You are right that Wall Street thinks of Apple as the iPod company. Even Fool does to some extent:
Ask yourself what the iTunes Music Store has, beyond a strong early sales lead, that will help it compete in the long term.
iTunes is almost universally recognized as the nicest music store around (with the best usage rights (please don't bring up allyourmusic.com or whatever)). I think they'll be able to hold off competition, but it seems their music sales growth isn't as high as it once was.
Also, Apple is expected to release a new barrage of Pro apps soon. Final Cut Pro hasn't seen a paid update in two years (last year they offered the free HD upgrade (or FCP 4.5)), which will surely add some to their bottom line. Then there is the huge expected sales of Tiger (I wonder if this quarter included presales of Tiger from the likes of Amazon.com).
I think the investors are a little misguided and don't realize there is more to Apple than the iPod. Also, they believe the iPod is a fluke and they don't know if Apple can reproduce that hit. Well, the high product quality of the iPod isn't a fluke, but the popularity might be. However, now that they are in the public mindset, any new innovation (which they continually have) will get more attention. So, while the iPod may have been a fluke in popularity, other future popular products won't be necessarily. I bought AAPL two years ago when they dipped on rumors that they would buy Universal/Vivendi. Well, they just had a large drop, so it looks like a good time to invest again, now that I've got some spare money.
I think the biggest threat to Apple right now would have to be the economy. Reports indicated that high gas prices have tightened consumers wallets. I'm afraid that Apple's future potential could be stifled by lower consumer spending. The stock market took a big hit today, and it may drag AAPL down with it in the future.
What are you going to do with yours? It would make a crazy RV.
Also, you might consider running biodiesel in it (at least, use a blend of 5-20% biodiesel). If you can afford it and find it, you could even run 100% biodiesel (B100).
I'm not historically a fan of buses (not until recently), but these new ones are hot. They are made by New Flyer. They are also really damn clean. I've bicycled and walked near them and it is amazing. The smell is very distinct, it doesn't smell like normal diesel. Hell, I've never seen smoke come out of one of these (only hot air); they seem much cleaner than most diesel cars. I saw some buses in Cleveland and they were spewing nasty black smoke while idling. I've been spoiled by these (since they are used on the routes I use the most), so I'm disappointed when I have to ride on older buses.
I think you get more out of if it from watching the video. Not only are there graphs and pictures at some points (like pictures of Google over the years), but you get to hear all the little jokes Jeff Dean makes (he is a pretty funny guy). Also, near the end they show a neat behind-the-scenes interface where you can look at automatically formed clusters of information. It clusters words or ideas together, which is probably used by things like Google Sets and their search engine (try searching for [lotr], it knows you mean [lord of the rings] and includes that in the search as well.
He talks a little about the future of search (trying to get meaning out of searches, so it kind find stuff you are looking for, even if doesn't use the exact word (sort of like what you can do now by using the ~ when you search)) and he even makes a pot joke!
This was on UWTV (the actual station). I recorded it on our DVR for my family, but they don't really want to watch it:(
Interesting idea, but I'm not sure it would be worth it.
First, if you have all this extra capacity, it would be better to just have fewer batteries, reducing weight and saving money. Also, if you charge and discharge the batteries every day, they'll wear down a lot faster, increasing how often you need to replace them.
It could be possible, if there is a huge delta between peak and off-peak prices, but it seems you would need a really complex formula to determine it and it would still be slightly alchemistic.
Instead of MagLev, what about the type they use on aircraft carriers? I realize that commercial aircraft are much larger, but I'm sure it could be scaled up (made longer and stronger). I thought I heard those things are used fired with steam. However, you would want to control the G forces, so people aren't pushed back into their seats like with aircraft carriers.
Another option to save fuel: charge passengers by the weight. I've heard they are considering this, since passenger weight can add lots of weight to the aircraft, thereby increasing fuel use. Give people incentives to lose weight and travel with less stuff:). Win-win all around.
This is why we need better train infrastructure in the States. I don't enjoy subsidizing the airline industry (trains are much less subsidized than airlines or highways) and I wouldn't mind traveling in high speed trains (especially up and down the coasts).
Diesels used to be a real savings here in the Seattle area. Not only do they get better mileage, but the price of fuel was somewhere between slightly less than the cheap gasoline and the same cost as the medium price gasoline. However, as of late last year (maybe November), diesel prices shot up and they are now even higher than premium gasoline (around 2.65 $/gallon right now). However, none of that matters to me, because my family runs their Jetta off of biodiesel. It costs 3.42 $/gallon, but it is better for our health and the environment (and keeps money in the country).
My main transport vehicle is a 60 foot transit bus as well. Except, mine is a hybrid using low sulfur diesel (hopefully with 5% biodiesel soon, but they are having problems getting the okay from the manufacturer) and I ride with a few dozen other people.
I hate all computer stores these days (unless I absolutely need something right now). Instead of making the trip down to Fry's, I find it better just to buy the thing on NewEgg. I save energy (in terms of fuel) and don't waste my time. Plus, you can order on a Monday morning from NewEgg, use free shipping, and get it on Thursday. NewEgg is super fast to Seattle. I'd rather just wait a few days, instead of spending time traveling to Renton (and getting dangerously close to a Sam's Club, I believe).
I know people like this. They are bullshitters. They talk like they know everything and are the absolute authority. NEVER get in an argument with them (you can't win, as they are usually very stubborn). They are, fortunately, a rare bread, but they do exist.
Ah ha, I did it, I can't receive any more large attachments at this point:
You are currently using 1159 MB (99%) of your 1171 MB.
It seems they do have a hard limit this time, previously you could go up to 1023 or so with out problem, but as they are slowly increasing it, the number is actually a hard line. I'll have to try harder in the morning.
When they say infinity + 1, I wonder i they mean Yahoo space + 1. Yahoo went to 2 gigs, and now Google is matching, maybe they'll continually beat their next competitor. That would make the e-mail race quite interesting.
The bastards. I filled up my account about a month ago and moved many of my messages to the trash (all 32000 I didn't want to read, many from the LKML). I also unsubscribed. Now they've increased the space and it is no longer in the red! I now have to fill it up again!:(
Help a Gmail user in need, send me large attachments please: adpowers@gmail.com
Well, they have to be careful with automated checking. A lot of times content on pages is very dynamic or parts of the page are slightly random. They have to make sure it is actually a page layout change or SEO without getting false positives for websites that just have some random content (like random quotes or something).
If you would have RTFA, you would have noticed that WordPress doesn't host blogs, they only have offer the software. However, the software links back to them, increasing their PageRank. They took advantage of this by putting hidden links on the front page that link to short, spammy 'articles'. Now, contrast to Blogger. Blogger has no hidden links on the front page to any spammy blog. Blogger is a blog hoster, not just a provider of software. The blogs you link to were created by users that signed up through the site and spammed it. Now, I find those Blogger spams as annoying as any other, but this is a completely different beast here. Hopefully Blogger finds a way to remove the spammy ones.
"Don't deceive your users, or present different content to search engines than you display to users." (scroll down to "Quality Guidelines - Basic principles")
Different content for the search crawlers is a SEO trick that is looked down upon by Google. I've seen this in practice and it really irritates me.
I wasn't too big a fan of StumbeUpon. First, I don't use Moz, I use Safari, which made it a hassle to use FireFox with their toolbar (I like del.icio.us's bookmarklet). Also, the Stumbles didn't seem very smart. It would often give me the same websites and they were usually predictable. They were also almost always top level domain websites. With del.icio.us, I find useful websites that are all around the internet. I find del.icio.us much more useful. I didn't think I would end up using it, but I did and I enjoy it.
I noticed this trend (geeks switching to OS X) a few years ago. Most of the alpha geeks at Seattle Wireless were using iBooks around 2002. At that point, I knew Apple had a bright future ahead. Not only have I switched my main computer to a 12" PowerBook, but I also invested in AAPL stock. Now most of my roommates have iPods, more than half have PowerBooks, and the rest want a PowerBook. Many of my friends are switching, and it will be only a matter of time before lots of the general population does as well.
Here is my quick attempt. Some of the ones out there are really neat, especially the one has three screens overlapping on flickr. I thought it would be fun to do one of these, and then GIMP something into the image. Have my PowerBook looking out the window, and then GIMP a picture of the Eiffel Tower off in the distance. I'm too lazy, but someone else could do it:)
Slashdot Mirror
You are right that Wall Street thinks of Apple as the iPod company. Even Fool does to some extent:
Ask yourself what the iTunes Music Store has, beyond a strong early sales lead, that will help it compete in the long term.
iTunes is almost universally recognized as the nicest music store around (with the best usage rights (please don't bring up allyourmusic.com or whatever)). I think they'll be able to hold off competition, but it seems their music sales growth isn't as high as it once was.
Also, Apple is expected to release a new barrage of Pro apps soon. Final Cut Pro hasn't seen a paid update in two years (last year they offered the free HD upgrade (or FCP 4.5)), which will surely add some to their bottom line. Then there is the huge expected sales of Tiger (I wonder if this quarter included presales of Tiger from the likes of Amazon.com).
I think the investors are a little misguided and don't realize there is more to Apple than the iPod. Also, they believe the iPod is a fluke and they don't know if Apple can reproduce that hit. Well, the high product quality of the iPod isn't a fluke, but the popularity might be. However, now that they are in the public mindset, any new innovation (which they continually have) will get more attention. So, while the iPod may have been a fluke in popularity, other future popular products won't be necessarily. I bought AAPL two years ago when they dipped on rumors that they would buy Universal/Vivendi. Well, they just had a large drop, so it looks like a good time to invest again, now that I've got some spare money.
I think the biggest threat to Apple right now would have to be the economy. Reports indicated that high gas prices have tightened consumers wallets. I'm afraid that Apple's future potential could be stifled by lower consumer spending. The stock market took a big hit today, and it may drag AAPL down with it in the future.
Well, there you have my few cents.
Andrew
I thought I also read that component costs were lower than expected, allowing them to attain higher margins.
[where is seattle?]
:)
Location: Seattle, WA
Thanks Google
What are you going to do with yours? It would make a crazy RV.
Also, you might consider running biodiesel in it (at least, use a blend of 5-20% biodiesel). If you can afford it and find it, you could even run 100% biodiesel (B100).
I'm not historically a fan of buses (not until recently), but these new ones are hot. They are made by New Flyer. They are also really damn clean. I've bicycled and walked near them and it is amazing. The smell is very distinct, it doesn't smell like normal diesel. Hell, I've never seen smoke come out of one of these (only hot air); they seem much cleaner than most diesel cars. I saw some buses in Cleveland and they were spewing nasty black smoke while idling. I've been spoiled by these (since they are used on the routes I use the most), so I'm disappointed when I have to ride on older buses.
I think you get more out of if it from watching the video. Not only are there graphs and pictures at some points (like pictures of Google over the years), but you get to hear all the little jokes Jeff Dean makes (he is a pretty funny guy). Also, near the end they show a neat behind-the-scenes interface where you can look at automatically formed clusters of information. It clusters words or ideas together, which is probably used by things like Google Sets and their search engine (try searching for [lotr], it knows you mean [lord of the rings] and includes that in the search as well.
:(
He talks a little about the future of search (trying to get meaning out of searches, so it kind find stuff you are looking for, even if doesn't use the exact word (sort of like what you can do now by using the ~ when you search)) and he even makes a pot joke!
This was on UWTV (the actual station). I recorded it on our DVR for my family, but they don't really want to watch it
Interesting idea, but I'm not sure it would be worth it.
First, if you have all this extra capacity, it would be better to just have fewer batteries, reducing weight and saving money. Also, if you charge and discharge the batteries every day, they'll wear down a lot faster, increasing how often you need to replace them.
It could be possible, if there is a huge delta between peak and off-peak prices, but it seems you would need a really complex formula to determine it and it would still be slightly alchemistic.
Instead of MagLev, what about the type they use on aircraft carriers? I realize that commercial aircraft are much larger, but I'm sure it could be scaled up (made longer and stronger). I thought I heard those things are used fired with steam. However, you would want to control the G forces, so people aren't pushed back into their seats like with aircraft carriers.
:). Win-win all around.
Another option to save fuel: charge passengers by the weight. I've heard they are considering this, since passenger weight can add lots of weight to the aircraft, thereby increasing fuel use. Give people incentives to lose weight and travel with less stuff
This is why we need better train infrastructure in the States. I don't enjoy subsidizing the airline industry (trains are much less subsidized than airlines or highways) and I wouldn't mind traveling in high speed trains (especially up and down the coasts).
Diesels used to be a real savings here in the Seattle area. Not only do they get better mileage, but the price of fuel was somewhere between slightly less than the cheap gasoline and the same cost as the medium price gasoline. However, as of late last year (maybe November), diesel prices shot up and they are now even higher than premium gasoline (around 2.65 $/gallon right now). However, none of that matters to me, because my family runs their Jetta off of biodiesel. It costs 3.42 $/gallon, but it is better for our health and the environment (and keeps money in the country).
My main transport vehicle is a 60 foot transit bus as well. Except, mine is a hybrid using low sulfur diesel (hopefully with 5% biodiesel soon, but they are having problems getting the okay from the manufacturer) and I ride with a few dozen other people.
I hate all computer stores these days (unless I absolutely need something right now). Instead of making the trip down to Fry's, I find it better just to buy the thing on NewEgg. I save energy (in terms of fuel) and don't waste my time. Plus, you can order on a Monday morning from NewEgg, use free shipping, and get it on Thursday. NewEgg is super fast to Seattle. I'd rather just wait a few days, instead of spending time traveling to Renton (and getting dangerously close to a Sam's Club, I believe).
I know people like this. They are bullshitters. They talk like they know everything and are the absolute authority. NEVER get in an argument with them (you can't win, as they are usually very stubborn). They are, fortunately, a rare bread, but they do exist.
But they showed 1000 on their website and used 1000 Megs when calculating the percentage used (which mean you could get over 100% previously).
Ah ha, I did it, I can't receive any more large attachments at this point:
You are currently using 1159 MB (99%) of your 1171 MB.
It seems they do have a hard limit this time, previously you could go up to 1023 or so with out problem, but as they are slowly increasing it, the number is actually a hard line. I'll have to try harder in the morning.
Google reminds me in some ways of Apple; they both take pot shots at the current leaders (usually in good fun).
When they say infinity + 1, I wonder i they mean Yahoo space + 1. Yahoo went to 2 gigs, and now Google is matching, maybe they'll continually beat their next competitor. That would make the e-mail race quite interesting.
The bastards. I filled up my account about a month ago and moved many of my messages to the trash (all 32000 I didn't want to read, many from the LKML). I also unsubscribed. Now they've increased the space and it is no longer in the red! I now have to fill it up again! :(
Help a Gmail user in need, send me large attachments please: adpowers@gmail.com
Well, they have to be careful with automated checking. A lot of times content on pages is very dynamic or parts of the page are slightly random. They have to make sure it is actually a page layout change or SEO without getting false positives for websites that just have some random content (like random quotes or something).
If you would have RTFA, you would have noticed that WordPress doesn't host blogs, they only have offer the software. However, the software links back to them, increasing their PageRank. They took advantage of this by putting hidden links on the front page that link to short, spammy 'articles'. Now, contrast to Blogger. Blogger has no hidden links on the front page to any spammy blog. Blogger is a blog hoster, not just a provider of software. The blogs you link to were created by users that signed up through the site and spammed it. Now, I find those Blogger spams as annoying as any other, but this is a completely different beast here. Hopefully Blogger finds a way to remove the spammy ones.
From Google's own site:
http://www.google.com/webmasters/guidelines.html
"Don't deceive your users, or present different content to search engines than you display to users."
(scroll down to "Quality Guidelines - Basic principles")
Different content for the search crawlers is a SEO trick that is looked down upon by Google. I've seen this in practice and it really irritates me.
Andrew
I wasn't too big a fan of StumbeUpon. First, I don't use Moz, I use Safari, which made it a hassle to use FireFox with their toolbar (I like del.icio.us's bookmarklet). Also, the Stumbles didn't seem very smart. It would often give me the same websites and they were usually predictable. They were also almost always top level domain websites. With del.icio.us, I find useful websites that are all around the internet. I find del.icio.us much more useful. I didn't think I would end up using it, but I did and I enjoy it.
I noticed this trend (geeks switching to OS X) a few years ago. Most of the alpha geeks at Seattle Wireless were using iBooks around 2002. At that point, I knew Apple had a bright future ahead. Not only have I switched my main computer to a 12" PowerBook, but I also invested in AAPL stock. Now most of my roommates have iPods, more than half have PowerBooks, and the rest want a PowerBook. Many of my friends are switching, and it will be only a matter of time before lots of the general population does as well.
Yeah, I really liked his, the monitor stands really add to the effect. Great job!
Here is my quick attempt. Some of the ones out there are really neat, especially the one has three screens overlapping on flickr. I thought it would be fun to do one of these, and then GIMP something into the image. Have my PowerBook looking out the window, and then GIMP a picture of the Eiffel Tower off in the distance. I'm too lazy, but someone else could do it :)