Reports

Below are all of the report headings and the reports:

Report Headings

Last edited Title
01 Dec 2008 06:57 Apple Update October 29th-November 4th
This page provides a report of all important updates and discussions involving Apple Inc. between October 29th and November 4th. There is very little news regarding Apple from this week because of the Presidential election (on November 4th).
01 Dec 2008 06:57 Apple Update October 22nd-28th
This page provides a report of all important updates and discussions involving Apple Inc. between October 22nd and October 28th.
07 Dec 2008 04:38 Apple Update October 15th-21st
This page provides a report of all important updates and discussions involving Apple Inc. between October 15th and October 21st.
01 Dec 2008 06:58 Media Event October 14th
A major media event took place today as Apple announced it's new lines of laptops, along with other information. This event warranted a report by itself.
01 Dec 2008 06:58 Apple Update October 6th-13th
This page provides a report of all important updates and discussions involving Apple Inc. between October 6th and October 13th.

Reports

This is my final report. It discusses all important updates and discussions involving Apple Inc. between December 3rd and 8th.

Friday, December 5th

  • A lot of people are talking about whether Apple will introduce a netbook in 2009. Given the poor economy, a netbook would provide a cheaper option to people who can't afford to spend $999 on a basic Macbook.

Instead, Analyst Ezra Gottheil and Technology Business Research (TBR) are confident that Apple will release a computer in the netbook class within the first half of next year, but one that doesn't obey many of the rules dictated by the industry. Like the MacBook Air ultraportable, this future system would be at least as thin and light as others in its category but would potentially have a larger surface area to allow a larger display or more comfortable input.

Crucially, Gottheil also takes to heart Jobs' assertion that $500 systems are typically "junk" and believes that Apple will price the system at $599. The figure would be just low enough to draw customers who would pass over the plastic MacBook but high enough to avoid the risk Apple's co-founder perceives in dropping the price particularly low.

  • Another lawsuit is arising over the performance of Apple's 3G network. James Pittman has filed a lawsuit against Apple in regards to the poor speeds of the iPhone 3G when compared to advertisements.

Apple has been targeted for a number of lawsuits due to the latest iPhone. Recently a 70-year-old resident of San Diego, William Gillis, also brought up accusations against Apple, claiming its 3G did not meet the standards proclaimed in the company’s ads.

Thursday, December 4th

  • To continue the iTunes Store discussion from last week: Recently the Apple Store broke 10,000 applications AND has served over 300 million downloads. Possibly the most amazing feature of the ever-expanding iPhone and iPod line is their ability to incorporate unique multi-media features, such as these applications. Now an iPod does not only play music and surf the web, but offers an incredible amount of unique applications to fit any need! As well, a new study from Forrester Research shows that iTunes has 12.6% of the entire US music market, with 70% of the US digital market share.

The store opened on July 11 of this year and iPhone app developers have already broken into five digits worth of free and pay apps. That was accomplished in less than six months. And the developers wrote those apps all while being subjected to Apple's sometimes draconian approval process. That's pretty impressive.

CNET says Apple analysts had been predicting sales of 18 million to 19 million iPods this season but Wu thinks that will be closer to 21 million, just shy of last year’s 22 million sold during the season.

Wednesday, December 3rd

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This page provides a report of all important updates and discussions involving Apple Inc. between October 15th and October 21st.

Tuesday, October 21st

  • Apple released it's Q4 results, showing a 26% increase in profit from a year ago on revenue of $8 billion. Apple sold almost 7 million iPhone 3G's in the fiscal fourth quarter alone! Here is another article discussing this in a little more detail.

Jobs went on to try to assuage concerns about how the current economic uncertainty might affect the company, citing that Apple has almost $25 billion in cash "safely in the bank and zero debt."

Apple has now sold more than 13 million iPhones, beating its goal of selling 10 million with two months left to spare. Today, the company announced it sold 6,892,000 iPhone 3Gs during the fiscal fourth quarter, representing more than five times as many first-generation devices it sold in the year-ago period. “Apple just reported one of the best quarters in its history, with a spectacular performance by the iPhone—we sold more phones than RIM,” CEO Steve Jobs boasted in a press release.

Monday, October 20th

  • Despite the overall positive response received from Apple's media event last week, many Apple fans are upset that Apple removed the Firewire port from their new MacBook. For many companies, this would not be a very big deal, something that they could just ignore. However, given Apple's extremely dedicated fan base, it may be in their best interest to analyze the situation carefully. Here is an example of just one of these petitions. If you are interested about reading more about the FireWire port and it's relevance, check out this article.

Friday, October 17th

  • Today, Greenpeace International commended Apple for their efforts reducing toxic emissions.

While Apple and other top electronic companies still face many challenges on the road to truly green electronics, it can only be a good thing to see a top CEO and high profile a public figure as Steve Jobs devoting significant time to environmental concerns at Apple.

Thursday, October 16th

Apple® today announced that all four of the major networks are offering primetime programs in stunning high definition on the iTunes Store, including viewer favorites “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Lost” from ABC, “CSI” and “CSI: Miami” from CBS, “Bones” and “Prison Break” airing on FOX, and “Heroes” and “The Office” from NBC Universal. The iTunes Store is the world’s most popular online TV store with over 200 million TV episodes sold, including more than one million HD episodes purchased since the launch of HD programming on iTunes last month.

  • When reading the Wall Street Journal today, I overcame an article discussing Google's new phone, the G1. Google teamed with T-Mobile to make this new phone, which some say may be the first real competitor to the iPhone. So far, companies have not been very successful in competing with the iPhone's dominance, however, this may be the phone to do it.

I have been testing the G1 extensively, in multiple cities and in multiple scenarios. In general, I like it and consider it a worthy competitor to the iPhone. Both devices run on fast 3G phone networks and include Wi-Fi. Both have smart-touch interfaces and robust Web browsers. Both have the ability to easily download third-party apps, or programs.

Wednesday October 15th

  • This article debates how Apple's new line of laptops will fare in America's current recession.

So, now that the current round of rumors may be put to rest, what does the future and the holiday season hold for Apple? By all accounts of the crowd at the notebook event, the reactions to the new laptops was very positive. Will the $999 MacBook continue to be a best-seller or will Apple have to dive deeper into netbook price territory?

Tuesday, October 14th

  • Apple announced that it is nearing in on 10% market share in the computer industry.
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This page provides a report of all important updates and discussions involving Apple Inc. between November 26th and December 2nd. Most of the news this week surrounds Apple's Black Friday deals.

Tuesday, December 2nd

The iPhone is now not only the second most popular smartphone in the world but has saved the smartphone industry from a decline this past summer, according to a research note by Needham analyst Charlie Wolf.

Current MacBooks use air cooling, driven by internal fans; while this is sufficient, it is thought that future components — such as faster video cards and quad-core CPUs — may force Apple to use more efficient (and possibly quieter) cooling. Under the active method, coolant would be forced to pass over or near the circuits in question, through the combination of a pump, pipes and drivers. The coolant could be made to shift between liquid and gaseous phases, but alternately, fluid could be mixed with gas bubbles or metal particles in order to improve heat transfer. Heat would ultimately be dissipated into the air through fin stacks.

Monday, December 1st

  • Given that iPhone games have been selling like hotcakes and the iTunes store has been extremely successful, a lot of discussion is spreading the internet regarding iTunes. In my last report, there was an article that called iTune's App Store "Apple's Best Idea Yet, better than the iPod and the iPhone. AppleMatters posted an article called: Why iTunes is so Hard to Beat.

There is a lot about iTunes that I don't like. If anything, I think it has reached the point where Apple would be better off scraping the name, redesigning it as an all encompassing media player and call it something new. But even taking that into consideration, iTunes is a wonderful piece of software. And even if you don't like all of the extra crap they have bolted onto it over the years, as a music player it is still the best one I've ever used.

Sunday, November 30th

All told, three of Amazon’s top 10 bestselling electronics items — and 10 of the top 25 — were made by Apple. By Sunday, five of the top 25 computers on Amazon were MacBooks.

A good sign in this regard is said to Amazon and the iPod touch; while Amazon usually has lead times of one to two days on Touches, stock is now said to be extremely low, resulting in leads of 11 days for 8GB models and three to five weeks for 16GB players. This may be particularly good given the Touch's status as Apple's most expensive iPod, Wu notes.

Thursday, November 27th

  • On Black Friday (Friday, November 28th), Apple will offer some big sales on some of their products. "The company is offering $101 discounts on its latest generation "unibody" MacBooks and a $51 discount on its entry-level $999 white MacBook. The company is also offering $51 or $101 discounts on its aluminum iMac desktops." Apple also offered discounts on many of their other products such as AppleTV and Apple software. However, some analysts weren't so impressed:

The difficulty, the analysts suggest, is that these sales are largely consistent with last year, representing about 5 to 10 percent off instead of predicted cuts as high as 15 percent. It is thought that sales may thus prove to be somewhat disappointing, given biting economic conditions.

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This page provides a report of all important updates and discussions involving Apple Inc. between October 6th and October 13th.

Monday, October 13th

  • Here is an extremely interesting article discussing the MacBook and how it factors into Apple. I highly recommend reading this article, as it provides awesome insight into the company!
  • Apple stock jumped 13.9% to 110.526. Analyst Toni Sacconaghi of Sanford Bernstein upgraded the stock to outperform today. The 52-week high for AAPL is 202.96, and therefore many Americans may see now as a prime time to purchase AAPL given the strong hit it has taken in the past few weeks. This is Apple's highest one day gain since 1999.

The move comes after the stock had plunged more than 40% in value over the last six weeks as the weakening global economy has fueled concerns about the performance of technology companies in general — and Apple in particular.

Saturday, October 11th

  • There may be problems with the Nvidia chips in some of Apple's laptops. Here is an article discussing the issue.
  • As well, rumors are spreading that Walmart may begin carrying the iPhone in November. This could be a huge step for Apple's revolutionary phone!

If true, the Walmart agreement could be a major coup for Apple, expanding distribution significantly. Walmart has over 3,500 stores across the US compared to Apple's almost 200 shops, and AT&T's arsenal of nearly 1,200.

Friday, October 10th

  • Following the announcement of Apple's media event October 14th, Apple stock skyrocketed 9% to 96.08, despite the Dow falling -1.5% on the day.

Shares of Apple Inc. rallied more than 9 percent Friday, as investors saw a newly attractive valuation in the battered stock and anticipated new laptop computers.

Thursday, October 9th

  • HUGE NEWS is released today as Apple announced that they will be hosting an event Tuesday, October 14th to unveil their new line of laptops. There is a big deal of hype surrounding this event, as Apple is known for stirring. Tuesday will be a huge day for Apple, as we will be able to see their future plans and how Americans react.

Even in the midst of economic uncertainty centered around the financial crisis on Wall Street, Apple has been displaying its penchant for generating headlines and hype for unannounced products.

Tuesday, October 7th

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who has been retired from the company since 1987, still has a love for gadgets, technology and computers, but in an interview with the Telegraph, he is startlingly frank about where the industry is headed and his thoughts and opinions when it comes to the Web 2.0 movement; the iPod’s longevity and the iPhone when it’s compared to the Google Android operating system.

Monday, October 6th

  • The iPhone has been extremely successful since its release over a year ago, with most of its competitors failing to imitate it. However, Nokia's newest device, the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, is expected to legitimately duel the iPhone. If this product does truly challenge the iPhone, this could put a major damper on Apple's recent success. Following the iPhone's competitors is a significant part of understanding Apple as a company.

Nokia has launched the latest "iPhone killer" in India, its first touchscreen mobile phone, the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, which is expected to give Apple Inc.'s iconic iPhone a run for its money.

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A major media event took place today as Apple announced it's new lines of laptops, along with other information. This event warranted a report by itself.

  • Before you do anything, you must watch this video. It discusses Apple's amazing production process for it's new MacBook and MacBook Pro, cutting the laptop base out of a solid piece of aluminum. Here is an article discussing this further.
  • Apple released it's new MacBook! It has an aluminum frame (the old MacBook's were made of plastic), it's a half pound lighter, has a new Multi-Touch trackpad, and the display is now LED-backlit, among other things.

The changes bring the MacBook in closer alignment to the new MacBook Pro with an almost identical appearance. The two share the same aluminum casing, LED backlit display, glass trackpad, and most of the same ports; the MacBook is just smaller and lighter.

The former firm notes that while the metal notebooks are more attractive, and boast features such as glass trackpads and better graphics hardware, the $999 system is Apple's first notebook under $1,000, which "could be a key psychological threshold," according to UBS' Maynard Um. Many Windows notebooks are priced between $500 and $1,000.

Some analysts had been expecting new models from Apple at around $800, targeting the fast-growing market for lower-end devices. Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray & Co., said the pricing could indicate that Apple feels confident about demand despite economic concerns.

At first glance, Apple's new MacBook Pro is clearly a new professional laptop, sporting the company's first significant case redesign since the middle of the PowerBook G4 era. Apple has applied the manufacturing process invented for the MacBook Air to the rest of the laptop line, bringing a strong, unibody aluminum design that allows for more environmentally friendly manufacturing, and a stronger case that doesn't weigh significantly more.

  • Apple made a few changes on it's new MacBook Air. The two biggest changes are an updated graphics card and the addition of a new Mini DisplayPort.

As expected, the MacBook Air remained largely untouched during Apple's refresh of the rest of the MacBook line, receiving only a few small but welcome upgrades that improve the svelte laptop's specs.

  • Apple will be releasing it's Q4 earnings on October 21st. This is extremely important because it will allow us to see Apple's sales over the past quarter, and it will be interesting to monitor Apple's stock price. Early news rumors around the Web report that Apple had a very good fourth quarter.

“The new LED Cinema Display is the most advanced display that Apple has ever made,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “It is a perfect fit for our sleek new line of aluminum MacBooks with its 24-inch LED-backlit screen, aluminum and glass enclosure, integrated camera, mic and speakers, MagSafe charger, three USB ports and Mini DisplayPort.”

Overall, the media event received a positive response!

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This page provides a report of all important updates and discussions involving Apple Inc. between October 22nd and October 28th.

Monday, October 27th

  • Rumors are flying around the internet regarding a $99 iPhone. One article on SeekingAlpha.com discusses how Apple "could crush competitors with a $99 iPhone." And here is a report from Silicon Alley Insider about the possibility of a $99 iPhone.

Apple (AAPL) could slash the price of an iPhone to $99, continue to supply a nice margin of more than 40 percent and potentially dominate the smartphone market. One analyst said that a $100 price cut to the 8GB iPhone 3G could “double or triple” sales and quickly overtake other smartphones that are popping up these days, leaving only established successful smartphones - like the Blackberry - as competitors.

Sunday, October 26th

  • Apple released news of its new operating system, Snow Leopard. This article might be a bit too specific for your position, however, its important to have a general knowledge of their operating system.
  • AT&T has inquired with many iPhone owners to explore what features to include on future devices. The survey primarily evaluates satisfaction with AT&T and Apple, although a whole page questions what features or improvements users desire to be included with future iPhones or updates.

Friday, October 24th

  • Apple publicly announced today that it is opposed to Proposition 8, a bill that would ban marriage between same-sex partners in California. Apple donated $100,000 to the No on 8 Campaign. Apple issued this statement on their Hot News Site:

Apple is publicly opposing Proposition 8 and making a donation of $100,000 to the No on 8 campaign. Apple was among the first California companies to offer equal rights and benefits to our employees' same-sex partners, and we strongly believe that a person's fundamental rights — including the right to marry — should not be affected by their sexual orientation. Apple views this as a civil rights issue, rather than just a political issue, and is therefore speaking out publicly against Proposition 8.

The mere 2 percent growth, with revenues of US$4.22B, concerned analyst Matt Rosoff. "That fell pretty far short of Microsoft's expectations. That's always a worry, since it's the core of the company's business." Worse, the most recent quarter was the second of three that saw Vista sales grow poorly or shrink, noted CW's Eric Lai.

Earlier in the week, at a Gartner symposium, Steve Ballmer suggested that customers migrate to Vista now but that Windows 7 would be "a lot better." With corporations taking 12-18 months to roll out a compatible successor to Windows XP and struggling with Vista, Mr. Ballmer's advice likely left them gasping for breath.

Thursday, October 23rd

  • Wall Street Journal analyst Walt Mossberg wrote this review discussing the new MacBook. He is very impressed with the design, and claims it is an excellent product.

All in all, Apple's new MacBook is a terrific choice for consumers and students, if you can handle the $1,299 price.

Wednesday, October 22nd

  • I found an OUTSTANDING analysis of Apple's most recent quarter data from SeekingAlpha.com. Read this through entire article, as this is what your job entails!
  • To start Apple University, Apple hired the dean of Yale. No details have yet been released about what the Apple University is going to be, although the expertise of the upcoming dean suggests that it will serve as an educational facility for the company's employees.

Apple recently hired Joel Podolny, the dean of the Yale School of Management, to join the computer maker as the vice president and dean of Apple University, according to the Wall Street Journal. Podolny has worked with Yale since 2005 with a particular focus on organizational-behavior research, with recent studies of how leaders infuse meaning into their organizations. He also taught at Stanford and served as the Director of Research at the Harvard Business School.

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This page provides a report of all important updates and discussions involving Apple Inc. between October 29th and November 4th. There is very little news regarding Apple from this week because of the Presidential election (on November 4th).

Tuesday, November 4th

  • Games offered on the iPhone and iPod Touch have been a huge hit! The Los Angeles Times published an article stating, "Games have become the fastest-growing and most popular type of application for iPhone and iPod Touch owners, outpacing all other categories available on Apple's App Store. As of Friday evening, 7 of the top 10 selling applications for the devices were games." Another source from Business Week discusses Apple's gaming advantages and their impact on the gaming industry.

"This was an amazing surprise to us to see how much games have taken off," said Stan Ng, Apple's senior director of product marketing. Game developers have taken to the platform, creating nearly 1,700 games since the online App Store launched in June. That's more than twice the number available in the store's second-largest category, entertainment, which includes music and video.

It's enough to make me wonder whether Apple is on its way to conquering yet another sector of the consumer-technology business from out of nowhere. We'll certainly know more after the holiday season, but if I worked for the Sony or Nintendo handheld gaming divisions, I'd be watching the holiday sales figures closely.

Monday, November 3rd

  • As discussed in an earlier report, Apple is publicly opposing California's Proposition 8, a ballot initiative that would ban marriage for same-sex couples. This is very unique because most company's do not publicly take a stance on political issues. Here's an article analyzing how this could affect Apple.

Still, it’s rare for consumer-oriented companies to weigh in on potentially controversial topics. For Apple to publicly commit to a specific political stance is unusual, both for the company and for corporations on the whole since it runs the risk of alienating the percentage of its customer base that may not share those views. But, some argue those risks may be outweighed by the rewards.

Thursday, October 30th

  • Apple recently recruited a top chip designer from IBM, resulting in a lawsuit that seeks to prevent the executive from taking his knowledge as "IBM's top expert in Power architecture and technology" to the Mac maker. Here you can read more about this lawsuit.

Mark Papermaster, who served as IBM's vice president of microprocessor technology development, is set to join Apple within the next couple weeks to begin working closely with chief executive Steve Jobs. According to a report by Tom Krazit of CNet News, IBM's complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York indicates that IBM believes this is "an attempt to expand Apple's presence in the markets for servers and chips for handheld devices." IBM has issued a statement saying "Mr. Papermaster's employment by Apple is a violation of his agreement with IBM against working for a competitor should he leave IBM. We will vigorously pursue this case in court."

Wednesday, October 29th

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This page provides a report of all important updates and discussions involving Apple Inc. between November 5th and 11th.

Monday, November 10th

  • One reason Apple has such innovative products (iPhone, different iPods, etc.) is because they spend so much on R&D ($1.1 billion in 2008). Some people predict that Apple will spend even more in the near future!

These numbers do not portend well for Apple's competitors in the cell phone industry. Of course, with that kind of cash getting poured into R&D I would say that anyone who makes a mobile electronic device should worry that Apple might invade their market.

Apple's recent MacBook lineup and the iPhone may make it one of the better-positioned companies to survive a likely steep drop in spending during the holidays, according to new data from ChangeWave. The analyst firm says that a full third of all studied US notebook buyers, or 33 percent, plan to buy some form of Apple notebook during the season or within the next 90 days from the start of November.

Saturday, November 8th

Apple and Papermaster's lawyers have already mounted a defense in the legal filings meant to avert trouble for the candidate, arguing that his top spot in the division handling the iPhone and iPod touch carries too narrow a scope to risk trade secrets leaking out.

Thursday, November 6th

Despite its much-maligned touchscreen, the iPhone ranks highest in customer satisfaction among business types, according to J.D. Power and Associates’ second annual survey of smartphone users. Apple’s device easily outscored phones with physical keys made by RIM , Samsung, HTC and Motorola.

Move over, Motorola. The iPhone has shaved away your lead in the mobile phone market, passing the RAZR to become the top handset purchased by U.S. adult consumers in the third quarter of 2008, according to the research firm NPD Group. The RAZR had held onto the top spot for 12 quarters.

Apple's blowout quarter for iPhone 3G sales lifted it into second place among all smartphone vendors worldwide. Canalys released market share stats on Thursday showing strong growth for the smartphone market even as the worldwide economic situation takes a turn for the worse. A total of 39.9 million smartphones were shipped during the third calendar quarter of the year, a 28 percent increase over last year's totals. Nokia is still the leading vendor by a comfortable margin, holding 38.9 percent of the market. But shipments declined slightly, and market share fell 12.5 percent, compared to last year, as Nokia goes through a transition from older models to newer devices that are just getting out into the market, according to Canalys.

Wednesday, November 5th

  • Rumors have been flying around the internet that Apple is cutting it's iPhone production. This runs contrary to earlier rumors that Apple may offer a $99 iPhone in the coming months. AppleInsider published a similar report.

Tuesday, Craig Berger of Friedman Billings Ramsey said December quarter iPhone production was likely to be down 40% from the previous quarter, worse than the 10% production cut he had previously expected.

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This page provides a report of all important updates and discussions involving Apple Inc. between November 12th and 18th.

Monday, November 17th

  • Analysts are predicting that Apple may have a very successful holiday season, despite the economic crisis. AppleInsider and Alley Insider wrote articles discussing their impression of analyst Gene Munster's analysis.

The firm's checks reveal the Cupertino-based company is selling an average of 28 iPhone 3Gs per day through each of its retail stores, down from 95 units per day in July, immediately following the handset's launch. While those results would suggest a stark decline in quarterly sales, analyst Gene Munster said expanded international availability, the upcoming holiday shopping season, and the addition of Best Buy as an authorized iPhone reseller in US should combined to offset any slowdown in sales at the company's stores.

  • The New York Times recently analyzed the new Macbook's "green credentials", posting overall positive reviews of the new product. However, some "green-gadget watchers" found fault in the Macbook's new aluminum production process.

Well, as green gadgets go, the machine performs well. It achieves both Energy Star 4.0 compliance, as well as a gold rating from the Green Electronics Council.

Hank Green, founder and editor of EcoGeek.org, saw a different problem. “Although the computer is very efficient and uses less toxic and more recyclable materials,” Mr. Green said in an e-mail message, “the one revolutionary aspect of the MacBook — its solid aluminum brick construction — is not green at all.”

Sunday, November 16th

  • For decades, Apple has been a complete non-factor in the business world, however, it appears this is changing with the popularity of the iPhone. This article discusses Apple's growing presence in the business world.

One big boost to the devices newfound corporate loving was the series of business friendly software programs for the iPhone 3G which was released in July. However, even after this release, most businesses' top brass still prefer RIM's Blackberry to the iPhone. The real gains for the iPhone in business have been in fact forced by guerilla movements within companies by employees. Top executives and younger users alike are finding themselves drawn in droves to the new device and while at first they may not look at it as a possible business tool, it’s starting to slip into their business lives.

Thursday, November 13th

At first glance, the rumors make sense. Apple’s Safari browser has 6-7% market share, and currently uses Google as the search engine for both the standard and iPhone/iPod versions (unlike other browsers, you don’t have a choice). Also, Apple can’t be super pleased with Google’s competition to the iPhone with Android. Google (GOOG) CEO Eric Schmidt, who’s also on Apple’s board of directors, sits out of discussions involving Apple’s mobile strategy, and rumor is he may leave the board.

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This page provides a report of all important updates and discussions involving Apple Inc. between November 19th and 25th.

Tuesday, November 25th

The promise of an iPhone application has the potential to dramatically impact satellite radio. Millions upon millions of iPhone users are out there, and the ability to tap into that market can be huge. There is reason to be enthusiastic about the upcoming StarPlayer application, but investors should temper that enthusiasm with the thought that success will not happen overnight. Just my opinion, but after Apple rumors every year since 2003, I consider my optimism cautious. Happy to see the development, but cautious just the same.

Monday, November 24th

The freshly posted campaign page backs up the confident stance by centering on the unibody aluminum and glass displays of the MacBook designs, which together cut down on the number of parts and are easy to recycle versus the plastic and other materials used by rivals.

Friday, November 21st

How can this be? Apple’s fundamentals are strong, right? Yes they are. But that has absolutely no bearing here. Apple is simply falling with the rest of the market, and so long as there’s no confidence in the market, it will continue to fall. I suppose you could argue that Apple has taken more than it’s fair share, but trying to argue that point with the market is an argument you can’t win. You can only accept it for what it is.

  • Apple has spent $486 million on advertising in 2008, up from $467M in 2007 and $338M in 2006. "That’s far more than the $300 million that Microsoft is spending to counter the ads." This was in response to a piece written by Erick Schonfeld, where he called Apple a hypocrite.

Thursday, November 20th

They say sequels often fail to live up to the original. That's not so with the second generation of Apple's (AAPL) iPod Touch. Apple has managed to make the Touch look better, work better, and deliver more features—all for a $229 starting price, significantly cheaper than the previous $299 entry-level version. The changes, while subtle, are so significant that I give the second-generation Touch a rare perfect score.

The Touch now sits in a class by itself. No longer simply a high-end iPod, it has become the foundation of what's sure to be an increasingly important handheld computing platform for Apple. Rivals should take note: This is one Apple product that could seriously take a bite out of the competition.

Wednesday, November 19th

  • SeekingAlpha posted an amazing article discussing the significance of Apple Store. I won't even summarize it, you need to read it for yourself!!
  • Reports are indicating that Wal-Mart stores will being to carry the iPhone soon after Christmas. This is a huge step for Apple, as it increases their reach to potential customers. Selling the iPhone in Best Buy stores greatly increased iPhone sales, and the same can be expected of selling the product in the "world's largest public corporation and private employer", Wal-Mart.

Townsend's report echos claims published by BGR on Tuesday. The mobile phone rumor site published a memo from Wal-Mart to its employees announcing plans to launch the iPhone nationally on December 28th. "We are pleased to announce that Wal-Mart has reached agreement with Apple to offer iPhone 3G in Wal-Mart and Wal-Mart-managed Sam’s Club Connection Centers nationwide beginning December 28, 2008," the memo says. "AT&T will support Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club with the activation process for iPhone 3G, and we need all National Retail employees engaged to ensure a successful launch."

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page revision: 7, last edited: 08 Dec 2008 15:09
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