[SMacSteve]

I have been doing alot of reading in the financial columns. Most recently this one. It is typical of the nay sayers in the financial segment. Most certinly he is a PC user who isn't trying to be unbiased. Then another article by the same publication appeared. So who's right? Is Apple fighting a losing battle? Not from what I see, but I'm an Apple nut and to me it's Apple market to retake. I mean just look at where we are and what we have to offer. The ultimate in compatibility and the best OS around. If the UNIX kernel is that easy to adapt to we should be seeing groves of new applications within the next year. If we don't, I think it might be time to start worrying about Apples future!

[oranjdisc]

My opinion is that Apple is in a very sweet position, and I'm not just saying that 'cause I love their machines.

For years, people have compared Microsoft to Apple -- a battle fought, and lost many years ago. Microsoft's monopoly over desktop PCs and all the beige box makers have essentially turned the PC into a commodity that everyone uses. Trouble is, they're TOO big, and people no longer have a choice.

It's like when Ma Bell ran all the phone lines, got everyone hooked up to telephones, and ran the whole show. They were eventually broken up, and forced into letting others use their pipelines.

The same scenario applies to Microsoft. They boxed themselves in by taking everything over, and now there's no way out but by being forcefully broken up. It has to happen.

When that happens, and people realize they don't need Windows, Apple will be right up frontt (most likely alongside Linux).

[typoon]

I've heard the Apple is not doing well for the Last 15 years or so now. And they are still here. It's tough to say if Apple is gaining or losing. I think it is much like other things, You lose on person and maybe one or two people join. So They are even right now.

Apple reported a profit this quarter while other s reported losses. They must be doing something right. I tend to disregard the naysayers since they have been wrong for the last 15 years. Like Yogi Berra said "It ain't over til it's over" and it Ain't over. So I woulnd't worry too much about it. Gain one lose one I think that is how it is going to be for a while until something either happens to M$ or people start to realize what Crap Windows really is. When that Happens you will see a surge in alternative operating systems like the Mac and Linux

[SMacSteve]

I tend to agree with the lose one, gain one theory. It makes since although I here more situations of poeple switching to Mac. The use of Mac platform has to be growing from where I stand. And M$ XP is only going to add to that in the long run. Especially if M$ is broken up!

[michaelb]

Originally posted by SMacSteve:
<STRONG>I have been doing alot of reading in the financial columns. Most recently this one.</STRONG>

Articles like that can be good from one perspective:

If comments like this drive the share price down (hopefully below $15) then buying when "advice" like this has had its impact, then sitting on the shares for a few years could be the ticket to much riches.

A tip:

Steve's stock options have an average strike price of around $42. Which means he can't make anything on them until the share price exceeds that.

Which means, &lt;b&gt;Steve Jobs will do everything in his considerable power to get the stock price higher over the period of the next 5 to 10 years.&lt;/b&gt;

What I'm saying is that when Steve is up against the wall, I'd take cover from the shrapnel!

You ain't seen the best from Apple yet, not by a long stretch.

Mac OS X is the foundation. I think we're going to see some really impressive stuff -- and stuff that unique in the industry -- built on top of it.

[pmcd]

This is an interesting question and the answer is not at all obvious. I have no idea about the stock market types and experts so I tend to not read the Street and similar publications. Compelling arguments can be made for both sides of this issue. For me the real question is access to information. The way data is stored (file types and so on) and accessed seems to be at the centre of MS's strategy to control things. Essentially MS would like to see Windows as the English of languages. If they succeed then Apple will no doubt slip in its appeal as a computer company. The world communicates in certain ways and it's important that this be in ways that are accessible to as many people as possible. This is one of the great appeals of Linux running on inexpensive locally assembled systems. It seems to me that the Mac has got to become accessible to as many people as possible and having its financial base in California makes this impossible. Apple has got to diversify the Mac world-wide if it wishes the Mac to be accepted as a language so to speak. People must be able to assemble a Mac at local prices and there has to be some version of OSX that is totally free.

If the Mac were a car then you could argue the BMW line, but it's hard to do the same with a system centered on information generation and collection.

So, in my opinion the Mac is slipping and will continue to slip as long as it remains rooted in one company based in the US. OSX has given the Mac a second and third chance though. If used wisely then it may very well turnthe Mac into a widely used resource. A free version of it would do wonders for spreading its considerable capabilities. Combined with a decentralization from being a US based computer we might just see a return of the days where an Apple was universal. If you see this as an argument in favour of some type of cloning then you'd be correct.

Philip

Originally posted by SMacSteve:
<STRONG>I have been doing alot of reading in the financial columns. Most recently this one. It is typical of the nay sayers in the financial segment. Most certinly he is a PC user who isn't trying to be unbiased. Then another article by the same publication appeared. So who's right? Is Apple fighting a losing battle? Not from what I see, but I'm an Apple nut and to me it's Apple market to retake. I mean just look at where we are and what we have to offer. The ultimate in compatibility and the best OS around. If the UNIX kernel is that easy to adapt to we should be seeing groves of new applications within the next year. If we don't, I think it might be time to start worrying about Apples future!</STRONG>