Apple - Chancen und Risiken
What is Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) true value?
What's a bigger bargain -- Akamai (Nasdaq: AKAM),
Cemex (NYSE: CX), Disney (NYSE: DIS), Volcom (Nasdaq: VLCM), or Zumiez (Nasdaq: ZUMZ)?
What are the four words that should worry investors?
In this installment of "Fool Video," Fool Online Managing Editor LouAnn DiCosmo talks about some stocks on the Fool radar.
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2007/12/07/...value-and-4-.aspx
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As rumors start to build for Macworld San Francisco 2008, the most consistent rumor appears to be one of an ultra-portable Apple notebook computer.
These rumors started back in March 2006 by MacScoop who indicated that "very reliable" sources had indicated that Apple was planning on releasing an "ultra-thin 12 inch Mac Book Pro". More confirmation came from an analyst, Benjamin Reitzes in June, 2006 with expectations that an "ultra-portable" Mac could be delivered as early as Macworld San Francisco 2007. Reitzes also suggested that these new ultra-portables would use NAND flash memory, either in combination with a traditional hard drive or using NAND flash alone.
Indeed, earlier in 2006, Digitimes had first reported that Apple and Intel were researching the use of NAND flash in portables to improve boot time and battery life. MacScoop later detailed the thin-laptop to be a $1700-$1800 12" MacBook Pro with dual core processor and still retain an optical drive.
Macworld San Francisco 2007, of course, came and went with no new ultra-portable, but in February, more claims emerged from Appleinsider confirming that Apple was working on a mini-MacBook "lighter and more compact than any other Mac portable Apple has put forth in recent years". These specs claimed that the new laptop would exclude a built-in optical drive and would indeed use NAND flash memory.
9to5mac added a report in September that an aluminum MacBook prototype had been spotted that was "considerably slimmer" than the current MacBook Pros, with a thinner bezel around the screen and "something strange about the touchpad".
Finally, as we approach 2008's Macworld, some more confident reports have emerged with Appleinsider now believing that the new ultra-portable laptop will be released at Macworld as a 13" aluminum notebook with NAND flash, no optical drive, and LED backlit screens. Even CNBC now has their own sources claiming that a 12" sub-portable MacBook Pro with Flash memory only (no hard drive) would be introduced and retail for around $1500 at Macworld.
Based on the confidence and number of reports, it seem very likely that some sort of ultra-portable laptop will be arriving from Apple in January. To sum up claims:
MacScoop: 12", Ultra-Thin, Optical Drive, Dual Core, $1700-$1800
Appleinsider: 13", aluminum, 50% lighter, Slim, NAND Flash, LED backlit, No Optical Drive
CNBC: 12", 50% Thinner, NAND Flash only (no HDD). $1500
9to5mac: "something strange about the touchpad"
To be fair, MacScoop's reports were from a year ago, so details may have changed in the interim. It's also conceivable that Apple may have more than one product in the works that could explain some of the discrepancies.
To give some perspective on what might be possible, readers are reminded of a prototype Intel laptop (Metro) that was revealed in May of this year. The concept design was said to go into production near the end of 2007 and offered the following specs:
- 2.25 lbs
- 0.7 inches thick
- 14 hours battery life
- NAND Flash
- WiMax, Cellular, WiFi support
As a concept design with no regard to cost, all of these features may not be included in a theoretical Mac laptop, but it does provide an idea of what might be possible with current technology.
In den Frühlings-Ferien 2008 soll das iPhone nach China kommen: Das erklärte der Vizepräsident des Mobilanbieters D.Phone gegenüber chinesischen Medien. Er habe eine Vereinbarung mit Apple über den Vertrieb in China unterschrieben, so Chen Jingsheng. So ganz glauben allerdings will man ihm nicht: Einige chinesische Medien sehen nach wie vor China Mobile als aussichtsreicheren Kandiaten für das iPhone. Mancher Analyst halte die Verlautbarung sogar für eine Strategie von Apple, um China Mobile doch noch zu Konzessionen zu zwingen, so das Online-Portal ChinaTechNews. In den letzten Tagen waren Gerüchte im Umlauf, dass die Verhandlungen zwischen Apple und China Mobile an der Frage der Umsatzbeteiligung gescheitert seien - China Mobile allerdings dementierte. Als Option für Apple galt auch China Unicorn
Chen Jingsheng, vice president of D.Phone,
has told Chinese media that D.Phone has signed a strategic agreement with Apple for the iPhone and iPhone will be first sold at D.Phone's stores after it enters the Chinese market.
The iPhone will reportedly come to China in 2008 near the Spring Festival hoilday.
Gleichzeitig macht apple auch in HK Druck, dass die "illegalen" Original iPhones un-simlocked aus den Schaufenstern verschwinden...........
...man muss jetzt in den Laden gehen um sie zu sehen/Kaufen..;-)
AAPL NY derzeit 194.6$RIMM 102.73$ ..und STP 83.79
fast alle Werte werden nach unten hin ge"bid"ded
viel Glück
"We're thrilled to bring television programming to the iTunes Store in Canada in time for the holiday season," said Eddy Cue, Apple's vice president of iTunes. "We're off to a great start with hit shows from CBC, CTV, Comedy Central and MTV Networks, along with the best of classic and current NHL action."
Shows are available for CAN$1.99 per episode. Show availability includes:
- CBC's comedy programs "Little Mosque on the Prairie" and "The Rick Mercer Report," reality programming "No Opportunity Wasted" and "Dragon's Den;"
- CTV's smash hit comedy "Corner Gas," dramas "Instant Star," "Degrassi: The Next Generation" and "Robson Arms;"
- Comedy Central's "Drawn Together," "The Sarah Silverman Program" and Emmy and Peabody Award-winning "South Park;"
- MTV Networks programs "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and "The Hills;"
- NHL Games of the Year, including top NHL games in their entirety for the 2007-2008 season, as well as Stanley Cup Classics, a five-game bundle of great Stanley Cup Final games.
was uns unsere US FReunde gestern & heute vorgführt haben, war politictrading vom "Allerfeinsten":
wie mache ich in 2 tagen so viel "Reibach" wie sonst in 3 Monaten:
Sehr Euch die Kurven von gestern und heute an, wahrscheinlich waren wir nicht die einzigen, die konstant ge-und verkauft haben, allein heute waren mehr als 7$ Unterschied mit hebel je nachdem bis zu 21$ pro sell drinn (wobei wir auch nicht immer den "perfekten Punkt getroffen haben"
PS Nachbörslich geht's weiter derzeit bei $191,66...
p Anm: ich glaube die Leute sind noch nicht reif fürs "Mediacenter".
...
- L'Apple TV à nouveau sur le devant de la scène - Lionel - 06:46:19 - Réactions
Voilà longtemps que la presse n'avait pas reparlé de l'Apple TV. C'est de nouveau le cas depuis que des estimations fiables sur le nombre d'appareils vendus ont été dévoilées. Il s'en serait vendu entre 400000 et 500000, un chiffre très faible par rapport aux espoirs qu'il avait soulevé lors de son annonce.
Nous ne reviendrons pas sur les raisons de ce manque de succès, mais l'Apple TV risque fort de rejoindre le Newton ou le Cube dans la liste des bons produits d'Apple qui n'ont eu qu'un succès d'estime avant de disparaître dans un silence total.
En attendant, de nombreux sites internet reviennent sur ce qu'ils considèrent à raison comme un flop, baptisé entre temps du pudique nom de hobby par Steve Jobs qui avait certainement senti très vite le vent tourner.
Apple va avoir le choix entre faire évoluer profondément les fonctions de son appareil, ou le laisser mourir malgré son potentiel. Et ce n'est pas l'annonce du rajout de la vidéo sur l'iTunes Store Canadien qui lui rendra sa vaillance.
LOS ANGELES -
For Apple fans, the wishing doesn't end with the holiday season. They keep their fingers crossed until January, when Chief Executive Steve Jobs will deliver a keynote speech at the San Francisco Macworld Conference--filled with never-before-heard details about the company's product lineup.
But all through December, Apple's (nasdaq: AAPL - news - people ) legion of careful watchers is busy crafting descriptions of its ideal Apple products.
Some of these notions--such as Apple-branded cars and television sets--are fanciful and enduring, cropping up on blogs and discussion boards year after year. Other hoped-for developments, including zippier iPhones, ultra-compact laptops and touch-screen tablets, have been whispered about in years past but have extra significance this year, because of changes in existing products and unconfirmed hints from parts suppliers.
The tradition of pre-Macworld speculation and wishful thinking is inevitable, says Blackfriars co-founder and Principal Analyst Carl Howe, because Apple does nothing to guide expectations. "Unlike most of the tech world, Apple doesn't provide road maps. They're quite famously secretive, and that encourages speculation," he says. Howe estimates that the frenzied buzz generated by Apple fans about the company's next move equates to nearly $700 million in free marketing each year.
So what's on an Apple fan's most-cherished list this year? Santa Steve, lend us your ear:
The Sub-Notebook
News outlets as varied as business news channel CNBC and enthusiast blog AppleInsider report that unnamed sources have confirmed Apple is plotting to release a skinny, compact version of its MacBook line of laptops. The supposed spec sheet? A 12-inch to 13-inch screen, optional flash memory drive, LED backlighting and no optical drive, all for $1,500. Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster told investors in a note he believes there's an 85% chance Apple will debut an ultra-light notebook.
One caveat: At $1,500, an Apple sub-notebook would be pricier than the average U.S. laptop price, and the product category hasn't traditionally preformed well. Ultra-portables account for less than 10% of the laptop market in the U.S., according to Creative Strategies analyst Tim Bajarin. But Blackfriars' Howe says consumers might be more interested in the category if the tiny laptop sported a new, interactive interface, such as multi-touch or gesture capabilities.
The Tablet
Theorists disagree on whether Apple would release two new computing devices (a sub-notebook and a tablet), just one product family, or neither. Jobs has said that the market for tablet computers is small, but he's been known to contradict himself--Apple produced both a handheld video device and a set-top box after Jobs suggested his company would never enter either market.
If Apple does venture into tablet territory, the company will face plenty of competition. Dell (nasdaq: DELL - news - people ) announced its first tablet Dec. 11--a $2,500 touchscreen model. Nokia's (nyse: NOK - news - people ) tiny wireless tablet was introduced in its third incarnation in late November.
A tablet from Apple could do more, though. It might serve as a satellite screen device within the home that connects wirelessly to an Apple computer or iPhone, where movies, photos and music are stored. Sound familiar? Palm (nasdaq: PALM - news - people ) trotted out a similar concept, called the Foleo, early in the year--only to can the project over the summer, after critics questioned the company's decision not to focus on its line of Treo smart phones. "But Apple could pull it off," says NPD analyst Ross Rubin. "Easily--they've already done half the work with the Touch."
More iPhones
It's practically a given that Apple will release a souped-up iPhone with faster 3G data services in 2008--Jobs has said so, and so has AT&T (nyse: T - news - people ) Chief Executive Randall Stephenson. Still up in the air, however, are precisely when the new iPhone will arrive, and whether it will bring any "iChildren" with it. Jobs would be remiss not to touch on the subject, especially since he's already confirmed iPhone software developers will receive a kit from Apple in February. With that toolset, independent developers should be able to create games, instant messaging applications and voice-over-IP services for the iPhone. But developers are still wondering whether Apple will simultaneously update the iPhone's own software--and in particular, whether Apple or outside developers will be shouldered with the crucial task of building a stable "push" e-mail application for corporate clients.
Analysts disagree about whether Apple will eventually offer a full line of iPhones, such as an iPhone Mini or Nano. "I think we can expect to see multiple models of iPhone, just like the iPod," predicts Howe. But Creative Strategies' Bajarin says he's not sure a mini iPhone is in the cards. Bajarin says he's talked to Apple about innovating the iPhone's design. Apple says the phone itself is a blank slate--and that innovation is derived from software.
A Content Surprise
If news of a content deal--such as the addition of more studios to Apple's iTunes video offerings or the availability of high-definition movies--is the biggest announcement to come out of Macworld, Apple aficionados will likely be disappointed. Apple fans crave shiny, polished gizmos.
But for the first time, the chance of Jobs making big headlines with a content deal announced at Macworld is very real. The biggest present Apple fans could hope to get would be the long-delayed inclusion of The Beatles' music catalog at the iTunes store. "That would be a milestone Macworld event," says Rubin. "The Beatles issue has been a stalking horse for Apple for many years."
Of course, Apple could package any content deal with a promise to up the storage capacity and shrink the size of Apple TV, which so far has had tepid success.
Evergreen Wishes: Games, Cars, TVs
True Apple devotees would like to see all manner of consumer products slapped with an Apple sticker. A 2007 rumor that the company was in talks with executives at Volkswagen (other-otc: VLKAF.PK - news - people ) had some people yearning for a Mac-integrated Jetta or Passat. More likely than a branded "iCar" is a continued effort from Apple to get iPod docks integrated into as many luxury vehicles as possible.
And ever since Apple launched the Apple TV streaming media box, company-watchers wonder why the company doesn't just stuff the device's innards into a sleek, well-designed LCD high-def television. After all, the company's 24-inch iMac is just one step away from a popular 32-inch LCD TV size. But Apple rarely enters low-margin, commodity businesses, which the flat-screen TV market is quickly becoming.
In the gaming realm, Apple is likely to eventually offer cheap downloadable iPhone games from the iTunes store, much as it did for the iPod--the lack of games support at the iPhone launch was an obvious omission at the time. But will Apple create a dedicated gaming device? Probably not.
As a company with limited research and development resources, Apple can't repeatedly jump into new markets, argues Bajarin. In just a few short years, the company has revamped its line of desktops and laptops, entered the media player market and the music sales business and just styled itself as a phone company. "Over the next couple of years, I think Apple's going to be reluctant to break new ground at the hardware level, unless they come up with something earth-shattering," says Bajarin. "And I don't see where that could come from."
To Apple's eager customers, Bajarin's predictions land with a thud--like a lump of coal.
iPhone Talks with China Mobile Collapse
Talks between China Mobile and Apple to bring the iPhone to that country have failed.
Apple was hoping to bring the iPhone to China but that hope is now at a stall. According to unnamed sources, China's largest mobile phone company terminated the talks over revenue sharing differences.
China Mobile's CEO is reported as saying the " iPhone model is not suitable for China," but sources claim the real reason talks have not gone well to this point is because of differences the companies have over revenue sharing.
There are other conflicting with reports that China Mobile is still in talks with Apple, denying that talks between the two international companies have ended. However, sources say the talks have completely ended at this point:
"Negotiations between Apple Inc. and China's largest mobile phone company have broken down..." and according to China's Southern Daily newspaper: "negotiations to launch Cupertino-based Apple's iPhone through China Mobile Ltd. failed because of differences over revenue sharing."
The local newspaper also said Apple plans to sell the iPhones directly now by opening stores in Beijing.
Apple sold just under 1.2 million iPhones in its fiscal fourth quarter. Since then the company has launched the iPhone in the U.K., Germany and France.
AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said on Thursday that Apple plans to release a 3G iPhone in 2008.
Die fairclick GmbH
fairclick ist sowohl Softwareverlag als auch Online-Spezialist für die Distribution und den Vertrieb von Software und Games in Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz. Als 100prozentige Tochter der net AG (WKN 786740) ist das 2006 gegründete Kölner Unternehmen innerhalb der net AG-Gruppe für die Online-Distribution .
http://www.finanznachrichten.de/...ichten-2007-12/artikel-9688353.asp
- Eure Meinungen ?
viele neue/alte Gerüchte: Neue iPhones, notebooks supersmall, tablets, neue advertisement campagne in den Us etc etc
der US Markt schwer gestartet..apple derzeit bei -1,3$ wir waren schon bei -,55$ NAS bei -,66%
wird schon
viel Glück
Offenbar sind auf dem Apple-Firmengelände neue Modelle eines Notebooks aufgetaucht. AppleInsider will neue tragbare Macs gesehen haben, die dünner als das bislang bekannte MacBook-Modell sind und eine metallische, dunkelgraue Oberfläche aufweisen. In der Größe sollen sie jedoch gleich geblieben sein. Wie AppleInsider an diese Informationen geraten ist, verrät die Gerüchteseite naturgemäß nicht. Die neuen Modelle seien allerdings in einem Bereich gesehen worden, in dem das Unternehmen aus Cupertino normalerweise Belastungstests durchführt. Entweder könne es sich um ein neues Sub-Notebook handelt, welches in den letzten Tagen die Runde in der Gerüchteküche machte (wir berichteten), oder um einen MacBook-Nachfolger.
Quelle: http://www.pcwelt.de/news/business/1850672/...wsletter&id=1850672
Zehn Gründe
Warum das iPhone (noch) nicht Business-tauglich ist14.12.2007, 14:55 Uhr
Nicht nur in den USA werden IT-Abteilungen inzwischen von Managern bedrängt, die ihr privat angeschaffte iPhone auch beruflich nutzen wollen - aus der Sicht von Forrester ein No-Go.
"If you can't control it, leave it" – obwohl diesen Spruch die "Consumerization"-Erfinder von Gartner geprägt haben, stoßen mitunter auch die Kollegen von Forrester Research in dieses Horn – unter anderem, wenn es um die Nutzung von Apples iPhone in Unternehmen geht. Das Analystenhaus will zwar nicht ausschließen, dass sich das elegant designte Handy irgendwann zum erstklassigen Business-Tool entwickelt. Aktuell weiß Forrester jedoch mindestens zehn gute Gründe, warum IT-Abteilungen den Support für das iPhone ablehnen sollten. Hier eine kleine Argumentationshilfe für den CIO:
1. Mangelhafter Schutz der Daten
Der wichtigste Grund, die iPhone-Nutzung im Unternehmen kategorisch zu verbieten, ist die fehlende Unterstützung von Sicherheitsrichtlinien: Derzeit gibt es keine Möglichkeit für Unternehmen, geschäftskritische Informationen auf dem iPhone vor Unbefugten zu sichern, weder durch Daten- noch Laufwerkverschlüsselung. Ebenso wenig kann die IT-Abteilung Passwort-Policies durchsetzen, da die Entscheidung, ein solches zu verwenden (und zu verändern), einzig im Ermessen des Anwenders liegt.
2. Keine native Push-Mail-Unterstützung
Der unmittelbare automatische Eingang von neuen E-Mails, neudeutsch als Push-Mail bezeichnet, ist mit der wichtigste Grund für die Anschaffung eines Firmen-Handys, so Forrester. Anwender büßen vergleichsweise viel an Produktivität ein, wenn sie selbst ständig im Postfach nach neuen Mitteilungen Ausschau halten müssen. So ergeht es auch iPhone-Nutzern: Das Gerät ist zwar in der Lage, via Imap und SMTP mit Microsoft Exchange und Lotus Notes zu synchronisieren. Dazu muss allerdings die IT-Infrastruktur extra angepasst oder gar ein separates Gateway-Produkt angeschafft werden – selbst dann werden nur alle 15 Minuten neue Mails ausgeliefert. Als weiteres Manko ist das Apple-Produkt laut Forrester nicht in der Lage, drahtlos Daten mit dem PC zu synchronisieren. Die Abgleichung von Kalender- oder Kontaktdaten ist über das proprietäre USB-Kabel möglich. Ändern sich Termin und Ort eines Meetings in letzter Minute sind daher die Chancen groß, dass der iPhone-Nutzer nichts davon mitbekommt.
3. Fehlende (legale) Drittapplikationen
Da Apple eine Software Development Kit (SDK) für externe Entwickler und Unternehmen erst für Februar angekündigt hat, werden aktuell keine Anwendungen von Drittanbietern unterstützt. Firmen, deren Vertriebsmitarbeiter eigenentwickelte Anwendungen nutzen, können diese nicht auf das iPhone portieren, bis dieser Punkt vollständig geklärt ist.
4. Keine Verwaltungs-Tools
Aus Sicht von Forrester bestehen die wichtigsten Features von Mobile-Device-Management-Lösungen darin, Endgeräte remote zu sperren und darauf gespeicherte Daten zu löschen. Beide Funktionen sind für das iPhone nicht verfügbar. Überhaupt bietet Apple aktuell für das Gerät kein einziges Verwaltungs-Tool an, das den vielen Applikationen für Blackberrys, Windows-Mobile- oder Symbian-Smartphones nahe kommt. Forrester geht davon aus, dass Drittanbieter nicht vor Mitte bis Ende 2008 mit einer Device-Management-Lösung für das iPhone auf den Markt kommen.
5. Chronische Schreibschwäche
Das Touchscreen-Oberfläche und das virtuelle Keyboard des iPhone sind sicher cool. Für Power-User, die sehr häufig E-Mails und Kurzmitteillungen auf dem Gerät schreiben, ist die Lösung aber suboptimal. Das Problem ist dabei das fehlende taktile Feedback. Dieses erschwert ein schnelles Schreiben, da der Nutzer ständig seine Eingabe kontrollieren muss. Damit sind Business-Anwender unter dem Strich mit einer richtigen Qwertz-Tastatur, wie sie bei Blackberrys, Windows-Mobile- und Symbian-Geräten zu finden ist, besser bedient.
6. Carrier-Bindung und andere Barrieren
Die wenigen von T-Mobile entsperrten oder aus Frankreich importierten Geräte einmal ausgeklammert, ist das iPhone offiziell an einen spezifischen Carrier gebunden. Das bedeutet, dass Business-Kunden ihr Handy im Ausland nicht mit einer lokalen Simkarte nutzen und teure Roaming-Gebühren vermeiden können. Auch im Inland ist die Wahl eines Betreibers eingeschränkt.
7. Der Preis
Für hierzulande 400 Euro plus monatlichen Sprach- und Datentarif ist das iPhone eines der teuersten Smartphones auf dem Markt. Es kostet knapp das Doppelte eines Blackberry oder Windows-Mobile-Geräts. Entsprechend kostspielig gestaltet sich ein unternehmensweiter Rollout, zumal weder Apple noch die kooperierenden Carrier spezielle Business-Angebote oder -Tarife anbieten.
8. Das iPhone ist unausgereift
Kein Mobiltelefon ist perfekt, wenn es frisch auf den Markt kommt. Viele Produkte reifen erst durch die Erfahrungen und das Feedback von vielen tausend Nutzern. Apple tut sich dabei doppelt schwer, da das iPhone sein erster Versuch im Mobilfunkmarkt ist. Entsprechend lang ist die Liste der momentanen Schwächen, die Forrester zusammengestellt hat. Dazu zählen unter anderem die Schwierigkeiten, das iPhone erstmalig zu aktivieren, die geringe Akkulaufzeit sowie die wenig beeindruckende Sprachqualität. Hinzu kommt, dass das iPhone aktuell nur den 2,5-G-Standard EDGE unterstützt, was sich auf die Geschwindigkeit der Datenübertragung auswirkt. Es besteht allerdings die (begründete) Hoffnung, dass mit den nächsten Generationen des iPhone ein Teil dieser Mängel beseitigt werden. So hat der CEO von Apples Exklusivpartner in den USA, AT&T, ausgeplaudert, dass für 2008 eine UMTS-Version geplant sei.
9. Keine austauschbaren Akkus
Ähnlich wie beim iPod kann auch beim iPhone der Akku nicht ohne weiteres gewechselt werden. Pech für Anwender, die mit einem Reserve-Akku sicherstellen wollen, dass ihnen der Saft nie ausgeht. Forrester geht jedoch davon aus, dass Drittanbieter schon in naher Zukunft eine Lösung entwickeln werden. Tatsächlich hat Mophie mit dem Zusatz-Akku "Juice Pack" bereits ein solches Produkt für knapp 100 Dollar im Angebot.
10.Keine Erfahrungen im Business-Einsatz
Laut Forrester-Informationen gibt es weltweit bislang nur ein einziges große Unternehmen, das iPhones derzeit voll unterstützt. Es handelt sich dabei – welch Überraschung – um Apple selbst. Der Hersteller hat jedoch bis dato noch keine Case Studies oder anderes Infomaterial publiziert. Unternehmen stützen ihre Kaufentscheidungen häufig auf die Erfahrungen von anderen Anwendern oder Empfehlungen von Analysten. Da es solche Informationen bislang noch nicht für das iPhone gibt, sieht Forrester nur geringe Chancen dafür, dass das Jesusphone schon bald in vielen Firmen systematisch eingesetzt wird.Dennoch prognostiziert Forrester, dass das iPhone seinen Weg in viele Business-Umgebungen finden wird – nicht zuletzt, weil viele Topmanager ein solches Gerät anschaffen und Support dafür erwarten. Die IT-Abteilung sollte darauf vorbereitet sein und eine Strategie entwickeln, wie mit solchen Anfragen umgegangen wird, empfehlen die Analysten. (mb)
2:26 PM ET 12/16/07 | Marketwatch
CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- So far, online spending is up 18% this holiday season, compared with the same days in 2006, according to data from comScore.
Between Nov. 1 and Dec. 14, online sales totaled $22.7 billion, the online measuring firm reported on Sunday. That's up from $19.2 billion in 2006.
Sales totaled $881 million on Dec. 10 alone, a 33% increase from last year. That Monday earned the distinction of being not only the heaviest online spending day of the season, but also the heaviest online spending day on record, comScore reported.
"Despite the strong surge in spending we observed at the beginning of last week, with both Monday and Tuesday easily surpassing $800 million in sales and showing very strong growth rates, the remainder of the week saw more modest spending," said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni, in a news release. "However, we anticipate that spending at the beginning of this week will again be strong with most free shipping deals available until Tuesday, Dec. 18."
But the 18% jump in online sales this season is below the 26% growth rate seen at the same time last year, according to comScore. Households earning at least $100,000 have increased online spending by 28% over last year, but households that earn less than $50,000 have increased online spending by only 10%.
Fulgoni said that economic conditions appear to hurting growth in spending.
"From the subprime housing meltdown to a decline in home values to higher gas prices and an uncertain stock market, many consumers across all income segments are either feeling the pinch this holiday season or are lacking the confidence to spend at the rate they had in the past. Consumers in lower income segments appear to be the most affected, as evidenced by the sluggish growth in their rate of online spending," he said.
When the holiday shopping season concludes, comScore is predicting that online sales will have totaled $29.5 billion, up 20% from the 2006 holiday season's $24.6 billion in online sale
und wieder ein Schritt nach vorne..;-)
- Nouveaux moniteurs, ça se confirme
Nous avons réussi à obtenir des informations sur le renouvellement de gamme des moniteurs Apple. Nous vous les livrons avec les réserves habituelles, sachant qu'il n'est pas possible pour le moment de les confirmer.
Apple devrait donc lifter à l'occasion de la MWSF sa gamme d'écrans, tout du moins si les fournisseurs ont réussi à leur livrer assez de dalles d'ici là.
- Leur design évoluerait en douceur, l'aluminium restant de la partie. On s'approcherait cependant du design des iMac ALU, avec un cadre noir autour de la dalle.
- On aurait un iSight intégrée. Nous n'avons pas réussi à apprendre si elle serait orientable.
- Le nouveau 30" serait plus fin que le modèle actuel.
- Nous n'avons pas encore eu confirmation de la compatibilité HDCP, mais elle est aujourd'hui incontournable.
- Apple pourrait proposer un nouveau très grand moniteur 42" à la norme WQUXGA, en 3840 x 2400. Si des moniteurs 22" à cette résolution existent pour certains milieux professionnels, un écran à une telle taille serait une première. Il pourrait-être annoncé le 15 janvier, ou au NAB si le projet n'est pas finalisé d'ici là.
Il est essentiellement destiné aux professionnels de la vidéo HD qui pourraient ainsi afficher une fenêtre avec au milieu le film en résolution native (1920 x 1080) et autour les autre fenêtre de l'application utilisée indispensables au montage ou aux effets. Il sera possible d'en brancher un sur les MacBook Pro ayant une prise dual link DVI et deux sur les Mac Pro ayant une carte vidéo haut de gamme.
Pour leur tarif, on parle d'un peu moins de 7000$.
Du côté des cartes vidéo, Apple devrait remplacer la Quadro FX 4500 actuellement commercialisée par la nouvelle 4600, au même tarif, et faire rentrer à son catalogue la monstrueuse Quadro FX 5600 dotée de 1 ou 1,5 Go de RAM et dont le prix devrait avoisiner les 4000$.
Despite falling home values and rising gas bills, consumers still managed to dip into their wallets for iPods, BlackBerrys and frequent online shopping excursions.
At least, that's the picture that emerges when one looks at the performance of technology stocks in 2007. While the sector as a whole has soundly beaten the broader market for the year, much of the base for that performance gains came from tech companies that are closely tied to consumer spending.
This, of course, raises concerns about the coming year, when consumer spending is likely to come under further pressure from continued weakness in the housing market.
Stocks such as Apple, Research in Motion and Amazon.com all watched their market values more than double this year -- a notable performance in what has turned out to be a largely strong period for tech stocks, which have benefited from the belief that the sector could serve as a "safe haven" from the credit-crisis turmoil that has afflicted the rest of the market.
But the "safe haven" theory did not hold up late in the year, as the market woes spread to the tech sector, pinching the Nasdaq after the index peaked at a seven-year high on Halloween.
The downturn was sparked by Cisco Systems, which offered a slightly disappointing growth forecast following its most recent quarterly report on Nov. 8. That warning pressured other tech stocks and led to a sell-off that cut most of the stock's gains for the year.
"Typically, when fundamentals and/or breadth begin to deteriorate in any given sector that had previously delivered strong relative returns, investors first look for 'safe haven' investments," Cowen & Co. analyst Arnie Berman wrote in a note to clients in mid-November, when tech stocks were losing steam. "But eventually this search gives way to a belief that there is nowhere to hide."
In the same report, Berman noted that leading up to November, investors believed stocks like Apple, RIM and Google "had such powerful secular stories" that they would be immune from a downturn.
"But the recent freefall in the share prices of companies that were believed to possess bullet-proof characteristics indicates that the reigning conventional wisdom is now under full scale assault," Berman wrote.
Even with the correction, the tech-heavy Nasdaq $COMPQ was still up more than 10% for the year by mid-December. By comparison, the Dow (DJIA) was up about 8.5% while the S&P 500 (SPX) managed gains of nearly 5%.
Within the broader tech sector, performance has also varied widely. The Dow Jones Wilshire Internet Index is up more than 30% for the year to date, illustrating strong gains from players such as Google, while the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOXX) has lost more than 9% of its value, indicating a weakness that has plagued many stocks in the chip space during the year.
Winners
Apple: By far the strongest performer among tech companies on the S&P 500, Apple (AAPL) shares had surged about 125% for the year by mid-December. The upswing began in January when the company first unveiled its iconic iPhone; the stock swooned more than 40% by the time the device hit the market in late June. The gains have continued as the company launched its new operating system and updated both its Mac and iPod product lines.
Research in Motion: Though not part of the S&P roster, Research in Motion (RIMM) has managed one of the sector's most eye-catching performances, picking up more than 135% for the year by mid-December. While the maker of the popular BlackBerry line of smartphones has an established base of corporate customers, new models such as the Pearl and Curve have appealed to consumers and given the iPhone some notable competition.
Amazon.com: The online retail giant has long been dogged by worries that -- despite growing sales -- its bottom line will always be constrained by heavy spending on technology or expensive, full-time promotions such as free shipping. Many of those worries were put to rest this year, when Amazon (AMZN) began reporting triple-digit gains to the bottom line. The stock was up more than 130% for the year by mid-December.
Google: The Web search giant did not manage triple-digit percent gains, but this would have been difficult for a stock that now trades in the $700 range. By mid-December, Google (GOOG) shares had picked up more than 50% for the year as its Web-based advertising business continued to print money, allowing the company to launch new ventures in the wireless and transaction payment businesses, among other things.
das innovativste Unternehmen das ich kenne, alleine das iPhone wird von vielen kopiert, aber nie erreicht.
Früher als erwartet;
GPS-Empfänger fürs Iphone in Kürze verfügbar
http://www.zdnet.de/news/hardware/0%2C39023109%2C39159737%2C00.htm
Nach Bekanntgabe des Weihnachtsquartales, welches als das Beste in der bisherigen Apple-Geschichte eingehen wird, gibt es ein Feuerwerk.
Driven by record Mac sales and continued strong demand for iPods, Apple reported revenue of $6.22 billion as against $4.84 billion in previous year. The maker of personal computers, portable digital music players and mobile devices the firm shipped 2.16 million Macs, 400,000 above the sequential quarter’s all-time record. For Q1 of 2008, the firm expects to generate EPS of about $1.42, including an anticipated 7 cents per share related to stock-based compensation.
.......
When you are going to ship the three-millionth iPhone?
Timothy D. Cook: We are not predicting. I would reiterate that we are very confident with shipping 10 million in the calendar year of next year. We are very happy to ship our one-millionth. We’ve very focused on going into the U.K. and Germany on early, in early November and then in France in late November and we’re on target to enter Asia in calendar 2008.
Andrew Neff (Bear Stearns): Could you comment about Japan, which on the Mac side has been lagging for some time?
Timothy D. Cook: It’s fair to say that Japan continues to be our most challenging major market. It is the only major market that we’re not growing significantly in. However, for this past quarter, we were very encouraged with the Macintosh results. The iMac was very well-received and the overall Macintosh had its best year-over-year performance in Japan in seven quarters, with units up 14% year over year and that compared to an IDC estimate of the market in Japan contracting an additional 2%. Iit’s a tough market.
Harry Blount (Lehman Brothers): Could you provide a benchmark on the number of Mac distribution locations and the number of iPod locations?
Timothy D. Cook: We’re over 40,000 on iPod and within the last year, we’ve added about 2,000 Mac locations, to around 8,700 currently.
Toni Sacconaghi (Sanford Bernstein): Can you give us a sense of what the trajectory of daily sales volumes was from the iPhone immediately following the price cut and then how that ended 22 days later at the end of the quarter? Was it relatively constant? Did it get better as the word leaked out?
Timothy D. Cook: We were very happy with the elasticity that we saw. It enabled us to far surpass our expectation of hitting around a million units cumulatively by the end of the quarter. Some number of these were sold to people that have an intention to unlock and where we don’t know precisely how many people are doing that, our current guess is there is probably 250,000 of the 1.4 million that we sold where people had bought them with the intention of doing that. Many of those happened after the price cut. We’re not going to project precise numbers, but we remain very confident with hitting 10 million units in calendar year 2008.......
http://www.123jump.com/earnings-calls/...arter-Earnings-Call/23928/61
Apple lets you ringtone, gratis, genius iPhone hacks turn your mobile into a HD camera, secrets, secrets, and rumors, and a Steve replacement? Think about it.
http://www.maclife.com/articles/News