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The Leap Week: Did Apple Really Have a Record Quarter? (lapcatsoftware.com)
An anonymous reader shares a blog post: Apple stated that Q1 FY2017 was an all-time record for quarterly revenue. The media dutifully and mostly uncritically spread this "great" news for Apple. Technically the claim is true, the revenue was an all-time record. True but misleading. Although Apple didn't lie as such, you might say there was a sin of omission, and a definite spin of the facts. Most Apple fiscal quarters are 13 weeks long. Once in a while, however, they need a 14 week quarter. You might call it a "leap quarter". There was a good explanation of this financial practice a few years ago in Slate. Apple's Q1 2017 was a 14 week quarter, for the first time since Q1 2013. John Gruber writes at DaringFireball, "Adjusted for the extra week, Apple actually had another down quarter."
There's simply no reason to buy an Apple product.
You act like this is a new phenomenon, there hasn't been a reason to buy an Apple product in 2 decades. They've consistently been behind their competition in product features and ease of use, and their prices have been significantly higher just to add insult to injury.
Apple does one thing well, and only one thing. Marketing. They are amazing at marketing, they can take a second or third rate product, and attract a rabidly loyal fan base to it. Any other company would kill for that ability.