If Apple sells more units every quarter in every category they are in wouldn't that be enough growth?
Current growth is due to a growing smart phone market, as consumers switch from basic phones to smart phones. As the smart phone market approaches saturation, that growth will slow. I don't see how Apple can continue to lose marketshare and still enjoy growth in a saturated market.
No need for the aggressiveness. I don't remember ridiculing your comment.
If you want me to respond to your posts and have a discussion than please try to stay civilsed. You can see in my comment history that I usually respond in a kind matter and explain my opinions in detail based on fact.
Fair comment. Upon rereading both our comments I agree, it wasn't fair to make character assessments like that. I apologise.
A for-profit company's objective is to make as fat margins as it can. Any profit after expense belongs to shareholders, not customers. I think you are confusing Apple with a co-op.
Okay, firstly, I don't subscribe to free market fundamentalism. You might be surprised to know that I myself am a business owner, and I understand the importance of profit—however, it is not the be-all and end-all. Every business is made up of humans, and every decent human that I've ever met is driven by more than just money. Putting a corporate wrapper around people doesn't instantly negate everything else that drives and motivates those people—at least it shouldn't! Again, I point you (and others) back to the previous articles about the Mac design team. If you believe what they say, they were driven by other things—like the desire to create a product that they themselves would want to buy and use, the desire to see ordinary (not just wealthy) people empowered to do awesome stuff with it, the desire to create a 'computer for the rest of us'. I put it to you that Apple would never have become what it did had those driving values not been at the heart of the creative process. Now Apple advertising would have us believe that these goals are STILL at the heart of Apple. But hey, I wasn't born yesterday—I realise that much advertising is pure unadulterated BS. (I once worked in advertising!)
Secondly, I haven't (as I've been accused of here) suggested that Apple give back to customers as pure charity. I've suggested that this period was a critical one for establishing one's company in the smart phone market before it becomes saturated. I believe it would be in Apple's long-term interests to maintain a healthy marketshare at the expense of some short-term profit. You and others are entitled to disagree on that point of course.
As the chart at the top of the thread demonstrates, people are not forced to by Apple products. If enough don't buy then the company has to adjust the product line, pricing, or both, to draw in customers; i.e., lower margins. But it's not a goal of any profitable enterprise to decrease prices just to give customers a breather from high prices. If Apple wasn't selling product it wouldn't be taking in income. If that were the case would you feel as sorry for Apple as you do irritation now?
Mate, I was an Apple fan through the 90s. I lived through constant rumours and speculation of Apple's demise. Did I feel sorry for them? Actually, I was just kind of fearful that I wouldn't be able to keep using the platform I loved! I seriously would have considered a change of career had I been forced to use Windows at the time. So I suspect, by your comment, that you have me pegged wrong.
Again, I never said the goal of lowering prices should be purely altruistic. I think it makes good business sense when your marketshare is dwindling and you're sitting on an absolute mountain of cash.
