Diversify into what??? They invented the PDA, Digital Camera, invented the PC Market, yeah...they stopped reselling HP Printers with Apple stamped on them (but $$ is only in ink - so?)
Did you catch that iTunes is the largest on-line retailer, second only to Amazon? Amazon sells everything, iTunes is just music ( until tomorrow ;-) It would seem they have already become a huge internet company...
Apple was crazy to open Apple stores, while Gateway closed 300 of them, and they all earn a profit alone, and sell Apple stuff. Another 35 stores coming, somehow, they are still making money, even though experts said, too fast, and impossible.
I was just noting a few... well, issues, bugs, in Tiger, and concern that it doesn't seem to be a priority ( among many ). I applaud Apple's execution, but you have trade offs. I know we are in a transition, new technologies, a CPU switch, so I see all the endless problems which can creep in...
If you spread yourself too thin, whether a Military, company, or just say, your own time, you risk becoming weak and assailable in every area. ( See Microsoft - OS dropping features, late, still only Office & OS making $$$ )
The way Apple is set up, each little division, iPods, iTunes, Logic, FCP, Hardware, OS, Applications - each needs to ship product, and make that at least show a profit....or reduce employees, or get closed down, etc. In this way, everyone is pulling their own way, and each and every part is secure, and watched/ enforced constantly.
I guess you'll see some stuff tomorrow... but with Apple making over a Billion this year, 8.3 Billion in cash ( That's over 1 Billion just this Q added to cash!) the interest is like HUGE, I see them easily matching MS's 47 Billion ( oops before stock repurchase & billions paid to companies they screwed! Maybe a lot less! ) Apple may have a LOT more money than MS soon... While upgrading OS, Applications, iPod/iTunes, and now on Pentiums.....
( what I don't see is Apple ever, while steve lives, doing an X Box type thing, losing money on every box, and hoping in 5 years you'll recover "Some" of that, and next time repeat, and hope to break even, so you can maybe get some of other peoples $$$ like Sony - Nintendo -etc.
There are better ways, like making good software, on less expensive hardware, and making it better - Gameboy is actually a profit on units + Games )
I'd just like to add, Steve made the PC market, and where no one saw one, I guess an iPod market, retail stores again, and the OS wars were won while steve was not at Apple. Currently bloated, anti-trust, lame management, is seriously killing their MS's ability to do anything well... with 10 times the people, and no one to steer the ship.
I think you'll see Apple doing more of the same, making markets where none were, or making them a real market, and I think iTunes is a great example of how MS does against Apple when they are not bleeding, run by idiots, or so beat down they're on life support...
You'll see them keep doing things really well... but patiently evaluating a market, making sure they can really do it well, and then really just blowing everyone away...but on quality - not theft, or cheating, inventing markets.
This scales so well, now iPods make Apple even a more loved brand, which everyone has good feelings about, it's brilliant....
Maybe I'll review a business vs consumer company later... but Apple has dabbled in supercomputing, which is amazing, they are getting into business too.... watch, a brilliant plan is unfolding...
LT
