patrick.net

JH:
"Somebody please enlighten me about AAPL"

Apple is one of the few products that have both beauty and brains. There is no substitute. As of January 2, 2014 we became a 100% Apple family. 4 computers, 4 iPhones, 1 iPad, and an Apple router. Never had a problem. Never Ever.

They put a whopping, 1 whole gig of Ram in that thing?
I guess their innovative thinking later will be to introduce a 2 and subsequently a 3 gig version, when their backs are against the wall on the tail of dismal quarterly earnings.

Call it Crazy says

Strategist says

JH:

"Somebody please enlighten me about AAPL"

Apple is one of the few products that have both beauty and brains. There is no substitute. As of January 2, 2014 we became a 100% Apple family. 4 computers, 4 iPhones, 1 iPad, and an Apple router. Never had a problem. Never Ever.

We'll try not to hold that against you.

Just wait till your Microtrash crashes, you'll be sorry. The oldest apple we have is a 4 year old MacBook. Still runs like new. The Dell and Hp I used to buy, would sputter and freeze after 1 or 2 years, and I would have to get a new one. With the Apple you get free operating systems.
In the long run Apple has what you would want in a wife....Beauty, Brains, Loyalty, Obedient. :)

The only thing keeping Microsoft alive is the same thing keeping me employed.

Strategist says

As of January 2, 2014 we became a 100% Apple family. 4 computers, 4 iPhones, 1 iPad, and an Apple router. Never had a problem. Never Ever.

Wow, 8 months and 7 days. That is a long-term scientific study!

There is really nothing to learn. Get the Samsung Galaxy
Phone or Note (AKA Phablet) and don't look back. APPL is playing catch-up.

Strategist says

The Dell and Hp I used to buy, would sputter and freeze after 1 or 2 years, and I would have to get a new one.

That is because you bought HP and probably cheap Dell. If you spend the same on a PC as you do on an Apple, you get the same computer (if not better).

JH says

Strategist says

The Dell and Hp I used to buy, would sputter and freeze after 1 or 2 years, and I would have to get a new one.

That is because you bought HP and probably cheap Dell. If you spend the same on a PC as you do on an Apple, you get the same computer (if not better).

I have also had Sony Vaio's. Much much better than Dell or HP, but the same crappy Microsoft OS. My real problem was with Microsoft. Would take for ever just to boot up. Glad I gave it the boot.

Apple's foray into payments will be big. Unlike Google Wallet, people will use it and they have millions upon millions of active payers already registered.

I traded in my iPad for a Macbook Air. Got a .edu discount from BestBuy so the whole thing was like $500. It's awesome too.

My 6-year-old Lenovo ThinkPad is still going strong. If you want a good Windows laptop, stick with Lenovo ThinkPad X, T, or W.

Microsoft Surface Pro 3 is the most useful tablet computer on the market.

The MacBook Pro does not even have Home/End/PgUp/PgDn/Del. Which genius designed that?

Strategist says

I have also had Sony Vaio's.

Now we are talking.

Yeah, I started working with Macs in 90s on imaging and all they did was crash. At the same time Apple advertised crash-free OS. It was all bullshit yet everyone bought into it. People say they are better now, but Apple has always claimed to be crash free, even when they were shitty computers.

Strategist says

Would take for ever just to boot up.

Hibernate! Or better yet, leave on. It helps generate more CO2 so that CiC's climate can improve. :)

CL says

Apple's foray into payments will be big. Unlike Google Wallet, people will use it and they have millions upon millions of active payers already registered.

I rather trust Google's security. Google employees tend to be smarter anyway.

Mind you, a similarly configured ThinkPad may cost more than a MacBook Pro, but it is worth it.

Alas, I am typing this on a MacBook Pro. One weakness of Windows is that it has advanced DPI scaling. As a result, application developers do not bother to optimize for high-res displays on Windows. Some applications simply look better on Retina displays for now.

Peter P says

CL says

Apple's foray into payments will be big. Unlike Google Wallet, people will use it and they have millions upon millions of active payers already registered.

I rather trust Google's security. Google employees tend to be smarter anyway.

Oh yeah? Then how comes Apple has Geniuses, huh?

CL says

Oh yeah? Then how comes Apple has Geniuses, huh?

Only at the bar.

Peter P says

CL says

Oh yeah? Then how comes Apple has Geniuses, huh?

Only at the bar.

At the bar all the chicks are beautiful, but the guys get me mad enough to slug 'em..on printhiple.

I prefer the Microsoft Store experience though. There are usually twenty employees entertaining me as the sole customer. LOL.

The thing you have to ask yourself -- is over 400 ppi excessive? You've got to drive every pixel on the screen. Apple's iPhone 6 has HALF the pixels of a 1080p display. And that translates into a smaller battery and thinner phone. Cough, cough... not to mention something about margins.

EBGuy says

The thing you have to ask yourself -- is over 400 ppi excessive?

I think up to about 400 ppi is still useful, speaking as a amateur photographer.

EBGuy says

The thing you have to ask yourself -- is over 400 ppi excessive? You've got to drive every pixel on the screen.

Well, it's a good question, and here is the answer (at least in the samsung v apple saga):
iPhone6 (5.5",401ppi): 158x77.8x7.1mm, 172g
s5 (5.1", 432ppi): 142x72.5x8.1, 145g
note4 (5.7", 515ppi): 153.5x78.6x8.5, 176g

iPhone thinner? Yes by 1 mm
Smaller? No
Lighter? by 4 mg vs the larger note. Somehow the iPhone is heavier per cubic mm than the others. Interesting... Steve Jobs' ashes?

You don't reason with religious beliefs.

Strategist says

JH:

"Somebody please enlighten me about AAPL"

Apple is one of the few products that have both beauty and brains. There is no substitute. As of January 2, 2014 we became a 100% Apple family. 4 computers, 4 iPhones, 1 iPad, and an Apple router. Never had a problem. Never Ever.

In other words:

"I like shiny things and I don't like to think".

My favorite piece of electronics is the $35 Chromecast. It is good enough to change my purchasing habit of streaming contents. I used to rent/buy movies/shows on Amazon Instant Video. Now I buy them on Google Play.

To the original question of why AAPL stock is being bid up. It probably has something to do with this:

"Samsung's mobile business operating margin dipped to 16 percent in October-December from 18 percent over the whole of 2013."

"IPhone margins are now in the mid-40 percent range, down from 50-60 percent a few years ago, analysts estimate."

From:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/09/us-samsung-elec-smartphones-analysis-idUSBREA3806J20140409

swebb says

To the original question of why AAPL stock is being bid up. It probably has something to do with this:

Interesting information. It's like SFBA real estate. The homes are shittier and smaller than anywhere else in America, and yet people pay more for them.

swebb says

"IPhone margins are now in the mid-40 percent range, down from 50-60 percent a few years ago, analysts estimate."

I found this analysis interesting also:

Shares bounced around $100 a share as the meeting progressed when two models of the new iPhone were announced as expected. The stock picked up steam following the plan of to allow consumers to add credit card information to their phones. The gains held as the company unveiled the much rumored $350 smartwatch, but evaporated as the timing and iPhone requirement was revealed.

Especially the boldface haha.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/markets/2014/09/09/apple-product-unveiled/15334771/

CL says

Got a .edu discount

That's the biggest crock of shit in the history of retail.
What .edu discounts expose, is just how much they are fucking the other consumers.

CaptainShuddup says

What .edu discounts expose, is just how much they are fucking the other consumers.

It would appear that such fucking is consensual.

"Why on earth is AAPL stock so fucking high? They have proven once again the inability to innovate. They are quite simply behind in everything and not catching up. The iPhone 6 is a joke. And some of you think stocks are going to continue climbing? For what? What is apple innovating or producing that is worth the money? I realize people buy it, but at the same time their stock is doubling annually, they are continuing to lose ground to their competitors."

The short answer is they made 40B net of tax and have $100B+ in the banks net of debt. That puts the PE around 12 or 13 net of cash.

I would not buy APPL shares now as I do think cell phones will be comoditized and Apple will struggle to maintain margins. All phones look the same now. The Iphone 6 is no different the the HTC one M8 with the aluminum chassis and the Apple watch pricetag is absurd. Ipad sales are struggling.