jdw

waveparticle said:

jdw said:

Whenever I read articles like this and then review the comments, I always wonder just how many of the commenters hold AAPL.  But it's not just about whether you hold AAPL in your portfolio, but about how long you have held it, and what type of investor (short term or long) you are.  When you take the long term, like I do (my first AAPL purchase was back in 1999), none of this short term news matters.  What matters is what big investors like Warren Buffet do, in combination with Apple company performance.  Warren has been increasing his holdings of AAPL, and for good reason.

I learned a long time ago that when you have a passion for a particular American company's products, that love is often shared by many others.  That brings meaningful value to the company you love.  And while my being an Apple products fan is partly what drive me to buy AAPL back in 1999, I will admit that the return of Steve Jobs and the positive impact it had on the stock at the time was also what drove me to buy AAPL for the first time.  Even so, prior to that I had other investments, so it wasn't like I had not invested anything at all prior to my AAPL purchase.  

Too often, most people just buy the products of a company rather than parts of the company itself.  That may give you short term happiness, but overall, it's technically a financial loss to you insofar as the item you purchase will depreciate over time.  Certainly, you may reap some benefits from that item, especially if you are a business earning a profit from it.  But if you also invest long term in the company who makes that product, you potentially find yourself in a position where you reap far greater gains than you would simply from buying a product that helps your bottom line.

Because if this, it never ceases to amaze me how many Apple fans really aren't that big of a fan at all when we reflect on how few of them own AAPL, either directly or indirectly through some kind of fund.  I guess this describes the average American in general, as only 58% own stock of some sort and the mean bank account balance for the average American is less than $50k.  While there are risks to investing, a lot of risk comes from people selling more often than they should.  People who ignore the advice of financial "experts" and who keep holding stocks that many suggest to sell, typically find themselves coming out ahead over the course of many years.

In total, don't get caught up in the details presented by analysts and the tech news.  Just buy some AAPL (and other stocks of value) and hold that investment for decades.  Don't succumb to the temptation to sell. You will ultimate be glad you made that choice.

LOL How many people will be able to live for decades after buying AAPL? 

Not sure what you are laughing about unless it is yourself.  You need to re-read your question in order to realize how ridiculous it is.  I just finished saying that I bought AAPL in 1999.  It's 2023 now.  The "s" at the end of the word "decades" indicates plural as defined by "two or more."  I am still alive more than 2 "decades" after buying AAPL, and I am still in my early 50's.  Even if I live only to be 72, that is still another TWO DECADES on top of the exist two. 

Am I alone?  Hardly.  

To suggest that "few people" in their 20's cannot or would not buy AAPL and then live for decades thereafter is insanity at its finest.

Whenever I read articles like this and then review the comments, I always wonder just how many of the commenters hold AAPL.  But it's not just about whether you hold AAPL in your portfolio, but about how long you have held it, and what type of investor (short term or long) you are.  When you take the long term, like I do (my first AAPL purchase was back in 1999), none of this short term news matters.  What matters is what big investors like Warren Buffet do, in combination with Apple company performance.  Warren has been increasing his holdings of AAPL, and for good reason.

I learned a long time ago that when you have a passion for a particular American company's products, that love is often shared by many others.  That brings meaningful value to the company you love.  And while my being an Apple products fan is partly what drive me to buy AAPL back in 1999, I will admit that the return of Steve Jobs and the positive impact it had on the stock at the time was also what drove me to buy AAPL for the first time.  Even so, prior to that I had other investments, so it wasn't like I had not invested anything at all prior to my AAPL purchase.  

Too often, most people just buy the products of a company rather than parts of the company itself.  That may give you short term happiness, but overall, it's technically a financial loss to you insofar as the item you purchase will depreciate over time.  Certainly, you may reap some benefits from that item, especially if you are a business earning a profit from it.  But if you also invest long term in the company who makes that product, you potentially find yourself in a position where you reap far greater gains than you would simply from buying a product that helps your bottom line.

Because if this, it never ceases to amaze me how many Apple fans really aren't that big of a fan at all when we reflect on how few of them own AAPL, either directly or indirectly through some kind of fund.  I guess this describes the average American in general, as only 58% own stock of some sort and the mean bank account balance for the average American is less than $50k.  While there are risks to investing, a lot of risk comes from people selling more often than they should.  People who ignore the advice of financial "experts" and who keep holding stocks that many suggest to sell, typically find themselves coming out ahead over the course of many years.

In total, don't get caught up in the details presented by analysts and the tech news.  Just buy some AAPL (and other stocks of value) and hold that investment for decades.  Don't succumb to the temptation to sell. You will ultimate be glad you made that choice.

I agree with what Chasm wrote.  

I see so many seemingly uneducated people going around bashing Tim Cook, and many of those same people praise Steve Jobs at the same time.  I personally choose to praise both Steve and Tim.  

My gut says that Tim could do Apple better if he would get involved more like Steve did; but Tim lacks that ability, so I fully understand why he sticks with what he knows.  And he knows a lot more than his critics in online forums, let me tell you. Folks who trash Tim aren't long-term AAPL shareholders like myself and Buffett.  These folks complain about anything, pretty much, despite the fact they've never done anything ground-breaking in their own lives.  It's easy to be a do-nothing and still chastise others.

Tim is doing a great job.  Buffett knows that.  I know it too.  People who don't know it simply need to be educated on the reality.  And the fast-track to that education is to buy AAPL and/or Berkshire Hathaway and not sell for at least 10 years — I own both.  My AAPL purchases began in 1999, and through the years, I've never sold a single share.  Is that what we call "smart investing"?  Yes.  Oh yes.

As to all the dialog about $10k, it's funny how most people are still missing the point.  Most iPhone users don't want to switch.  That's the point.  But if someone really did offer you $10k to switch and you did just that, would you do the intelligent thing and dump that $10k in to AAPL or Berk.B?  Most Americans probably wouldn't, and therein lies the fundamental problem.  When reading anything about Buffett, you need to LISTEN.  And what you area listening to is an intelligent talk of INVESTING, not spending like mad, be that spending to buy something you like or spending to merely pay off bills.  Spend less.  Save more.  Wait for the gains to accrue over time.

Thank goodness!  
Using tried and true button tech will better ensure iPhone 15 is a very solid performer!

After reading the article and then the comments, I can't help but muse.  I suppose one can argue that parents have "the right" to be STALKERS of their children, but the question is, should they?  I ask this as a 52-year old parent of two teens.  

It is a fact this world is evil and bad things can happen to the people we love.  But it is also a fact that evil was true decades ago, prior to all this tech.  The more parents coddle and over-protect, the harder it is for children to become truly independent and productive on their own.

As to spouses tracking each other, I suppose it is less of an issue.  If two really do "become one flesh" in marriage, you're basically tracking yourself, right? ;-) Okay, well, it's clear that will be divisive.  I suppose it would be best not to track unless you were at Disneyworld or similar and lost contact with your spouse and desperately needed to find them.  In other words, if you track only rarely and at times of great need, that would seem to be most ethical and appropriate.  Doing it daily shows a lack of trust and/or a desire for control or to suppress unnecessary fears, all of which could work to undermine an otherwise healthy marriage.

As with alcohol, tobacco, or any other vice, if you see yourself as becoming addicted to tracking tech, you ought to dispense with it.  Addictions don't do yourself or your loved ones any good, not to mention society at large.