Phil Schiller stated (under oath) that when assessing sales for a new model of the iPhone, Apple used an easy shorthand: Each new generation sold approximately equal to all previous generations combined. That’s a helpful gauge. Did it hold and will it continue to hold? In order to test this rule of thumb we need … Continue reading “How many iPhone “5''s will be sold?”
Here is the second Perspective “padcast” where I discuss: Top and bottom line growth iPhone, iPad, iPod and Mac revenue growth iPad vs. Mac iOS product mix Other product line growth Gross Margins by product Pricing and revenue per unit by product Cash and cash growth Guidance and whether results were a surprise to management … Continue reading “Padcast: Reviewing Apple's Third Fiscal Quarter 2012”
When the Macintosh was launched in 1984, computers running the MS-DOS operating system were nearing a dominant position in the market. Having launched in 1981 as the IBM PC, they were quickly cloned and four years later “PCs” were selling at the rate of 2 million/yr. The Mac only managed 372k units in its first … Continue reading “Building and dismantling the Windows advantage”
Google reported a new activation rate milestone: 1 million/day. The rate of activations has been increasing steadily which leads to a question: how high can it go? The answer is easy to determine. It can go no higher than the sales rate of phones and tablets and PCs. So what’s that sales rate? The answer … Continue reading “Activating 5.6 million units per day”
The history of personal computing has come to be defined as the history of Microsoft. At least since 1981 Microsoft’s operating systems have been the consistent market share leaders, and by a very large margin. That is about to change. This year Android will be on more devices sold than Windows. iOS is also set … Continue reading “The evolution of the computing value chain”
Having just returned from China, Horace gives his impressions which leads to a discussion about industrialization and innovation and how countries “mature” and what is Apple doing in China and the new relationship between Apple and strategic partnerships and the new stats from WWDC 2012 about developer revenues and how that differs from Android and … Continue reading “5by5 | The Critical Path #42: Full Circle”
Dan and Horace talk about the distinction between what Facebook is and what its value is perceived to be. We touch on both the opportunities and the challenges for social media and how these are reflected in the IPO. We note how and why Facebook integration in iOS might happen. Horace has a few words … Continue reading “5by5 | The Critical Path #41: Contextual Inquiry”
In terms of units Windows-based computers made up 78% of all PCs sold in Q1. That was an increase from the 74% in the previous quarter but a decline from 90% a year ago. OS X based computers were about 3.7%, a decline in share both q/q and y/y, something the company attributed to a … Continue reading “The PC market overview for Q1”
During my talk at the first Apple Investor Conference in January I said that I would pay very close attention to the Machinery, equipment and internal use software line item from its PP&E during the next quarterly report (it appears on Page 13 in the latest report). The reason I consider this important is because … Continue reading “Up to eleven”
Kenney Ho, a staff reporter from Korean newspaper The Chosunilbo (The Chosun Daily) sent me a set of delightful questions. According to Kenney, The Chosunilbo “has a history of 90 years, has been the most dominant, and influential paper of all time in Korea. It is the No.1 newspaper company in Korea with more than … Continue reading “An interview with Kenney Ho of The Chosun Daily of Korea”
