Gregg Thurman on Amazon buys Globalstar, Apple's partner for satellite services - 'Close in satellites have limited range. By that I mean they don’t cover as great an expanse of territory as do satellites positioned further out, ergo close in requires far greater numbers of satellites as do satellites positioned farther out. GlobalStar’s owned frequencies are better suited for higher elevations than are StarLink’s freqs. Additionally, the orbits of close in satellites decay much faster and have to be replaced much more often. In other words close in means shorter effective lives. With the finances of Amazon available to GlobalStar (through ownership) GlobalStar can throw up more satellites faster, and compete with StarLnk less expensively and more efficiently. My dislike of Bezos clouded my judgement of the take over. I think Amazon’s acquisition is going to be beneficial to Apple’s space agenda. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Apple helped engineer this acquisition.'
on To grow market share, Apple is squeezing PC makers while they're in pain - 'Microsoft announced significant price increases on Surface. Entry model costs $100 more, 15″ now costs $1600. A maxed out version with 64gb RAM and 1tb flash costs $3650. (And they accused Apple of price gouging for memory upgrades.)'
on To grow market share, Apple is squeezing PC makers while they're in pain - 'As an aside, does Asymco still have a PED 3.0 discount? Seeing all the valuable material, I am close to pulling the trigger. (Paying taxes has kind of held me back 😉'
on To grow market share, Apple is squeezing PC makers while they're in pain - 'Microsoft just announced that it’s raising the prices of its Surface lineup by up to $500 because of escalating chip shortages and costs, joining Dell, Lenovo, and HP in similar moves. Which means, just as Apple releases the Neo, MSFT will no longer off a Surface below $1000. I’d say add additional market share on top of Horace’s point, because the others are actually going in the opposite direction on price, after being undermined on chip power and performance. https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/microsoft-raises-surface-prices-500-164631480.html'
on To grow market share, Apple is squeezing PC makers while they're in pain - 'Yes! Corporations and small businesses. And AI software designed to help their businesses.'
on To grow market share, Apple is squeezing PC makers while they're in pain - 'If Apple is causing HP, Dell, Microsoft, et al. some “pain” and “suffering,” it is nothing compared to the pain and suffering these PC makers have caused their customers and users over the years. The free market in this case may have taken its sweet time in bringing this about, but it’s never too late for the good guys to triumph. Go Apple!'
on To grow market share, Apple is squeezing PC makers while they're in pain - 'One other point I want to highlight: This isn’t about increasing market share, but installed base. That makes it a long term strategy, which again plays into Apple’s strength. The Neos, like anything Apple sells, have both a high resell price and super longevity. That reduces even further the “cost” of ownership. IOW, Apple has more time than folks think to pull this off. Nothing appeals to folks more than a bonafide bargain. And btw, that includes corporations. But Macs, strangely enough, have always been bargains from that POV. So the Neo may have its greatest impact, not in being inexpensive, but in waking corporations up to the very real bargain Macs have always represented….'
on Amazon buys Globalstar, Apple's partner for satellite services - 'Ridiculous idea that Apple should have bought Globalstar and has somehow missed out. Amazon may well be the best thing the the Globalstar Apple partnership.'
on Premarket: Apple is green - 'Blue Owl Capital is rocketing higher this morning. The shares are up $0.55 at $9 even. Blackrock is ahead $48.42 at $1,072.07. Apollo Global Management is up again today. The shares have gained $3.70 to $113.65 in early trading. Apple continues to struggle. The shares are down $1.12 at $258.08 as we approach the 11am hour in New York.'
on To grow market share, Apple is squeezing PC makers while they're in pain - 'When it comes to margins, I trust in Apple to know what it’s doing.'
on Premarket: Apple is green - 'I don’t understand how the markets go up every time POTUS says a deal is in the works. The fear of a bear market in an election year is too much to bear.'
on Amazon buys Globalstar, Apple's partner for satellite services - 'That went quickly. Not a terrible outcome, but definitely not my desired outcome. I’m gonna go with “weird”. Perhaps Apple was slow here, but I want to see the story firm up.'
on CNBC's Joe Kernen puts his MAGA bias on display (video) - 'Greg, as far as I know, it wasn’t an actual decision. It naturally evolved from our countru’s earliest days and mimics the very foundation of our capitalist economy. The days of network news and newspapers run as a public service are over. Ironically, the ad spending that supported it (classified ads and TV ad campaigns) are gone. As someone who worked for NBC and knows their mindset, Joe Kernan is a relic of the GE corporate ethos and wouldn’t be hired today. Versant is the best thing that could happen to CNBC. I already see changes for the better.'
on Apple accused of aiding Israeli attacks on Lebanon - 'I think it depends on your perspective. I’m not sure Israel holds the moral compass here. (Hypocrisy leaves a bad taste in my mouth). There is no way Apple would contribute to any event that is anti-humanitarian.'
