Recent Comments

  • Richard Gayle on Peter Thiel puts Steve Jobs and Elon Musk in the same sentence - 'Thiel is the perfect embodiment of this Jobs Quote, and not in a good way: “It’s not the tools that you have faith in – tools are just tools. They work, or they don’t work. It’s people you have faith in or not.” I also like this one: “Our whole company is founded on the principle that there is something very different that happens with one person, one computer … What we’re trying to do is remove the barrier of having to learn to use a computer. ” And “Technology is nothing. What’s important is that you have a faith in people, that they’re basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they’ll do wonderful things with them.” And he denigrates Cook wh gave us this quote: “Our purpose is to serve humanity.”(No and not in the Twilight Zone meaning;-) Apple has really never about innovation per se. Others had computers first, music players, smart phones, smart watches, etc. What Apple did was make technology work for the user not just for the owners. It has given us the tools to do wonderful things., by removing the barriers. WTF has Thiel ever given us.'
  • Gregg Thurman on Peter Thiel puts Steve Jobs and Elon Musk in the same sentence - 'I read a book a long time ago. Can’t remember the name. It was about leadership types and when company should employ the two main types. The author used military hierarchy to describe management types. The first is the assault leader (Jobs). He devises then executes a beachhead, think Normandy. After securing the beachhead he is replaced by the consolidator. The leader/s that manages the gains and presses on, think Patton and Bradley. For Apple that was Cook. But now Apple is entering a new technological age that requires a beachhead leader. The transition from assault to consolidation doesn’t happen overnight. Ternus has been the heir apparent for several years, preparing Apple’s strategy and assault troops (products) for Apple’s assault on the competition. Cook has wisely stepped down to allow the assault troops to function. In contrast look at the transition at MSFT. Ballmer stayed too long at the top.'
  • David Drinkwater on Peter Thiel puts Steve Jobs and Elon Musk in the same sentence - 'Given that Musk is despicable, anything Thiel has to say that puts Musk in the same sentence with Cook is de facto despicable. I can try to figure out why our country got to where it is, but it makes me sick to my stomach to do so, so I will (have done) simply go to the voting booth and share my opinion.'
  • Paul Brindze on Peter Thiel puts Steve Jobs and Elon Musk in the same sentence - 'I am not sure that ‘despicable’ is a strong enough adjective.'
  • Bill Donahue on Peter Thiel puts Steve Jobs and Elon Musk in the same sentence - 'Peter Thiel opining about who or what is best for society is absolutely laughable.'
  • Ben Gepp on Peter Thiel puts Steve Jobs and Elon Musk in the same sentence - 'Cook had plenty of vision. He cemented Apple as a values based company – one that was/is also insanely profitable and continued with innovation at its core. M series is a case in point. I don’t even really know what Theil does. He is so off my radar. All I know is he is as whack as Musk.'
  • Ron Fredrick on Peter Thiel puts Steve Jobs and Elon Musk in the same sentence - 'Bill Fouche said: If anybody gets around to writing a book on Silicon Valley billionaires called “When Good Things Happen to Bad People,” Thiel deserves to have his own chapter. “I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible,” he wrote. **The photo of Peter Thiel with Trump, along with his comment about freedom and democracy being incompatible should be all anyone needs to make up their minds about how to vote on November 3rd. https: // www.techradar.com/pro/quote-of-the-day-by-paypal-co-founder-peter-thiel-i-no-longer-believe-that-freedom-and-democracy-are-compatible-a-foundational-thesis-of-the-new-tech-elite “I remain committed to … authentic human freedom as a precondition for the highest good… But I must confess that over the last two decades, I have changed radically on the question of how to achieve these goals. Most importantly, I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible.” — Peter Thiel, April 2009 Bill, I wish I could have upvoted your comment more than once.'
  • Steven Philips on Peter Thiel puts Steve Jobs and Elon Musk in the same sentence - 'I’d rather he show up in the chapter about BAD things happening to BAD people. I’d also rather follow Cook’s “lack of vision” than Thiel’s “vision”.'
  • Bill Fouche on Peter Thiel puts Steve Jobs and Elon Musk in the same sentence - 'If anybody gets around to writing a book on Silicon Valley billionaires called “When Good Things Happen to Bad People,” Thiel deserves to have his own chapter. “I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible,” he wrote. He’s not wrong about that if he thinks “freedom” includes the right to amass GDP-levels of personal wealth and deploy it without strings or accountability to move the levers of government power to his own ends. This seems to be what some of the billionaires with South African connections seem to be up to. And it’s as sure a path to ending democratic self-government as any I can think of.'
  • Stephen Gordon on One more iPhone Duo launch video, this one from Beijing - 'I went to check out the Duo again, and I thought I liked it more than the first time. Then the novelty wore off. Only negative, aside from the remote crack threat, is the grip on the surface when you try to open it… without a case it will probably slip out of your hands. Not sure I like the form factor for basic tasks like messaging, but if you like using an iPad then that’s where the advantage lies. Regardless, it still has the ability to charm, especially when retrieving from a pocket or purse. The hip factor is what Apple does better than anyone else.'
  • Gregg Thurman on Peter Thiel puts Steve Jobs and Elon Musk in the same sentence - 'Beat me to it Ben. Maybe if he wasn’t such a self centered jerk he “Feel Different”.'
  • Ben Gepp on One more iPhone Duo launch video, this one from Beijing - 'I have never complained about Apple’s pricing because I have always understood the value proposition. And increasingly more people clearly understand that with growing sales. However the current pricing I believe will have a material impact on sales. How many more products could be sold in the absence of inflated RAM prices? Affordability issues due to inflation, idiotic wars and an economic imbecile running(ruining) your country must surely be impacting economic growth? Apple’s products are, to an extent, discretionary – fuel and food, not so. And the proportion of consumers that simply does not have the means to purchase an Apple product must surely be growing. Big demand now but how long will it last?'
  • Ben Gepp on Peter Thiel puts Steve Jobs and Elon Musk in the same sentence - 'I suspect that what Theil finds objectionable is that Cook is a thoroughly decent human being…. (In my estimation)'
  • John Konopka on Apple's busiest fall ever - 'The earnings call will be interesting. First one for Ternus. Let’s see what guidance we get.'
  • James Hillhouse on Peter Thiel puts Steve Jobs and Elon Musk in the same sentence - 'I completely agree that Thiel is despicable.'
  • John Konopka on Peter Thiel puts Steve Jobs and Elon Musk in the same sentence - 'I’m so tired of these lame claims that nothing happened after the iPhone was introduced. Should they have made separate products for video, point of sale purchases, GPS, maps, and more? Maybe if they changed the name from iPhone to something else every time they added a major innovation people would be happier.'
  • Philip Elmer-DeWitt on Apple's busiest fall ever - 'Knowledge Navigator video: https://youtu.be/umJsITGzXd0?si=S1SyE4-MjGhooEe7'
  • Joseph Bland on One more iPhone Duo launch video, this one from Beijing - 'Thumbs up, Jonny! People recognize value when they sense it. Apple takes its own sweet time developing its valuable products, but even so they can always be improved. Carping on the reality that at some point you just have to ship, warts and all, ignores the larger accomplishment but will never make the fact of that accomplishment go away. Apple and Apple long term investors are laughing all the way to the bank at these antics.'
  • Robert Paul Leitao on This week's Apple trading strategies (10/26-10/30/26) - 'Richard: I recall an old saying, “Bull markets climb a wall of worry.” I do, however, understand your concerns. I’m striving to look out a few years from now and expect a much different trajectory for share prices. Currently, share price advances are being fueled by historically strong rates of earnings growth while, in general, earnings multiples are contracting. In my view the current pace of earnings growth in much of the market won’t be sustained on a long-term basis and this raises the prospect of a few years of price consolidation in the market. I’m not concerned so much with the balance of 2026 and into 2027. I’m a bit cautious of the pace of share price appreciation or even price consolidation into the end of the decade.'
  • Robert Paul Leitao on This week's Apple trading strategies (10/26-10/30/26) - 'I really enjoyed listening to this Barron’s Live podcast. Although Apple is mentioned at about the 39-minute mark, the company is not a central topic in the episode. It’s titled, “How To Invest In AI Now With Janus Henderson’s Jonathan Cofsky.” I found the interview quite informative as I step back and look at the global AI market including chips, infrastructure and long-term compute demand. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-invest-in-ai-now-with-janus-hendersons-jonathan/id1523729084?i=1000797148099'
  • Gregg Thurman on Selected Duo video reviews: Gruber, Brownlee, Tong - 'I just watched YouTube history on the fall of Intel. My arguments against the Duo have much in common with the succession of Intel CEOs decisions beginning with Otellini. I haven’t changed my mind about the Duo, but am now thinking in terms of what the consumer wants, despite how flawed they are. I also watched a YouTube by WSJ that mirrored my thoughts. I’m surprised we didn’t see this one on Apple 3.0.'
  • Steven Philips on One more iPhone Duo launch video, this one from Beijing - 'Ginger Rodger’s! 🙂'
  • Gregg Thurman on Selected Duo video reviews: Gruber, Brownlee, Tong - 'Richard, I upvoted your post.'
  • Gregg Thurman on Apple's busiest fall ever - 'The link takes me nowhere.'
  • Ron Fredrick on One more iPhone Duo launch video, this one from Beijing - 'Jonny T said: “Anyone notice Tommo’s blog stopped posting in June?!” **Hmm…Tommo…Tommo. Jonny, wasn’t he the Apple 3.0 subscriber that frequently mentioned he had owned 8,000 shares of AAPL in 2001? And, as I recall, he used to sometimes disparage those who only bought AAPL when they could afford to do so and then held the stock for the long term instead of buying and selling according to anticipated movements of the stock. If that’s the guy to whom you’re referring then, despite his occasional disparaging comments, he actually may have held onto those 8,000 AAPL shares and his portfolio would now be worth: 8,000X2X7X4=448,000X$347.73 = $155,783,040 So, maybe he stopped posting on the blog because he’s incredibly wealthy?'
  • Richard Wingfield on Selected Duo video reviews: Gruber, Brownlee, Tong - 'Gregg, I agree the Duo is unlikely to be a panacea for revenue growth, but I think there’s another factor worth considering: the halo effect. For some people, a foldable phone is an aspiration, and the Duo gives them another reason to consider switching to Apple’s platform. I’m not suggesting Samsung or Huawei foldable owners will suddenly abandon their phones, but the Duo could attract some new-to-Apple customers as well as generate additional revenue from existing ones. The question isn’t whether it will have an effect, but how big that effect will be.'
  • Richard Gayle on One more iPhone Duo launch video, this one from Beijing - 'They always complain about Apple’s high price because it gets eyeballs. Apple is pricing it right if it can sell every one it makes. In fact, the high price gives it the cachet of status when people see it. But I think what is also brilliant, as I have mentioned before, is the burgundy color. That color has special cachet in China, that adds even more to the status of ownership (I have one myself and I have to say it is my favorite color of all my iPhones I’ve had) . Such a human thing that Apple gets so well.'
  • Richard Gayle on Apple's busiest fall ever - 'I think the Knowledge Navigator is a great thing to remind others about. With the progress of AI, and Apple’s ability to do ML locally, a fully capable Duo could become a truly personal assistant, connecting to a monitor when needed, being a keyboard when needed, etc. We think the Mac mini is small. What happens when the Duo is as capable? But we can take it anywhere. I’m sure Apple is gaming out that possibility.'
  • Richard Gayle on Apple's busiest fall ever - 'Apple may not lower the prices but it could do things that are similar. Maybe Apple will do what it did with the Neo — come out with a lower priced model that, while not as capable as the higher priced, gets those who have stayed on the sidelines into the ecosystem. And Apple might keep prices the same instead of raising them yearly. I’m sure it has a strategy 😉 I think that if the AI bubble bursts and the memory makers come begging to Apple to pick up the slack, Apple could well make a big deal of dropping the prices, something others could not do as easily. Can you imagine the scramble of people upgrading then?'
  • Richard Gayle on This week's Apple trading strategies (10/26-10/30/26) - 'I’m, staying long wrt Apple but it is not just the midterms causing me worry. So many economic fires raging — France’s debt problems, along with the public unrest, higher global oil prices, escalations of ongoing wars, higher interest rates, K-shaped economy, rising default rates, AI bubble. Scary times. Glad that Apple looks to be the haven for money now. I wonder how many billionaires are now shorting the markets or buying credit default swaps on their own datacenters?'