Apple Core
All things Apple
1 postsThe Verge
Rismay
On The Verge since Mar 17, 2012
-
Comment
It says “more people USE their iPhone than any other device.”
It doesn’t say "there are more iPhones than any other device.It’s a statement about usability. It’s saying sure there are a TRILLION Android devices, but people don’t use them AS MUCH as the people who use their iPhones. It falls in line with their, “Loving it is easy,” slogan on apple.com
Also, I just don’t believe that more people tagline at the end. It’s like the 90% of americans believe in gun control line. I just don’t believe it. Even if its true. I’ve had like 7 iPhones – including the iPhone 2G. I still don’t believe that marketing line.
-
Comment
Most people have Android phones and, before that, dumb Nokia phones. I don’t think iPhones have ever been the majority. ;)
I think the point of individuality comes from what you do with a simple device – like an instrument. Both of these commercials really capture the fact that using a mainly stock iPhone you can express yourself exactly how you want to.
iPhones enable you to stop worrying about the technology so that you can get on with life.
-
Comment
I really hate this mentality. It’s Orwellian thinking. Online companies are really trying to make the case that products are “free” as in “free to sell your data.” However, consumers are always sold the “free” as in “this comes at no cost to you.”
The truth is that google is after the next “6 Billion” – the emerging world. I would be amazed if that target market was sophisticated enough to understand the level at which their data is being collected and sold. Very few people in the developed world understand this relationship.
Here’s an idea: Build an advertising engine – which is all that facebook, google+, foursquare and twitter really are – which pays the end user for ad’s he clicks on and the products that he buys. Google shares the profit of the ads displayed on youtube with the creator and it’s a free product. Why doesn’t your online activity have a license like videos do? Why is that every time your data gets used you don’t get paid? If you are the owner of your own data – like all of these online services say you do – how come they are the only ones profiting from your own data?
I think that users of these “free” services should start receiving 30% of revenue (that’s a random number I pulled out of the air). I think the relationship needs to be inversed. It is the users who provide value to Google. With no users it doesn’t matter how brilliant your product is.
-
Comment
Seriously? fatjoe just wrote the longest post in the thread and is asking people to “get a life?”
-
Comment
I think everyone should watch this video. The only problem is that this was released a year ago.
Are we posting videos for Paul on the front page now?
-
Comment
Oh no he didn’t…
-
Comment
I think I understand what you are talking about: I used to use Foursquare to track my day and I was hoping that they would eventually turn into Timehop. However, they turned into Yelp / Zagat. They stopped being innovators in order to grow into a known business model too soon.
I think Square has a much better shot at being Foursquare than Foursquare has being Foursquare. It has to do with the payment technology. If a service is going to revolve around checking-in to businesses to get deals, then you should be able to pay with that same app. Square will be able to do that. Foursquare is trying to do it, but won’t be able to as fast as Square.
Say welcome to “social finance.”
-
Comment
Going from $8B in losses in their online division down to ~$1.2B in one year is pretty big.
That is a huge positive. That means it’s gaining traction in the fight against Google. If the Entertainment and Devices category goes into the Billions of profit, it would mean it’s also winning the fight against Apple.
-
Comment
Thanks for posting the income chart. See how Online Services eats up all of the Xbox and Server income? Windows and Office are the only real drivers of net income. That’s why I commented on Windows and Office.
I philosophically agree with Amazon’s, “don’t worry about profit, worry about the revenue,” approach. However, when it comes to investing I stick with net income and cash flow generation. MSFT and AAPL both have that down perfectly.
All taken into consideration, I think this was a good discussion on the strength’s of both companies.
-
Comment
I saw that today on Bloomberg. I knew someone was going to comment on it. However, there is a disclaimer that says it includes the software sales that go along with that hosting, which might be inflating that price. Point taken though. It’s not a complete dud and it is profitable.
-
Comment
That’s awesome. Thanks for sharing.
-
Rec
Recommended votshtoy's comment in Microsoft Has A Higher Credit Rating Than Apple
-
Comment
I recommend refurbed / used laptops with eligible Apple Care over brand new Apple laptops. Get 1 new Apple machine from an Apple Store in your lifetime – just for the experience (sorta like buying a new car). After that, save your money. Apple gear either has a really good build quality or can be easily fixed with Apple Care.
-
Comment
Screw it – I’m doing the same.
-
Comment
Thanks for the thoughtful response. Like I said: I over exaggerated. I will do the same here and then give a side note about Apple that I haven’t heard here yet.
- Those charts are of revenue, not profit. Like I alluded in my “Finally section”, the Entertainment Devices and Online Services are Microsoft’s babies (Xbox and Bing). Right now they are in incubation. However, they need to start making comparable revenue/profit to Windows/Office soon.
- The Server Segment is under a lot of pressure. Azure is not taking off and Amazon’s Web Services ecosystem is becoming entrenched in the way a ton of companies do business. I just don’t consider that Revenue/Profit safe.
- The momentum for Windows Phone and Surface just aren’t there to make up for the declining PC market – which is Microsoft’s bread and butter.
Now this is an analogy which a lot of people aren’t paying attention to: Apple is becoming Microsoft.
In the Mid 2000s Microsoft was making SOO much money they had to pay a special dividend of $3 per share. On a $28 stock!
Just, Bill Gates received $9 billion through 1 dividend. Then they went ahead and started borrowing to strengthen their relationship with Wall Street. This is how they stabilized their share price and got Wall Street to stop thinking about “growth, growth, growth.” I’m pretty sure Steve Ballmer is laughing his ass off.
-
Comment
That trailer felt a lot like the first episodes. It felt a lot like 1.11. The girl even reminds me of Rei:
-
Comment
This is one thing I don’t get.
I mean Microsoft used this open approach to sell Windows. Many manufacturers and partners. However, I never heard Microsoft saying,“It’s up to Dell to decide when the new security patch will be released to users. HP will let everyone have it this week.”
You could argue that it’s the carriers. But how come Apple deals with all the carriers and their restrictions without holding back release cycles?
-
Rec
Recommended Zunjine's comment in Google Now comes to iPhone and iPad with new Search app update
-
Rec
Recommended liqwidzero's comment in 'Drop' is a finger-twisting minimal masterpiece from 'Minecraft' creator Notch
-
Comment
Ironically, Microsoft Office is most likely used to carry out all of those incorrect calculations.
-
Comment
First off, MorningStar is the McD’s of Finance. Ingest at your own risk. Take into account that Sub-prime Mortgage back bonds were also labelled AAA by the same rating companies.
Second off, Microsofts yeild is increasing post the AAPL announcement. Looks like the entrance of Apple is attracting some old MSFT investors and causing a repricing of the category now that AAPL will become 25% of all investment grade bonds.
Third off, you can already see a weakening of the Windows cash cow. Apparently, Windows 8 is at 7.5 % market penetration while Windows 7 was at 10% at this point in the release cycle. I got that directly from a Microsoft rep this last weekend. Also, remember to take into account the price differences between the two. Look at the financial statements again, trailing 9 month 2013 < trailing 9 month 2012 for Microsoft.
Fourth off, It’s sad that the mighty Microsoft is now dependent on Office to make up a substantial amount of its revenue stream. At the end of the day, what does it say when a tech company’s last stand is a Word processor and a Spreadsheet (I’m SUBSTANTIALLY over simplifying here for effect). Microsoft Business Division is about 90% Microsoft Office revenue.
Finally, I actually really like Microsoft. I actually just got a Windows 8 license to start developing Windows 8 apps. I fondly remember using Encarta on my Windows 95 pre Google. I think the stock and bonds have been a good buy BECAUSE everyone has been so negative about them. You just have to be careful about the possible RIMM moment when their main revenue streams dry up and they can’t invest their cash-flows into their newer businesses. At that point, your just watching the Hindenburg in slow motion.
-
Rec
Recommended Turbofrog's comment in Microsoft Has A Higher Credit Rating Than Apple
-
Rec
Recommended adam.baranek's comment in Microsoft creates an Apple vs. Samsung wedding fight for its new Windows Phone ad
-
Rec
Recommended DEZVOUS's comment in Watch 35 minutes of Ellen Page in 'Beyond: Two Souls'
-
Comment
You still havn’t gotten the full magnitude of this:
Now that they monitor your location at all times, they can see your other Google activity in context. You watched a cat video while waiting for the train. You blogged while you were at work. You texted that person while driving.Google is straddling this thing called the “Creepy Line” – their term not mine – which they gently push back every year. I guess this is better than Facebook which just ignores it.
However, let us please remember that all of this will be used to feed us an advertisement at a red light, missed train and when you are bored at work.
-
Comment
I program a bit for iOS and these are the specific places functionalies that would be hindered right now:
- You can’t keep an open internet connect while in the background. So that means you can’t upload GPS coordinates to a server while you are in the background. The processing will have to be performed on the phone.
- You don’t get certain Calendar notifications until you resume the app. For example, the Reminders app uses calendars for each list. If you have access to those calendars, you won’t get notified of a change until you open the app again. Fantastical has handled this limitation wonderfully though, so Google should be able to do the same.Besides that you can do anything you would do in the foreground since as a Location app you are given background running privileges.
-
Rec
Recommended Zunjine's comment in Google Now comes to iPhone and iPad with new Search app update
-
Comment
The awkward moment you realize just how bad Google’s fragmentation problem is.
-
Comment
My first reaction to the first five minutes of this video was, “I thought there were zombies in this game?”
-
Comment
Your definition is really close and you are right that it’s not a game. It’s interactive entertainment. Interactive video. Interactive storytelling.
A game implies some sort of puzzle mechanism rather than just a basic command (“press L1 NOW!”).
However, I “played” through Heavy Rain and heavily enjoyed the experience. Please keep these coming.
