Apple The Outlier

Forbes Digital Rules The Blog ^ | October 21st, 2009

[Swordmaker]

As students of recessions know, not all economic activity stops, even during the worst of it. People went to movies in the 1930s, and movies made great leaps in technology. Contrast the look and sound of The Thin Man (1934) with that of The Wizard of Oz (1939) made just five years later.

Recessions destroy bad, bloated and behind-the-times business models. By doing so, recessions clear the way for the new and novel. I've mentioned this so many times that I might sound like a broken record to some, but consider the new companies and trends that emerged and thrived during the 1970s, the worst economic decade that most of us have lived through:

New Companies

Federal Express (1970), Charles Schwab (1971), Southwest Airlines (1971), Kleiner Perkins (1972), Sequoia Capital (1972), Microsoft (1975), Apple (1976), Genentech (1976), Oracle (1977)

. . . .

The title of today's blog refers to Apple's blowout numbers in bad economic times. Apple is now 33 years old, but it seems like a perpetually new company. Jim Cramer so loves Apple, he said Tuesday night Apple's stock was headed to $300. I have no clue where Apple's stock is headed, but I do think its blowout performance since the iPod launch in 2001 has everything do to with Apple's keen sense of cultural shifts, which keeps the company at the edge of new. The genius of Steve Jobs has always been to marry his good-enough layman's understanding of technology with his world-class design eye and his preternatural understanding of cultural moods.

Apple always seems one step ahead even when it comes from behind. Apple didn't invent the personal computer, but it made the computer personal. It didn't invent the MP3 player, but the iPod put it all together. . . .

[Swordmaker]

Why is Apple performing so much better than almost every other (if not every other) company during this recession? PING!

Apple Up! Shocking? Why? Ping!

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.

[pnut22]

The union is also obsolete. If not for the dems dragging the corpse along and still shoving money into them, they would be gone. I believe I would add Walmart to the list of survivors.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

The genius of Steve Jobs has always been to marry his good-enough layman's understanding of technology with his world-class design eye and his preternatural understanding of cultural moods.

Is that code speak for gay? Just asking.

[dennisw]

from comments at Forbes——>>>

Al Meuli says:
October 21, 2009 at 6:01 pm

I have been an Apple nut since the Apple II+, but I am about to abandon my Macs. My last purchase was an iMac G5 with MS Office and PC emulation. Within weeks, Apple came out with the Intel based machine, leaving me in an expensive technological backwater. I still loved Apple, though, and was just about to buy an Intel Mac when I saw Apple is dropping out of the Chamber of Commerce because it disagrees with the Chamber’s positions on global warming and Obamacare.
Design excellence is fine, but I have no interest in supporting loony lefty religions.

[Wyatt's Torch]

Algore has been on the Apple board for years... I’m still a Mac/Apple guy though. I’d rather the technology stuff just work and deal with the political crap in a separate arena.

[LearnsFromMistakes]

HEY! EVERYONE!!!! dennisw does NOT like apple computers. They are WAY overpriced. A much cheaper laptop is much better. OK? GOT IT?

dennisw - there. you don’t have to thank me.

[ReignOfError]

By all means, switch to Windows — then you can support left-wing political causes AND have an inferior product.

[dennisw]

Al Meuli is pissed at Apple. He got churned and burned on a powerPC processor based Apple that he also shelled out ($300?) for the Mac version of MS Office

I just copied & pasted his spiteful & insightful comment

[LearnsFromMistakes]

I just copied & pasted his spiteful & insightful comment

into a thread that really didn't need the information, had nothing to do with what you posted. Really lame.

We understand you have an opinion. I will try to make sure that everyone knows your opinion. So I have a new tagline, just for you.

[dennisw]

I merely posted a comment from Al Meuili from the Forbes article that kicked off this thread

You like Apple but Al` is pissed at them

[Swordmaker]

Is that code speak for gay? Just asking.

No. Jobs is not gay.

[Swordmaker]

I have been an Apple nut since the Apple II+, but I am about to abandon my Macs. My last purchase was an iMac G5 with MS Office and PC emulation. Within weeks, Apple came out with the Intel based machine, leaving me in an expensive technological backwater. I still loved Apple, though, and was just about to buy an Intel Mac when I saw Apple is dropping out of the Chamber of Commerce because it disagrees with the Chamber’s positions on global warming and Obamacare.

Leave it to you to repeat one of the latest FUD talking points that you see almost verbatim on Apple discussion threads, including the comment about just getting ready to buy a new Mac and deciding not to because of X political thing. I read this comment on Forbes and simply did not believe him. They always follow a pattern... Mac or Apple fan, just getting ready to buy a new one, changing mind because of negative X.

[Swordmaker]

He got churned and burned on a powerPC processor based Apple that he also shelled out ($300?) for the Mac version of MS Office

I didn't see him complaining about the G5 he "claimed" to own... with PC Emulation, no less. He's complaining about a political position, nothing more...

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks SM.

[SunkenCiv]

LOL! Well said.