ac1234

jonl said:

Tim's "mother of all balance sheets" and talking at length about services may suggest the direction of future acquisitions.

Yes - the Mother of all Balance Sheets and no idea on how to use it to propel AAPL to levels well beyond where it was 3.25 years ago.  Listening to Cook lull us to sleep on the call makes me think of Toto pulling the curtain back on the Wizard of Oz - not much behind the curtain.

jonl said:

canukstorm said:

Makes no sense. This article contradicts this:

http://appleinsider.com/articles/16/01/28/angela-ahrendts-treats-apple-store-employees-like-execs-retained-81-of-workforce-in-2015

Working for an Apple store is not the same as working for Apple as a developer or engineer, which is what this article is about, as stated in its opening sentence.

Good point - and with all these world class engineers you would expect an impressive pipeline rolling out by now - which it is not.

mac_128 said:

Well so much for the "glass ceiling" at Apple. And she definitely earned her keep in 2015. Those in store product launches were an awesome spectacle to behold!

You have to be kidding - a waaaaaay overpaid empty skirt.

canukstorm said:

Makes no sense. This article contradicts this:

http://appleinsider.com/articles/16/01/28/angela-ahrendts-treats-apple-store-employees-like-execs-retained-81-of-workforce-in-2015

Makes a lot of sense - over paid, has no value to add so she spews BS to try and look valuable.  What I have noticed at our local Apple Store is that it is far less crowded and very little excitement is observed.  Several years ago you could barely get in the door and the passion of things Apple was palpable.

If Apple retail is moving online than why are they building out so many stores?

Nothing too shocking here.  It underscores the need to have EXCITING new products - one or two that are game changers.  Apple is more and more looking like the floundering efforts at Yahoo!  Tossing a bunch of things at the wall and hope something really sticks.

Liquid metal button springs / Homekit / Healthkit / Apple Watch / declining iPad importance / the iTunes music / media mess / add you own____________________.

Billions wasted on useless buybacks / absurdly expensive spaceship buildings / non performing executives (Cook, Cue , Angela,________).

Cook is going to go down as the architect of Apple's developing lost decade from an investor perspective.

jungmark said:

Sure, govt, one specific case. I fully believe you. It all starts with one item. A snowflake is harmless until it causes an avalanche. 

Laws change, our rights don't. 

Snowflakes - avalanches ???  You may be singing a different tune if a Sarin shell is headed your way.

I think SAFETY is a higher priority than "privacy".  What the hell are all these people tal;king about that has them so hyper about this or other programs?

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-apple-fbi-motion-to-compel-20160219-story.html ;