One more thought... over here in Europe, the "back-to-school" discounts (which basically amounts to the regular educational discount plus a credit towards an iPod worth slightly less than an iPod nano) extends until October 31. In the past, Apple has waited until after the North American back -to-school special to announce. Might this play into things and mean nothing until November? (Or do European students potentially stand to benefit by waiting by scoring a new MacBook AND one of the new iPods?)
One more thought... over here in Europe, the "back-to-school" discounts (which basically amounts to the regular educational discount plus a credit towards an iPod worth slightly less than an iPod nano) extends until October 31. In the past, Apple has waited until after the North American back -to-school special to announce. Might this play into things and mean nothing until November? (Or do European students potentially stand to benefit by waiting by scoring a new MacBook AND one of the new iPods?)
I, for one, took advantage of the Back-to-School promo in Euro last year and bought a brand new iMac as well as a 3rd Gen iPod Nano ;D
One more thought... over here in Europe, the "back-to-school" discounts (which basically amounts to the regular educational discount plus a credit towards an iPod worth slightly less than an iPod nano) extends until October 31. In the past, Apple has waited until after the North American back -to-school special to announce. Might this play into things and mean nothing until November? (Or do European students potentially stand to benefit by waiting by scoring a new MacBook AND one of the new iPods?)
Well, I for one would much appreciate if Apple does release the updated Macbooks and Macbook Pro's on Oct 14th. Even if they just update the Macbook Air to a 120GB hard disk drive would be good because my 1st gen Macbook pro (the core duo version) is starting to fall apart in the hardware sense. The OS itself is fine but the hardware is starting to give way. I admit my laptop has had a hard life but its starting to get unreliable and when you only have 1 computer it's a real pain when your in the IT industry.
This is a tough one to call. How does an economy revive itself?... with consumer spending. That said, this downturn is of epic proportions.
Perhaps Apple will sit this until after the elections in November and when spirits are hopefully higher in January at MacWorld. Apple may also have good numbers from iPhone revenues, that they can delay new products until the new year.
My point is that the Dow has been on the front page of NYTimes.com four or five times a week for the last two weeks. And the bail out plan, too. And there is the election coverage. It will take some time for there to be an economic recovery of any kind; but that's not really the issue. The issue is the news cycle. There are only so many column inches in a printed page, and only so much room on the home page of news outlets. Right now all that space is going towards Wall Street's roller coaster ride. Last week it was whether or not Washington was passing a bailout plan. The whole point of these little product release parties for the press is to enjoy some free press coverage. There is nothing to gain by releasing a product only to be overwhelmed by more bad news, especially if they can wait a week or two weeks or a month without running out of their existing product. Another week or two and the stock market will have either accepted the bailout and begun trending upwards, or rejected it and leveled off at a much lower point. Then there will be plenty of time to release new products, and get the press to give you free coverage.
Most of us that buy their products are also investors that own their stock. Our AAPL holdings are getting murdered by short sellers, liars, and hedgefunds. They operate freely since Apple never says a word, no matter what. The stock has lost more than 50% of it's value in a little over a month. Apple Investors won't catch up for years regardless of earnings. Here we are waiting to even find out when earnings will be released. The Conference call is 10/21 @ 2PM. Do they release before the market opens or the day before? Even if earnings are good, we can expect the stock to lose even more if Apple gives it's usual unreasonably low guidance. Here's a suggestion! Don't give any guidance. That's at least a small concession you could make to your stockholders.
This is a bad time to try and launch a new product, even if it is an Apple. The financial meltdown is stealing the thunder of any news story. While their sales will get a boost from a new line of laptops, it might seem a little ostentatious to trot out a new set of luxury lifestyle products when the economy is melting.
So they should let their lineup rot on the vine? maybe they shouldnt do a giant event, maybe just a press release, make some execs availibel for a little PR and call it a day.
Imagine what would happen if Chevy would say "we are just gonna keep cranking out 1008 cars untill the econ heals" It just makes no business sense. but business sense is not a strong skill of the Jobs Man
If there is to be a major new product announcement it will have to be during the week of the 20th or the week of the 27th - I know this because I will be traveling on business those two weeks and will not be able to watch any presentation in real time and will only find out about the new products after the fact and historically Apple has more often than not announced new products, especially major new products or radically updated products while I have been traveling for business and not able to keep up to the minute with announcements and such.
They must have hooks into the airline reservation system and when my name pops up that's when they announce their plans - that must be it.
#1. If people hear honestly believe that the bail out was for the common man or the investor in general you have had the wool pulled over your head. The bailout was constructed specifically to bail out Pelousis or what ever her name is and a few other Democratic members of Congress. Sad but true she lost big time and wrote a bill to cover her ass. Then she had the gal to complain when Republicans had the gal to change the bail out in a way that might actually help the economy.
2. The economy up until the banks cooapsed was going strong. In fact in this rather depressed area I was seeing signs of a strong pick up in hiring. Tight credit will hurt but it isn't going to change the underlying factors driving the up tick. So I don't see Apple changing it's delivery plans grossly. At worst they may reconfigure their lowest end model for a slightly lower selling price. In the market though Apple still has an advantage in flexibility and security Ohh and long term value! Things that people consider when money is tight.
3. All this talk about a rumored update is fine but realize that the mini is in greater need of an update than the laptops. Granted laptops are hot sellers right now but that doesn't mean the low end doesn't need work. The thing is we have heard nothing about an update here either.
4. There is a very good possibility that the current machines will get nothing more than a speed bump for the Christmas season. The release of new machine on the 14th could be real just that it will be low profile due to the speed bump nature of the upgrade.
5. Why would you think that. Mostly because there is battery tech coming on line next year that could make for a very compelling Mac Book Pro update. Add in some other tech that ought to be hitting on all cylindrs by then and we have a reason for Apple to hold off.
6. At least for the Pros. The Mac Book is another matter and frankly what would distinguish this machine is the rumors of advancements in production. Of course the problem there is that no one really knows what is up. For all we know the rumors could be complete garbage.
7. By the way the idea that a new laptop would be miller out of solid Aluminum is a no go in my mind. That however does not mean that Apple couldn't be innovating in other ways with Aluminum as the base material. Right now I look at the milled brick as being a sign of mixed up communications where some elements of the report matly have a basis in reality. The thing is I believe this puts the Mac Book on a different release schedule than the MBP. The MBP will retain it's current production form to allow for a wide range of peripherals, that is optical drves, expansion slots and such.
8. This brings up another issue the new Mac Book will be to thin for an optical drive. Yep you read it right no optical drives in the me Mac Books, they will be that thin!
9. As much as the faithful would love to see a tablet and a larger Touch IPod I don't think any will turn up until Mac World SF. It would be great to see a high capacity Touch for the Christmas shopping season but I don't think it will happen. Frankly I think it was a big boo boo on Apples part not to have a high capacity alternative at the last iPod event. So while I would love for them to correct that for the Shopping season I don't think it will happen this it isn't in the mix.
Long post but it is raining out and I don't want to work on my truck in the rain. My big problem is that with a new iPhone and a MBP this year I'm not likely to buy anything Apple could deliver this year anyways. Graat stuff doesn't matter if you have no use for it or have no budget for the tech.
If you honestly believe that Apple has any control over it's current market price then you really need to rethink the wisdom of you being involved in the stock market at all. Buddie we have just had the biggest collapse of the market since the Great Depression, do you have any idea at all what that means to stock prices?
As far as low guidance that is very responsible of them when the stock was overpriced. It is even more of a concern when consumer spending is in a downward spiral. You should be thankful that your favored company continues to be responsible and honest in it's revelations. Consider where you would be if you invested in banks right now!
I look at it this way atleast Apple is trying right now. Many others hear bad economic news and give up. They give up on their businesses, their investments and their personal lives. It says a lot about Apples management that the continue to plug along and adjust as the economy demands. All I can say is keep plugging along Apple and ignore the whinners.
Dave
Quote:
Originally Posted by dshel
Most of us that buy their products are also investors that own their stock. Our AAPL holdings are getting murdered by short sellers, liars, and hedgefunds. They operate freely since Apple never says a word, no matter what. The stock has lost more than 50% of it's value in a little over a month. Apple Investors won't catch up for years regardless of earnings. Here we are waiting to even find out when earnings will be released. The Conference call is 10/21 @ 2PM. Do they release before the market opens or the day before? Even if earnings are good, we can expect the stock to lose even more if Apple gives it's usual unreasonably low guidance. Here's a suggestion! Don't give any guidance. That's at least a small concession you could make to your stockholders.
I've never believed the October 14th date because the 13th is a holiday in both the US and Canada and Canadians will be casting ballots in a federal election on the 14th.
The only realistic things pushing for an October release are the months that have passed since the last refresh and the pressure to get hardware, promotions material and training out to all the re-sellers before US Thanksgiving. If Apple plans to wait until January then there's no pressure at all because the general public doesn't keep track of Apple release dates.
Given the state of the economy I don't think it's certain that Apple will hold any more big press events this year. Here are a few reasons why we might be holding our collective breath for nothing:
- Apple doesn't have new models ready yet
- They're simply changing from Santa Rosa to Montevina so a press release will be all that's needed
- They don't want to compete with the presidential race for attention
- Steve doesn't want to appear on stage again until he looks "healthier". Let's face it, when he introduced the new iPods last month the press and blogosphere spent more time analyzing his appearance than they did the new products.
Comments
Simmer down I'm joking
Maybe the new Macbooks are delayed because Steve Jobs actually did have a heart attack, you gotta have a showman to unveil the new products...
Simmer down I'm joking
Jokes about heart attacks really aren't funny at all....
jwyatt - when you say that inventory is 'none', what exactly does that mean/what are the implications for a product release soon?...
One more thought... over here in Europe, the "back-to-school" discounts (which basically amounts to the regular educational discount plus a credit towards an iPod worth slightly less than an iPod nano) extends until October 31. In the past, Apple has waited until after the North American back -to-school special to announce. Might this play into things and mean nothing until November? (Or do European students potentially stand to benefit by waiting by scoring a new MacBook AND one of the new iPods?)
I, for one, took advantage of the Back-to-School promo in Euro last year and bought a brand new iMac as well as a 3rd Gen iPod Nano ;D
Jokes about heart attacks really aren't funny at all....
it's all good, he was just referring to the false report in the news recently about Steve Jobs having a heart attack.
So if nothing happens on October 14th, will y'all stop pulling dates out of your butts and repeating them?
you do know this is a rumor site right?
One more thought... over here in Europe, the "back-to-school" discounts (which basically amounts to the regular educational discount plus a credit towards an iPod worth slightly less than an iPod nano) extends until October 31. In the past, Apple has waited until after the North American back -to-school special to announce. Might this play into things and mean nothing until November? (Or do European students potentially stand to benefit by waiting by scoring a new MacBook AND one of the new iPods?)
Apple aren't that stupid!!!!!
Relax
This is a tough one to call. How does an economy revive itself?... with consumer spending. That said, this downturn is of epic proportions.
Perhaps Apple will sit this until after the elections in November and when spirits are hopefully higher in January at MacWorld. Apple may also have good numbers from iPhone revenues, that they can delay new products until the new year.
My point is that the Dow has been on the front page of NYTimes.com four or five times a week for the last two weeks. And the bail out plan, too. And there is the election coverage. It will take some time for there to be an economic recovery of any kind; but that's not really the issue. The issue is the news cycle. There are only so many column inches in a printed page, and only so much room on the home page of news outlets. Right now all that space is going towards Wall Street's roller coaster ride. Last week it was whether or not Washington was passing a bailout plan. The whole point of these little product release parties for the press is to enjoy some free press coverage. There is nothing to gain by releasing a product only to be overwhelmed by more bad news, especially if they can wait a week or two weeks or a month without running out of their existing product. Another week or two and the stock market will have either accepted the bailout and begun trending upwards, or rejected it and leveled off at a much lower point. Then there will be plenty of time to release new products, and get the press to give you free coverage.
http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/08/b...lose-spy-shot/
This is a bad time to try and launch a new product, even if it is an Apple. The financial meltdown is stealing the thunder of any news story. While their sales will get a boost from a new line of laptops, it might seem a little ostentatious to trot out a new set of luxury lifestyle products when the economy is melting.
So they should let their lineup rot on the vine? maybe they shouldnt do a giant event, maybe just a press release, make some execs availibel for a little PR and call it a day.
Imagine what would happen if Chevy would say "we are just gonna keep cranking out 1008 cars untill the econ heals" It just makes no business sense. but business sense is not a strong skill of the Jobs Man
They must have hooks into the airline reservation system and when my name pops up that's when they announce their plans - that must be it.
2. The economy up until the banks cooapsed was going strong. In fact in this rather depressed area I was seeing signs of a strong pick up in hiring. Tight credit will hurt but it isn't going to change the underlying factors driving the up tick. So I don't see Apple changing it's delivery plans grossly. At worst they may reconfigure their lowest end model for a slightly lower selling price. In the market though Apple still has an advantage in flexibility and security Ohh and long term value! Things that people consider when money is tight.
3. All this talk about a rumored update is fine but realize that the mini is in greater need of an update than the laptops. Granted laptops are hot sellers right now but that doesn't mean the low end doesn't need work. The thing is we have heard nothing about an update here either.
4. There is a very good possibility that the current machines will get nothing more than a speed bump for the Christmas season. The release of new machine on the 14th could be real just that it will be low profile due to the speed bump nature of the upgrade.
5. Why would you think that. Mostly because there is battery tech coming on line next year that could make for a very compelling Mac Book Pro update. Add in some other tech that ought to be hitting on all cylindrs by then and we have a reason for Apple to hold off.
6. At least for the Pros. The Mac Book is another matter and frankly what would distinguish this machine is the rumors of advancements in production. Of course the problem there is that no one really knows what is up. For all we know the rumors could be complete garbage.
7. By the way the idea that a new laptop would be miller out of solid Aluminum is a no go in my mind. That however does not mean that Apple couldn't be innovating in other ways with Aluminum as the base material. Right now I look at the milled brick as being a sign of mixed up communications where some elements of the report matly have a basis in reality. The thing is I believe this puts the Mac Book on a different release schedule than the MBP. The MBP will retain it's current production form to allow for a wide range of peripherals, that is optical drves, expansion slots and such.
8. This brings up another issue the new Mac Book will be to thin for an optical drive. Yep you read it right no optical drives in the me Mac Books, they will be that thin!
9. As much as the faithful would love to see a tablet and a larger Touch IPod I don't think any will turn up until Mac World SF. It would be great to see a high capacity Touch for the Christmas shopping season but I don't think it will happen. Frankly I think it was a big boo boo on Apples part not to have a high capacity alternative at the last iPod event. So while I would love for them to correct that for the Shopping season I don't think it will happen this it isn't in the mix.
Long post but it is raining out and I don't want to work on my truck in the rain. My big problem is that with a new iPhone and a MBP this year I'm not likely to buy anything Apple could deliver this year anyways. Graat stuff doesn't matter if you have no use for it or have no budget for the tech.
Dave
As far as low guidance that is very responsible of them when the stock was overpriced. It is even more of a concern when consumer spending is in a downward spiral. You should be thankful that your favored company continues to be responsible and honest in it's revelations. Consider where you would be if you invested in banks right now!
I look at it this way atleast Apple is trying right now. Many others hear bad economic news and give up. They give up on their businesses, their investments and their personal lives. It says a lot about Apples management that the continue to plug along and adjust as the economy demands. All I can say is keep plugging along Apple and ignore the whinners.
Dave
Most of us that buy their products are also investors that own their stock. Our AAPL holdings are getting murdered by short sellers, liars, and hedgefunds. They operate freely since Apple never says a word, no matter what. The stock has lost more than 50% of it's value in a little over a month. Apple Investors won't catch up for years regardless of earnings. Here we are waiting to even find out when earnings will be released. The Conference call is 10/21 @ 2PM. Do they release before the market opens or the day before? Even if earnings are good, we can expect the stock to lose even more if Apple gives it's usual unreasonably low guidance. Here's a suggestion! Don't give any guidance. That's at least a small concession you could make to your stockholders.
The only realistic things pushing for an October release are the months that have passed since the last refresh and the pressure to get hardware, promotions material and training out to all the re-sellers before US Thanksgiving. If Apple plans to wait until January then there's no pressure at all because the general public doesn't keep track of Apple release dates.
Given the state of the economy I don't think it's certain that Apple will hold any more big press events this year. Here are a few reasons why we might be holding our collective breath for nothing:
- Apple doesn't have new models ready yet
- They're simply changing from Santa Rosa to Montevina so a press release will be all that's needed
- They don't want to compete with the presidential race for attention
- Steve doesn't want to appear on stage again until he looks "healthier". Let's face it, when he introduced the new iPods last month the press and blogosphere spent more time analyzing his appearance than they did the new products.