thinking ahead

Smartphones: The Mobile Industry Is About to Get 'Blown Apart'

The KILLER AP is iChat -- except Apple forgot to include that (or the backward camera necessary for anybody else to do it either). The iPhone (or any other phone) screen is kind of small to watch most video content on for an extended period. But 2-way video conferencing is another matter. I expect that if Apple doesn't figure this out, somebody else will. You think people like talking on their stupid phones now? Wait until they can see each other. They will never shut up! But the handset maker will be quietly becoming very rich. And the first mover has the opportunity to establish the standards necessary for competing phones to participate in the great American YAK YAK YAK.

What's Better: BlackBerry or iPhone?

I own both companies. I recently added RIMM because the one big iPhone + is the browser, and I'm betting that the Bold browser will be much improved. If so, it makes it that much harder to dislodge crackberry users from their beloved units. Blackberrys are all about email - including composing email -- and the blackberry is a better product for that use. But I think AAPL was smart to patent the squeeze-expand feature (and other variants) that rely on two fingers using the touch screen together. This is a natural and ingenious method of spanning and expanding the human to machine interface. Like I said, both are good products and great stocks.

But I sure don't have my identity mixed up with some company that doesn't know or care about me. So if either or both vanish tomorrow, I'll get along fine anyway.

Will the iPhone Eat Blackberry's Business Lunch?

MR. White
1. Apple makes most of its revenue from selling discretionary products to the US consumer. Is that clear enough now?

2. Canada? What are you talking about? I never wrote anything about Canada.

Will the iPhone Eat Blackberry's Business Lunch?

Mr. White:
Try this: 1) read the article again then 2) read the comments in order. I bet it's not really beyond you to follow all this if you try again.

Will the iPhone Eat Blackberry's Business Lunch?

Ahem Mr Apple Heavy . . . it is a GOOD think for RIMM if people replace them frequently. In fact the CEO of RIMM himself calls the blackberry a "disposable" device.

Regarding AAPL, get out now while you can. Millions of people who were counted on to expand Apples market share are tied up with more important things. Like trying to not get tossed out of their house. Like trying to feed their kids. Don't make the oldest investing error of all -- assuming that the past is prologue.

The Music Biz: Something Important Is On The Horizon

The iPod fidelity is allready terrible. I can't imagine what the quality will be on these hundreds of cheap amatuer on-demand stations. At some point the public will reawaken to the concept of musical fidelity. When that happens, there will be a rush back to high quality playback gear and software. Sort of like when people discovered HDTV.

Under The Radar News - Friday

Don't developers have to pay for the AAPL SDK? And don't they also have to cough up 30% of revenues to Apple? On that basis I would view 100,000 downloads on AAPL as being much more serious and valuable than 5 million of the GOOG freebie. What am I missing?

Sell the News, Buy the Rally

I hate people that WASTE MY TIME

Imagine If You Didn't Hate Your Mobile Carrier

Check out the Economist article on Sachio Semmoto in Japan. He sees the world the way you do, and he's doing something about it.

Defending Apple's MacBook Air

I am stunned by how many people commented on this. I like the Mac Air - but for the poor guys (and gals) who have to lug 5-6lb laptops around airports all week long. THAT is the market for this one. But there are way too many people following AAPL - I'm so out of that stock for a while.

Google's Working with Microsoft's Playbook on iPhone

This article thesis is spurious

My 2008 Investment Prognosis

CAT is trading at 13X with a 10-15% growth rate as far as the eye can see. It also pays 2.1% dividend yield, and has a steady record of dividend increases. It also is buying back stock and sales are 60% non-North America. CAT is not a housing play or a US consumer play. Maybe it was 10 years ago, but now it is more sensitive to Brazil (on the ground over 30 years there) than to Toll Brothers. (dics: I'm long CAT)

Does Apple's Market Share Gain Really Matter?

We'll see. I hope you're right, but nothing lasts forever. On the flip side, I have never lost money on AAPL, and I've owned it off and on for many years. But they gotta keep those plates spinning . . .

Apple's Mysterious New Portable Device?

The touch-keyboard ain't working Steve. But an iPhone with a Blackberry sized flip-out qwerty would take over the world (ok, some hyperbole here, but it would be the best of both worlds). Oh, and push email would be good too.

Apple's Leopard Not as Error Free as It Should Be

The title of this report is inaccurate and misleading