Just checked the site, it's actually two years free and yes on one unit.

"2 Yr Ltd Warranty, On-site Service, and HW Warranty Supt [Included in Price]


3 yr Limited Hardware Warranty with Next Business Day On-Site Service [add $108]


4 Yr Ltd Warranty, On-site Service, and 4 Yr Tech Support [add $194]"

Sorry Cramer, wrong on this one. It is 100% correct and absolutely conservative. There's auth. guidance on devices like this where there are immediate deliverables (an iPhone) and future services all effectively wrapped up in the immediate sales price (warranty, service contract, etc.). There have been tons of restatements, but for the opposite approach that Apple is booking their sales. Google up the Tekelec restatement. I was one of the legions of CPAs that worked on that engagement, and it is a textbook example of how not to do it.

My favorite thing about the Apple store: when I go in there to buy some gizmo or another, the sales droid swipes my card wherever in the store we're standing, emails me the receipt, hands me a bag, and I'm on my way. Lines? What are lines? The only time I've stood in line at an Apple store was when I bought my 3G a few weeks after it came out, and even that only took about 15 mins.

That is a great deal.

Is this only for businesses or do individuals get the same service?

Looks like home users get the one year deal best I can tell.

Just read this today... food for thought:

http://seekingalpha.com/article/115748-apple-like-starbucks-and-whole-foods-a-trend-that-s-past-its-prime

We found that when we bought a single lowly laptop, on sale, bottom of the line style, on a business account (yes, for a business) we not only got great service, but a tech on the phone who was in America, spoke clear English, and who sent a pre-paid box for us to send the laptop back for repairs. The whole process took less than a week (they're only 3 hours away).

Yes, Business accounts seem to get significantly better treatment. I've been told that you can create a business account by using your last name as the company, they apparently don't check too carefully. I consider that wrong, but hey.

Nice move, Wayne. Earnings call is over and stock is very strong after hours.

$79 to $90 in 24 hours. Hope you bought a lot.

Doesn't sound very objective, but than I am biased. :D LOL

edit: The comparison between the iPhone and Bold shows that the author is not very objective - the Bold is a nice product, but it ain't no iPhone.

I would cash that baby in tomorrow. 18 months return in 18 hours!

I get a visual of OB1 doing this...:p

Good call Wayne.

I had a buy order in for $65. But I think now I may have missed that boat, unless some of the market-skeptics here turn out to be right.

I agree with all you have posted about Apple fundamentals.

I bought some too, at $90, $85 then $80...

Like others said, the company is selling and making profits in the middle of a recession. They are so full of cash (reserves are huge) that they can afford to invest in research while others simply pinch pennies, so there will be more innovative products to come... Jobs has not been the source of innovation for a long time now...(though he's a great CEO)

Every product they make is wonderfully polished and has a fantastic interface. My kid is 20 months old, he picked up my iphone and figured out how to unlock it, browse between app pages, launch and quit apps, all in 2 minutes! That's a sign of a great interface...

And I can't recall ever needing their tech support in 24 years of apple stuff ownership. Not once. And I'm not a zealot, I have PCs too...

I think if you can afford to not think about that cash for a while, AAPL will be back at $200-300 within 2 years... a Lot of stocks are getting beat up, some are undervalued, but apple is *really* undervalued to me !

Serious question: How would the stock do if we were to go into a full blown depression?

Well of course it would tank....and become a real buying opportunity.

It would still be worth more than my 1500 shares of Enron! I didn't spend much, and though it's been delisted for several years now, I can't get that crap off of one of my portfolio statements :). AAPL has been pretty good to me over the years and is one of my core holdings (though not always) but I do take some money off the table occasionally (like after the Iphone runup).

Just saw this thread...I too bought in the same time as Wayne for much the same reasons he did. Steve Jobs is great for hype and product launches, but Apple has the best creative minds in the world working for them.

A big reason for the stock jump today...first ever disclosure of their cash hoard...Apple holds $28.1 billion! Sheez, that's more than Microsoft! Wish I had bought more.

Steve Jobs is the reason Apple has some of the best creative minds in US industry. Few noted in his announcement of his 'health break' that he would still be involved in strategic decisions. The big difference is that before, he was involved in everything down to the smallest detail. If I thought he was out of the company for good, I'd sell my stock.

hey now if we go into a full blown depression apple will be JUST LIKE HARLEY DAVIDSON STOCK! why???? because if i have the choice between feeding my family and a freeking computer or a motorcycle what in hells name am i gonna BUY! FOOD! not some computer gizmo nor a motorcycle. i think thats pretty simple stock advice until the economy changes. my puter crashes today and i dont have a job...............well trust me as the sun comes up in the east everyday the LAST ITEM I WILL BUY WILL BE A COMPUTER! thats me as a consumer speaking.

my best friend is head of all computer tech for wells fargo bank. they aint making ANY NEW EQUPMENT PURCHASES nor setting up ANY NEW CUBES until things turn around. and thats on the biz end of thangs.


sooooooooooooooooo............i would put my money in items that you need no matter what the state of the economy is YOU HAVE TO HAVE IT! ie: example toilet paper and other companies within that mindset.


kids its just legalized gambling and right now i am surrounded by the uber wealthy that would bring tears to your eyes the immense amount of wealth they have(HAD) and some are having to sell planes/boats/hangers/wifes mercedes(fer sure a dee vorce there), 2nd and 3rd homes here, name the freeking toy because they made VERY POOR STUPID FINANCIAL DECISIONS!

Just wondered how the nay-sayers are feeling about this thread now?

Since January 09, when this thread was started, Apple Stock has more than doubled.

I bought in (again) a little earlier, when prices where a bit higher. But am still very happy with the returns.

Wayne bought in at the absolute low-point, and must be very pleased.

Agreed.

I also think now would be a very, very good time to sell.

I'm not so sure.

My sell order has been pegged at $165.- for months so I'm out. But I have a feeling that I might have left a large chunk of money on the table.

As I'm typing this on my I-Mac, taking calls on my I-Phone, and looking forward to watching Mad Men on my Apple TV tonight it seems pretty clear to me that Apple is the best game out there.

Please don't feel bad at $165... i was all smug when I bought mine at $85 and sold at 135 ! It reached $%$#% $170 !!! That said, it looks more and more like gambling to me... Part of me would sell it now if I still had any, yet part of me thinks their new tablet is going to rock and it'd be wise to hold onto it a little longer ! Who knows...

I bought Apple when we picked up my sons I-Mac last year...it was just better. I like better and invest accordingly.

We just got my Daughter a Macbook Pro for college...arrived in the mail ten minutes ago. "I think Steve has surpassed Bill" is an exact quote.

The "new" computing device is the iphone. The race for apps is owned by apple. Nobody else is even close.

Just wait till they start leveraging the iphone into the business market.

Very interesting. And, please, I am typing this from a PC, have no problems with a PC, but I have found my children make choices that make sense in investing.

I wish I had sold it and bought AIG about a month ago :)

Yes.

Also there is a huge demographic of boomers who are still on PC only because that is what they are required to use at work. When they retire, their first purchase is an Apple. Lots of research has been on this apparently.

No kidding! Did anyone here see this one coming?

Another great play would have been Marvel (Disney announced they're buying them today, their stock has jumped considerably). Would have made a great short-term play. This has been in the works for some time.

From: 11-22-08 Ford Motor Co. thread.

I have watched Competentone give very insightful financial advice here for many months. I have also seen many seem to dismiss it out of hand.

I admit, I am a gambler myself (I bought a little AIG at @2.20 share).

You couldn't run fast enough to GIVE me any of the current Big Three's stock.

If he and I are wrong ...well, I'm certain this thread will be resurrected at a later date and you gamblers will get in your last laughs.

Good luck to you.
__________________

AIG closed today at $45.33

;)

My wife told me to buy it right after the reverse split. I should have listened to her. It's more than doubled since then.

Apple has the majority share of computers sold for over $1,000. The last of my 'Blackberry holdout' friends got an iPhone a couple of days ago.

Last Fall, I told a friend who has been a recession hawk to buy AAPL at 88. Told her it was going to 120. She decided to argue with me instead for 5-6 email exchanges and I dropped it. She always has a spare $50K to throw at opportunities. I was unable to convince her to buy AAPL. Her loss. They are about to: introduce iPad, sell in China; drop an increasing number of exclusive carrier deals.

Oh, and something is happening 9/9/9: many think it will be the entire Beatles catalog going to iTunes.

I know this thread is about apple which in my humble opinion is a great company but over valued at the present time. For a simple exercise just look at the market cap of Apple vs other companies.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't get tempted by AIG. That company is 180 BILLION dollars in debt, and much of that is at decently high interest rates. The stock is in all likelihood going to ZERO. I have seen valuations that were absurd, apple for example, but AIG is the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen.

Remember the scene in tommy boy where Tommy say's,"I can poop in a box and put guaranteed on it." Yeah that sums up AIG.

Please note that I am not saying these stocks prices can't go higher, I'm just saying you are paying a lot for them today.

I totally agree on AIG. I won't buy it now, but I'm still salty about not buying it a month ago :)

I wanted to wait until the end of the year, but I'm so tempted to take profit on AAPL now. It hit my target weeks ago, but it seems like it still has a way to go with the new iPods, the huge cash stockpile, the tablet, the China news, etc..

Didi your daughter get her free Touch?

If not call them back.

Pending change in reporting rules will cause Apple earnings to report at +44% to what they are under current rules. There may be a 'sucker rally' on that information that would make a good exit point.

The friend I strongly urged to buy AAPL last Fall at $88 -- who told me I was crazy and didn't follow my advice -- is now not speaking to me.

Zombie stocks.

Stocks from companies no longer around e.g. GM and others.

However, they're still being traded. My "GM" stock recently doubled to $.80/share. Wow.

Sherwood

American ingenuity coupled with low cost manufacturing. Working in the freight industry, I see lots of Apple products coming in from China. And much like Walmart, they make it very difficult for the forwarders handling their freight to make money.

We deal with the Apple on-line + stores & the Apple resellers - two distinctly separate entities (although our distribution path to corporate also includes an Apple distributor since our business with on-line + stores is <$1M). The resellers have no love for the Apple corporate stores since they are direct competition. Margins are so slim I would actually call them commissions rather than margins.

Ian

Cramer was called out by Stewart on the Daily Show awhile ago. Goes to show you that stock market analysis is far from a science, especially on TV.

YouTube - Jon Stewart vs. Jim Cramer.(Full Episode of The Daily Show).
and
Video: CNBC Financial Advice | The Daily Show | Comedy Central

Good for Apple, Inc. - not the typical American corp.

Sherwood