Apple exceeds Microsoft in market cap.

Apple exceeds Microsoft in market capitalization - May. 26, 2010

I wasn't expecting this until tomorrow, to be perfectly honest. Good thing I didn't put money on it.

I've been looking at the balance sheets and Apple has higher net tangible assets worth $38.6bn and Microsoft has $32bn but that was slightly longer ago on 31 Mar. Apple has had higher net tangible asests for a while.

The income statements are interesting. Microsoft spent 7 times more of R&D in the last business year yet their products still fail to be any good.

What on earth happened in the quarter ending Jun 09 for Apple?

From a quick look it Microsoft appears more profitable (35% operating profit margin as compared to 27% in 2009). They have less variable costs. Apple have to pay for all their expensive manufacturing I suppose (It's premium for a reason).

Apple holding on to it's cash by refusing to give dividends, I'm sure, helps them a lot.

Does anyone think with the lets say, "popularity" of Mac, that the guys who write viruses etc will turn their attention to mac?

Not yet. Windows still has a ridiculous monopoly and is easier to make viruses for.

I see. I was just thinking about that this morning when I seen this report on the news.

Well this was to be expected. The iPhone is like a treasure at the end of a rainbow, same goes for the iPad.
Also I think that those products kinda invite people to buy a Mac too; at leas thats what it was like for me.

Yes. People call it the Halo effect. People buy products because they assume they are good from other product experiences from the same company or brand.

People shouldn't be so blind though. Just because you liked the iPod doesn't mean you should go out and buy an iPad.

Kamina said:

Well this was to be expected. The iPhone is like a treasure at the end of a rainbow, same goes for the iPad.
Also I think that those products kinda invite people to buy a Mac too; at leas thats what it was like for me.

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Actually the iPod is the pot of gold that started Apple's incredible climb to the leading technology company in the world.

Zanthe said:

Actually the iPod is the pot of gold that started Apple's incredible climb to the leading technology company in the world.

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Agreed. The iPod is what really pulled Apple back from the brink. A lot of people credit the original iMac, but comparatively speaking, that was but a blip on the radar of the tech industry. The iPod was the real game changer and is what cemented Apple's credibility in consumer electronics. This in turn, enabled them to develop the iPhone and have an instant following due to the groundwork laid by the iPod/iTunes.

The Escapist : Forums : The News Room : Apple Passes Microsoft as Most Valuable Technology Company

Why do people spew so much hate, like in this thread?

Cryo said:

The Escapist : Forums : The News Room : Apple Passes Microsoft as Most Valuable Technology Company

Why do people spew so much hate, like in this thread?

Click to expand...

Because it's easy to hate those who do well. Honestly, the Internet is full of people who bad mouth others simply because it's easy and impersonal. If the Internet was any indication of purchasing and consumer consumption, nothing would ever be sold because everything would be bad. The few who praise something are frequently outnumbered by those who don't like it. I can guarantee that if you could find every comment made about both MS and Apple, you would find more negative commentary than positive.

"They are very profitable because they over charge for everything "

This person is an idiot because in my post above I stated "From a quick look it Microsoft appears more profitable (35% operating profit margin as compared to 27% in 2009). They have less variable costs. Apple have to pay for all their expensive manufacturing I suppose (It's premium for a reason)."

People shouldn't expect luxury products to come cheap. Apple's products are quite rightly priced.

This is good news for Apple. It's good to see that its ipod product and related offerings have driven Apple to such heights.

Cryo said:

The Escapist : Forums : The News Room : Apple Passes Microsoft as Most Valuable Technology Company

Why do people spew so much hate, like in this thread?

Click to expand...

I think Apple is very much a "love it or hate it" kind of company, with people who often go back and forth. Any company that makes such compelling products is going to inspire a lot of passion from its user base.

Unfortunately, there's a lot of old, hardcore Macheads from back in the day when the Mac vs. PC war actually meant something that are constantly on the defensive out there on the interwebs. I think these guys mean well, but it certainly does paint the Apple community in a bad light amongst tech geeks.

Oh it's simple. Why this is happening.

MS is living of old money. As in they make all their cash of people simply updating to the lastest windows software as they always have and paying the higher prices. And just paying for their software. It's the same thing MS has been doing for years. The sell the same old crap and people just buy it as they always have. And without any innovation from MS this system is doomed to fail because people will not just but the same old MS crap for ever. And this will make it very hard to gain new users or revenue streams.

Apple on the other hand live on new money. As in they are very innovative. Most of their products are different from the last in some small way. People actually get excited about buying Apple products. And they draw in new users (or revenue streams) every day. So they have a base they cen expand on.

Just 2 very different ways MS and Apple operate. And I see in 10-20 years time MS if they don't add in some radical/innovative thinking to their product lines will slowly be bled to extention. Simply because too many people/businesses will switch. And Apple will get these new users and thrive.

the8thark said:

Oh it's simple. Why this is happening.

MS is living of old money. As in they make all their cash of people simply updating to the lastest windows software as they always have and paying the higher prices. And just paying for their software. It's the same thing MS has been doing for years. The sell the same old crap and people just buy it as they always have. And without any innovation from MS this system is doomed to fail because people will not just but the same old MS crap for ever. And this will make it very hard to gain new users or revenue streams.

Apple on the other hand live on new money. As in they are very innovative. Most of their products are different from the last in some small way. People actually get excited about buying Apple products. And they draw in new users (or revenue streams) every day. So they have a base they cen expand on.

Just 2 very different ways MS and Apple operate. And I see in 10-20 years time MS if they don't add in some radical/innovative thinking to their product lines will slowly be bled to extention. Simply because too many people/businesses will switch. And Apple will get these new users and thrive.

Click to expand...

I wish I bought into that, but I don't.

I like my aluminium 13" macbook pro well enough, but to be perfectly honest there isn't a huge difference between the white one I had before it.

The second generation iPod Touch wasn't all that different from the first gen either. Yeah yeah, volume control. Big deal ...

As for the iPhone, as many people said over the years, the updates it got was adding stuff that should have been there to begin with

I really don't get why people are acting like the iPad's the second coming; it's not much more than an iPhone on steroids.

Now I'm not saying that Apple products are bad or anything like that, I quite like my Macbook and iPods. But to say that each new release of their products brings innovation is quite a stretch.

What Apple has is a loyal fanbase that doesn't ask much questions and treats whats Jobs says like scriptures.

Isn't a huge difference still means some difference even if it's really tiny. And it's more than no difference. Most of MS's software does the same stuff it did 10 years ago with no change. I can't see what W7 does that is niew and exciting that XP can't do very well.

I get your point. Apple does try to put as few changes into a product as possible so they can stretch the number of product releases over the years and get more sales. Actually the ipad is not an iphone. It's more like a touch on steriods. And that's way it's awesome in my opinion is cause it's a big ol' touch.

But my point is I agree with you. But the differences is not from Apple'e end. Your new macbook and the old one both can do 99% of tasks most people use on it so well that people won't notice the difference. But if you take say OS X. Each point release (10.3->10.4->10.5->10.6) had major changes in them. And you really felt the changes as you use them at home. Well I did.

It's not Apple fault all my old 3rd party software works just as well on my old imac as it does on my new imac, so I notice almost no difference. I think that's a testimant to Apple. Unlike MS who had to go through crappy vista to get to a semi decent OS called W7.

I agree with you 100%. But you only notice a change in you feel it. And for most changes Apple do most people don't feel them as they jsut work like most things Apple do.

The time has come.

I guess we all saw this coming...It will be a shock to the community as Apple continues to outgrow Microsoft.

the8thark said:

Most of MS's software does the same stuff it did 10 years ago with no change. I can't see what W7 does that is niew and exciting that XP can't do very well.

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Aside from the eye candy that Microsoft claims they didn't ["exactly"] steal from Apple, I'd say you're on target with that one. The "new" taskbar. Still the same old taskbar, just gussied up to make it easier to use.

IMO, after using Mac OS X Tiger and Snow Leopard on two different Apple machines and using 7 on a Vista-bought PC, I find 7 is easier to use than say Windows XP or Vista, however, if you compare Snow Leopard to 7, SL is easier to use. Everything is where it should be, and to me, Microsoft is only just now starting to do that, albeit in a slightly different, slight similar matter.

the8thark said:

But if you take say OS X. Each point release (10.3->10.4->10.5->10.6) had major changes in them. And you really felt the changes as you use them at home. Well I did.

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Up until 10.5, every release could be used on a Power PC chipset. 10.1 through 10.4 could support practically anything older than a G4. I'm not familiar with the processor speeds between the Power PC generations, but that's a rough cut and dry assumption about Mac OS X over the last decade. 10.5 could support a fast G4/uppercut G5. However, in the same respect, I miss the IBM architecture- it was pretty much a one of kind chipset, separate from the mainstream PC line (still I can find a high end G4 or a G5 and run Leopard on it- why not? It's about as modern as Snow Leopard is, even if it came out when I was in 10th grade). I bought a Mac because I was tired of Windows. Period. And I didn't want to go Linux. However, it is nice to know I can run Windows (officially) or Linux (unofficially) on an x86 Mac if I need to.

Though there are three things I still want to know:

What won't Apple think of next?
What theoretical limitations would Apple may have faced if they didn't go Intel?
What if they decide to implement AMD and Intel?



In any case, it makes me rather glad that Apple has moved to the x86 platform.

Who knows. In the future they could become a major processor manufacturer for mobile devices and then for PCs as well. They did buy that company and create their own processor for the iPad already.