MS would like to the world to function solely with their products. Alas, their monopolistic strategies have troubled quite a few individuals, companies and countries. Competition is good for everyone (consumers too) as long as it's on a level playing field.

Here's what one county is doing:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4602325.stm

Here's what one continent has done:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21144-2004Dec22.html
(does this sound familiar with what the US Justice Dept. did/attempted a few years ago?)

We'll see if MS can win hearts and minds with their current business model. I hope they can do better.

Sherwood

Apple is different how?


.

Guys, I've spent most of my career working with IBM software... Microsoft, Apple, etc. are still learning how the "game is played" and have a LOT of catching up to do :).

The methods of alienating/developing customer base.

That's funny! I've never heard an Apple user dissing their products (I've never owned any), but I've sure had my own gripes with ALL of their competition :)

So then, 'Apple would like to the world to function solely with their products.. .but not have them feel alienated.' ? :confused:

Seriously, how can you Apple fanboys not see that Steve Jobs is trying to piss further up the pole than Gates?

Were all of the the Apple fanboys formerly on H.S cheer squads? . .. everything is about go team-Apple, go with you guys. And yet, paradoxically you all fault MSFT for go, go , going ....all the way to the top.

Obviously Gates did a whole lot to bring usable software to the masses. ...Henry Ford brought usable auto's to the masses. Perhaps Steve jobs is to Gate, what Porsche was to Ford ..... or perhaps he's just another John deLorean, pumping out a pretty veneer on top of existing mediocrity. :cool:

Anyway, you guys are delusional, if you think that Jobs is not one hell of an aggressive player in all of this.

I'm just an investor (in both), and not an "Apple fanboy", but does that aspect really matter? I've never owned an Apple product and don't care much for Microsoft either, but that doesn't matter (to me) from an investment perspective.

"So then, 'Apple would like to the world to function solely with their products.. .but not have them feel alienated.' ? "

Your juxtaposed words, not mine. MS is closer to conquering the world than Apple is. I think Apple will be pleased with merely 20% market share ... next year.

If you plot GM vs Toyota in the last 10 years, maybe the same trend with MS vs Apple in the next 10. Dunno, can't predict the future. B. Gates might have an epiphany and mimic S. Jobs, and Jobs may eventually morph into another corporate suit for all I know.

Sherwood

Not Enron accounting at all, as others have stated.

The inverse is actually true; Apple spreads the income of an iPhone sale over a 24 month period instead of booking it all when sold. They are doing this because they will be adding features over time. That seems very un-Enron, yes? :)

Best,

Kurt

Let's see 1.4 million in 5 months is 3.36 million per year. If sales continue exactly at this pace, 10 million will occur mid spring 2010. If sales continue exactly at this pace.

And it's no longer $5Billion in sales. The price of the phone has dropped...

so is 19.5% market share a failure?

http://www.betanews.com/article/Jobs_iPhone_has_195_of_US_smartphone_market/1200418182

Apple's deal -- unique in the industry -- is $10 per month direct from AT&T in addition to phone sales revenue. So Apple is doing pretty well.

I think the industry expectation was for them to have announced 5 million unit sales, so I'm surprised today's 4 million sales report didn't affect the stock more.

A 6+% hit is pretty big, though the market as a whole took it in the sphict.

I still love my iphone, but what did they introduce new last week at the show in Vegas ?

iPhone's market share is equal to the combined percentage of the next three largest companies—Palm, Motorola, and Nokia.

Whoa! That's amazing! :eek:

AAPL sold 4 million iPhones since launch (200 days).

FWIW.

iPhone 2

What will it need to make you switch?

For me:

2 keyboards. A slide out thumb-board in portrait mode and tilt like keyboard for landscape mode.

Make sure it will connect with Blackberry services, make sure it will work directly with MS active-sync. Open it up for third parties to develop software. Have it come out of the box with the ability to open and manipulate word, excel, power point. It should be able to read PDF files.

Add a thumbwheel for scrolling through messages (like the blackberries) and you will have a device that will appeal to anyone. And yes, if it was like the above and offered GSM, and not locked to a Network, I'd buy one.

Here's the reference. Last sentence. Maybe they are talking U.S. market? Only "smart" phones?

http://www.macworld.com/article/131581/2008/01/iphoneupdate.html

It's smart phone market; RIM is still number one in this market ahead of Apple.