Live data from Hacker News

Apple is bigger by market cap than Microsoft, Google, Amazon & Facebook combined

thenextweb.com

41–50 of 82 posts

Re: Apple is bigger by market cap than Microsoft, Google, Amazon & Facebook combined

#41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not innovating? This year they've already delivered the new iPad, the retina MacBook Pro, and are set to announce and deliver the iPhone 5, the iPad mini, possibly new iMacs and a TV. And the last five years they created or helped create: The Smartphone market The Tablet market The App market The Locationbased market

Absolutely everything on that list is iterative, not innovative. Including the TV. Even if it's got a sublime user experience, it's still going to be used for showing programs, films and acting as a monitor for games consoles (although probably also a mini-console, as it'll inherit the app store apps too). Still, nothing actually innovative there.

I think you're being way too pedantic here. With your definition you could argue that truly nothing is innovative then...

From Wikipedia:

Innovation is the creation of better or more effective products, processes, services, technologies, or ideas that are readily available to markets, governments, and society.

You don't think Apple fits that definition?

Re: Apple is bigger by market cap than Microsoft, Google, Amazon & Facebook combined

#42
post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not innovating? This year they've already delivered the new iPad, the retina MacBook Pro, and are set to announce and deliver the iPhone 5, the iPad mini, possibly new iMacs and a TV. And the last five years they created or helped create: The Smartphone market The Tablet market The App market The Locationbased market

In the last decade they've been innovative, yes, but I think your examples from this year are pretty obvious iterative improvements on their current product lines. PG expounded on this once, as well: I was talking recently to someone who knew Apple well, and I asked him if the people now running the company would be able to keep creating new things the way Apple had under Steve Jobs. His answer was simply "no." I alr…

Well obviously whoever Paul talked to is clueless about Apple.

All of Apple's products from now through the next year or two was designed and developed when Steve Jobs was alive as was revealed in his biography.

So this idea that Apple is somehow on their way down is ridiculous. Also all of Apple's releases for the last few years have been iterative.

Re: Apple is bigger by market cap than Microsoft, Google, Amazon & Facebook combined

#43
post #4

Seriously, I'm tired of all this BS. What matters for a real company is how they stand to innovate, not how much they make. Right now, Apple's strategy seems to be more of 'litigate' than innovate. What's the use of all this market cap by exercising unfair, unjust monopoly by abusing the patent system with trivial, BS patents? I know a lot of companies that don't make a lot of money but strive for true innovation (Eg…

Not innovating? This year they've already delivered the new iPad, the retina MacBook Pro, and are set to announce and deliver the iPhone 5, the iPad mini, possibly new iMacs and a TV. And the last five years they created or helped create: The Smartphone market The Tablet market The App market The Locationbased market

"If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses" - Steve Jobs

So, according to Steve Jobs, a faster iPad/MacBook/iPhone with a clearer screen is the opposite of innovation. Apple died when the iPad came out, but they can still grow through a strong brand presence and law suits.

Re: Apple is bigger by market cap than Microsoft, Google, Amazon & Facebook combined

#44
post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not innovating? This year they've already delivered the new iPad, the retina MacBook Pro, and are set to announce and deliver the iPhone 5, the iPad mini, possibly new iMacs and a TV. And the last five years they created or helped create: The Smartphone market The Tablet market The App market The Locationbased market

EDIT: I see nothing innovative with the list of devices you mentioned - 'The new iPad', 'Retina MBP', etc. They are just iterations of previous devices with a higher resolution. The iPad mini is old news, because it is just following the path the Nexus 7 has set. Nothing innovative here. Many talk about fragmentation on Android all the time, just wait and see how much fragmentation, nightmares and hell this Retina re…

The Retina resolution 'issue' has been solved and well understood for a while now. You simply create two images one at original and one at @2x.

Re: Apple is bigger by market cap than Microsoft, Google, Amazon & Facebook combined

#45
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am pretty sure the post would be true if measured on profits, roughly.

Yep. Q2 2012 profits: Apple - 11.6 billion Microsoft - 5.11 billion Google - 2.89 billion Facebook and Amazon both < 1 billion

That's ridiculous. Apple's recent 2-3 quarters have been SUPER strong, much more than I would have expected.

Re: Apple is bigger by market cap than Microsoft, Google, Amazon & Facebook combined

#46
Well, im not going to be drawn into the usual tried, simplistic and stupid arguments tending to include some of the following baseless comments like 'Apple is an a-hole company' or 'The patent system needs reform' or 'Apple doesn't innovate' or 'Apple steals' or 'Apple is due a fall'....etc... Grow up. I suggest you visit /r/circlejerk and start a conversation there with some like minded folk, you will probably feel more at home. Truth is, Apple's market capital, EV and other measures are all topping and for good reason. People (lots of them) like their products and find greater value in them compared to other technology companies.

I will say that Apple is more valuable to me than any of those other companies there. I have always used Apple computers. They have supported me through school, university, several years of research and all the jobs I have ever worked. Apple and MS create value and innovate, the others don't. Apple, MS and IBM are the kinds of companies that wont be going anywhere for quite a while, and if you think otherwise you are living in a fantasy world.

Re: Apple is bigger by market cap than Microsoft, Google, Amazon & Facebook combined

#47
post #18
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

first of all I don't think its wise to really say demeaning words about some profession (its the oldest profession and still running many people's house). secondly, there is nothing like an obvious patent, if a patent is defensible then its very much obvious that it wasn't obvious. Remember, Apple hasn't won a case against a small startup. Samsung in itself is a pretty big company and has all the resources to fight A…

>If it were not for apple... If it were not for Apple, we would be seeing better phones than the iPhone with amazing designs (read as 'rounded corners'), without any limited functionality (Eg. Universal Search). I do not support Samsung completely, because I do believe they DID cross a line by making their phones resemble too similar to the iPhone. But I don't agree with Apple winning based on a bunch of BS patents c…

No offense. But you are so ignorant about the facts it is scary.

Apple does NOT have a patent on rounded corners any more than Coke has a patent on soda bottles.

Re: Apple is bigger by market cap than Microsoft, Google, Amazon & Facebook combined

#48
post #18
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

first of all I don't think its wise to really say demeaning words about some profession (its the oldest profession and still running many people's house). secondly, there is nothing like an obvious patent, if a patent is defensible then its very much obvious that it wasn't obvious. Remember, Apple hasn't won a case against a small startup. Samsung in itself is a pretty big company and has all the resources to fight A…

>If it were not for apple... If it were not for Apple, we would be seeing better phones than the iPhone with amazing designs (read as 'rounded corners'), without any limited functionality (Eg. Universal Search). I do not support Samsung completely, because I do believe they DID cross a line by making their phones resemble too similar to the iPhone. But I don't agree with Apple winning based on a bunch of BS patents c…

The icon layout was also in the Newton MessagePad, which pre-dated Windows CE.

Rounded corners by themselves are not what made the case; it's that rounded corners, having the same grid layout, same connectors, same screen-edge "rubber band bounce-back", same coloured icons and claiming those as "obvious" when it was demonstrably proven that these things were not at that time, were what made the jury decide in Apple's favor.

Re: Apple is bigger by market cap than Microsoft, Google, Amazon & Facebook combined

#49
post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Absolutely everything on that list is iterative, not innovative. Including the TV. Even if it's got a sublime user experience, it's still going to be used for showing programs, films and acting as a monitor for games consoles (although probably also a mini-console, as it'll inherit the app store apps too). Still, nothing actually innovative there.

I think you're being way too pedantic here. With your definition you could argue that truly nothing is innovative then... From Wikipedia: Innovation is the creation of better or more effective products, processes, services, technologies, or ideas that are readily available to markets, governments, and society. You don't think Apple fits that definition?

By that definition, Samsung is more innovative than Apple-

4.8 Inch Display vs 3.5 Inch Quad core processor vs Dual Core processor 4g vs 3g

And, no lawsuits from Samsung. Who is more innovative, now?

Re: Apple is bigger by market cap than Microsoft, Google, Amazon & Facebook combined

#50
post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it really so clear? Anyone who thinks AAPL is overvalued (including you) can make lots of money by shorting or using puts appropriately. People aren't doing that, so they must not be very confident about Apple's stock price decreasing.

[deleted]

Could you explain why?

The dividend is an indication that they have too much savings. Share repurchasing is an indication that the company believes its shares are undervalued.

Or am I missing something?

Post reply on HN