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I'm always amazed how some insist on trivializing Apple's real achievements: the most valuable company on the planet with a $500B+ market cap; $100B in cash reserves; 362 retail stores worldwide; all EARNED--NOT merely with marketing, but by producing a line of excellent products which are in universally high demand around the world, and a carefully designed ecosystem of hardware, software, sales, service, retail, etc. all working together smoothly which naturally attracts and KEEPS its customers satisfied for (in my case) over two and a half decades.
I'm not continually thinking of ways to spend money at Apple. I, like millions of others, know how my life has been changed and how it is better because of Apple products and how I've used them in my work and in my life.
It's not "clever marketing", as if I'm some mindless drone or sheep being tricked or led somewhere. It's Apple's real commitment to making, like Steve Jobs said, "The best products on the planet."
As you trivialize this, you declare your other priorities, and you deny yourself at least some of the pleasures and benefits of owning and using Apple products.
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I do draw a distinction between reasoned purchasers/users of Apple products, and those folks, for example, who make up the hordes standing in a line that is blocks long, simply to enter a commercial establishment and look at/purchase products that will still be there next week. Another characteristic of a fanboy is one who strongly defends Apple, even when they don't deserve being defended. I didn't claim anyone on this forum is a fanboy. Readers can draw their own conclusions about that.
I can't disagree with the current capitalization numbers, or cash in the bank. I assume they are accurate. I
can wonder why that is the case, compared to some other companies, but that's a question for investors. I can also point out that AOL was valued at $240 billion in 2001, and that as of 2012, they were at $2.3 billion. There are lots of other case studies that could be brought to bear. Blackberry, anyone? Nokia? Technology is a business with a very pointed end. Being successful today says very little about the prognosis for tomorrow and the product cycle is very, very short. A lot of companies, including Google and Microsoft are working very hard to eat Apple's lunch.
For those whose memories have faded, I will also point out that Apple has not been keeping all of it's customers satisfied for two and a half decades. In fact, as recently as
1997, they weren't keeping very many customers happy at all. They had experienced three years of record low stock prices and had huge financial losses. Then Steve Jobs was brought back in, and his genius revived the company. Now he's gone, and we'll see what happens. I wish I had purchased a lot of Apple stock in 1998, but I certainly wouldn't buy any now.
Note that I did not use the phrase "clever marketing". It is clever, but I said that the marketing is "first rate". It works very well. That's a compliment. Apple
generally (but not always) has good products. I own several myself (discrediting any questions about declaring my priorities and denying myself Apple-related pleasures), but anyone who claims that Apple's marketing has not contributed
significantly to their success is not seeing things clearly.
I note that there was no response about the working conditions at Foxconn, where multiple workers have, or have tried to commit suicide by leaping from the roof of the plant, allegedly due to working conditions. One way Apple makes so much money is this low cost manufacturing. Apple says they are trying to clean this up, but hundreds of thousands of people have signed petitions, seeking an "ethical iPhone". Ouch. Apple's very financial success makes one wonder why they think they have to go offshore for manufacturing, as their huge net income shows that they clearly do not. Honda, or even Hyundai are far more invested in the US than is Apple.
I also made the point that I wished that some of Apple's talent flowed to Segway, instead of from Segway to Apple. That's another compliment for Apple.