaulted Verizon service, I live in Central Jersey which is supposed to have full coverage according to their maps. When calling my parents both my sister and I (who live 15 and 45 miles away from them respectively) often have to try 3-6 times before a call will go through. Dropped calls are common even when all of us are static. I'm in no hurry to adopt a smart phone on Verizon.

The Downside to iPhone Success

FUD.

Very tired of all the vultures just waiting for something negative to lay on Apple. The minute the stock begins to recover, out they come.

The people who will have trouble with any potential virus on the iPhone will be those who jailbreak it. And protection is one of the reasons why Apple has such tight control over which applications it allows to be sold through their store.

Alternative Buyers for Lehman (and Not Just the Usual Suspects)

Oh, common guys, give Scott props for creativity. As unlikely that his suggestions would be followed, at least the concept of economic equanimity is appealing.

Got a better idea that won't cost the taxpayer a bundle?

Apple Investors: Fasten Your Seatbelts, Put On Helmets

Zack wants you all to put on a helmet because after reading his self-serving mush you will probably fall off your chair or want to smack your head against the wall in disbelief.

Should Apple Be Worth More Than Google?

Do you sleep in your Apple shorts?

Five Great Quality Companies: Are They Too Expensive?

@jackdee ..."There is room for Apple to grow its PC sales, but it will have to lower costs and cut margins if it wants to grab market share."

If you understand the recent actions and report by Apple you should see that is precisely what they are doing.

"MSFT owns the OS and will continue to do so for the near future, Apple is not going to take much market share until they create a robust flexiable OS. At the moment they simply do not have one."

Oh, my, you surely have not tried a Mac, have you? Nor read anything about its Unix base apparently.

"Apple is great if you dont care about money or being highly limited in software and hardware choices. "

This is an argument that may have been of use several years ago. No longer. Granted the hardware choices are fewer but you are getting a balanced platform that is aligned to the OS thereby resulting in fewer conflicts. That more than makes up for the so called lack of hardware choice. And there is plenty of software, more every day.
As for price, my niece recently specked out Windows machines vs a Mac and she was surprised to see that by the time she upgraded the basic Win machine to meet the Mac specs the price differential was non existent. And then there is all the Apple software that "just works". Any guess as to what she purchased? Oh, and she is "happy as a clam".

@bearfund: Yes, I also wish Apple would give a dividend. But they are using some of their cash evidenced by the purchase of the chip manufacturer P.A. Semi. Don't be surprised if you see new chips in future products that aren't Intel.

@Larry: "If Apple's Sustainable advantage was so good, then why did they go in the tank for over a decade?"

First of all you can't possibly compare the PPC and pre OSX days with now. Hardly. But there had to be something that kept Apple alive through all those "doomed" days where anytime Apple was mentioned it was with the word "beleaguered". The fan base knew there was something worth supporting despite going up against a monopoly. Any other company would have died quickly under those circumstances.

Whether you think a stock is too expensive has to do with your short or long term outlook. If you are in it for the quick gain, then maybe so, but down the road you'll be wishing you had held on.