OK, let me put on my professor hat.
A recession does not mean people stop buying things. A recession means the economy contracted for two quarters -- people started buying fewer things. The job market is a stinker, but guess what would happen if Apple took the OP's advice and just stopped making new things? People don't buy whatever, Apple doesn't have a need to open a new Apple Store here or there, maybe hire some new tech support people or engineers, etc.
Companies like Apple are what will help the world emerge from its problems. Apple didn't spend all crazy, and so it has a lot of cash on hand. Last year, Apple cut prices on its computers, which means less of a profit margin. Apple can also expand its operations when others can't, maybe with a tablet/slate division. In theory, the people with disposable income will buy some of this and it trickles down -- sorry, best term I could think of.
Businesses expanding and governments not having to cut services will be keys in getting things back up. I want people around here to remember that budget cuts from governments usually mean laying people off. I know it's usually necessary, but it compounds the problem when people are laid off. I was glad I could afford to buy a foreclosed home, therefore putting some tax dollars in the system and helping me out in the future. If I were a rich little duck, I'd want to find some way to hire some people or do something to put money into the system where the bottom earners get more than will be spent on stuff that we make here -- maybe.
OK, enough of a rant. But basically Apple isn't wrong to do this. As someone else mentioned, Mac sales were up last year. Just because the overall economy is in the dumps doesn't mean certain sectors aren't hot.
