Driven by robust sales of smartphones and tablet computers, Apple Inc. has secured its position as America's most valuable company, with its share price rising to US$522 per share last Friday. By contrast, Japan's once-mighty electronics firms have experienced a rapid fall in recent years. The country's largest DRAM maker Elpida Memory Inc. finally filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday. The rise and fall of these two companies provide food for thought for Taiwan, which mainly engages in contract manufacturing. According to U.S. analysts, Apple reaps a 58 percent gross margin on the sale of each iPhone. The costs paid...