scu
Oct 20, 05:51 PM
Whoa dude. Good for you, but you are playing a *very, very* dangerous game leveraging that much. You don't know what could happen in the stock market. It might not have anything to do with Apple - it could be another terrorist attack in the U.S., or some other world-shaking event overseas (e.g. coup in Russia, revolts in China).
Don't do it, man. You're already making money on Apple stock - don't get greedy. Let me give you a cautionary tale: in 2000 my stock portfolio went from $100,000 to $30,000 in a matter of days. Not because the market went down by 70%, but rather because I was buying heavily on margin and the market went down by 20 or 30% or more in a few days (more in the tech stocks I owned). And I did *not* own any dot-bomb stocks. I invested in solid tech companies that are still doing well today, like BEA and IBM. The drop in stock price had *nothing* to do with the fundamental strength of the company or even their recent performance. It was just a market-wide overreaction. Give it some serious thought, man...
P.S. Since then, I've basically only invested in market-indexed funds (mostly S&P 500 but also some international funds since countries like India and China are growing faster than U.S.). I figure if I'm gonna get rich it's going to be based on what's happening in my career/professional life, not based on any investments. I just don't need the grief of seein my hard-earned cash flushed down the drain because of events I have no control over.
Yes I know it is risky. But my Margin Equity is 53% and I can not see it going down any time soon.
Don't do it, man. You're already making money on Apple stock - don't get greedy. Let me give you a cautionary tale: in 2000 my stock portfolio went from $100,000 to $30,000 in a matter of days. Not because the market went down by 70%, but rather because I was buying heavily on margin and the market went down by 20 or 30% or more in a few days (more in the tech stocks I owned). And I did *not* own any dot-bomb stocks. I invested in solid tech companies that are still doing well today, like BEA and IBM. The drop in stock price had *nothing* to do with the fundamental strength of the company or even their recent performance. It was just a market-wide overreaction. Give it some serious thought, man...
P.S. Since then, I've basically only invested in market-indexed funds (mostly S&P 500 but also some international funds since countries like India and China are growing faster than U.S.). I figure if I'm gonna get rich it's going to be based on what's happening in my career/professional life, not based on any investments. I just don't need the grief of seein my hard-earned cash flushed down the drain because of events I have no control over.
Yes I know it is risky. But my Margin Equity is 53% and I can not see it going down any time soon.
Sydde
May 4, 05:46 PM
Any law that tells a physician what they can and can't ask a patient, or who they must treat despite their own personal views - is stupid. Physicians should be able to ask whatever they want, if the person answers that's their own choice, and if the physician no longer wants to treat them, thats his/her choice.
Where do you live? Cedar Rapids, where the nearest next physician is five or ten minutes away, at most? What if you were in Guttenberg, where the next physician is half an hour or more? Open-ended liberty to refuse to provide treatment at a whim is just plain irresponsible.
Where do you live? Cedar Rapids, where the nearest next physician is five or ten minutes away, at most? What if you were in Guttenberg, where the next physician is half an hour or more? Open-ended liberty to refuse to provide treatment at a whim is just plain irresponsible.
skipsandwichdx
Oct 16, 08:25 AM
Wi-FiPod Leather TubeSock?
Lyra
Aug 2, 05:00 AM
Lyra, your tone is condescending. Calling Scandinavian laws "perverted" tells us that you're single minded to begin with and that your points can't be taken seriously.
I'll still address the point you make about the size of the Scandinavian market. The total population of the Scandinavian countries are 18.9 million. The total population of the USA is 296 million. The size of the Scandinavian market is only 6.4% of the size of the US market, but if Apple pulls out it's still lost income, potentially up to a couple of percent of what Apple makes in the US if you count loss of sales of music and the domino effect that will cause loss of sales of iPods and Macs.
Of course Apple can survive without the Scandinavian market, but why give up potential profit for nothing except stubbornness?
It is in your right to feel the word "PERVERTED" is condescending, however you seem to be missing the point. And furthermore, when your country gives Apple a bad rep, just cause you have a law that benefits your greedy idea of harming international companies and getting some money out of them, in this certain case, it happens to be Apple. Were you this engaged to do something when MS broke the law? The international law?
The fact of the matter is that Scandinavia simply isn't worth this...
You call it stubbornness when you talk about opening the DRM, which shows you, to be completely delusional when it comest to understanding this matter.
As one of the posters here mentioned, it would be like unifying the keys to everything you own and hoping no one breaks in, or steals anything from you.
Do you think ALL those companies would have joined iTunes, if Apple didn't have a good and pretty solid security to present them with? Ultimately it is all about making sure that the items you buy from them are safe and has a copy protection that insures the record labels that they can trust this format.
So who are you to go up against a phenomenon like iTunes, and these major companies? Do you honestly believe that Apple is the only one who is pushing DRM?
Try to do something productive instead and fight FOR and not against Apple... If you want iTunes, you have to adjust your selves to their format. It is idiotic to think that because I don't agree with certain companies and how they make their products, I can actually make a difference. Scandinavia doesn't have an impact on anything, you won't be able to change anything.
It is like someone disagreeing that the off button on SONY TVs remote is on the right side and not the left... If you can adjust and live with all the things other companies do, then why can't you with Apple? No one is forcing you to use iTunes... Better yet, if you don't like it buy the SONY, knock off of the iPods...
People whining about this simply don't see what is behind all of this. It is like moaning about DVD regional Codes, or copy protection on DVDs in general. Why don't you write to Panasonic or Pioneer and tell them, that you don't like and would fine them for not allowing you to switch regional codes on your DVD burner/player.
You can tolerate other companies, yet you cannot understand why iTunes HAS to work this way.
Your post indicates you have an issue with the size of your country. It indicates a certain insecurity, when you actually want to make justify your views on how many people live in Scandinavia and how many there are in New York alone. We are not talking about the 296 million in the entire USA. Canada is excluded in those numbers.
Why are you people so ungrateful? Why can't you just enjoy what Apple is giving you? Would you rather pirate songs?
Your laws ARE perverted (meaning they are not fair and serve only greed).
Just like our laws are perverted in many of our states, yours in your tiny country has a worse effect. After all, you still don't matter in the grand scheme of things...
And sooner or later, Apple will leave you, then you won't be able to buy anything from iTunes...
Is that what you want? Then why don't you just vote on it? If it matters so much to you?
Don't be so naive and think you have any influence over this... You are not just going up against Apple, but the entire band of companies who are backing Apple in this. Try do go up against them... It is as I said, you cannot change the power on/off buttons placement on the remote-control... Or any other silly thing people have a problem with...
Apart from the conclusion... what do you think is just "kidding"?
Oh I don't know, just about everything? It is this insecurity thing again isn't it?
The fewer the people in a nation, the easier it is to say they are the best or the worst in certain things. Get it?
10 people loved the new Godzilla movie (People loved this movie and this might be the next best thing to sliced bread)
1.000.000 people hated the new Godzilla movie (People hated this movie and is considered to be a major flop)
I'll still address the point you make about the size of the Scandinavian market. The total population of the Scandinavian countries are 18.9 million. The total population of the USA is 296 million. The size of the Scandinavian market is only 6.4% of the size of the US market, but if Apple pulls out it's still lost income, potentially up to a couple of percent of what Apple makes in the US if you count loss of sales of music and the domino effect that will cause loss of sales of iPods and Macs.
Of course Apple can survive without the Scandinavian market, but why give up potential profit for nothing except stubbornness?
It is in your right to feel the word "PERVERTED" is condescending, however you seem to be missing the point. And furthermore, when your country gives Apple a bad rep, just cause you have a law that benefits your greedy idea of harming international companies and getting some money out of them, in this certain case, it happens to be Apple. Were you this engaged to do something when MS broke the law? The international law?
The fact of the matter is that Scandinavia simply isn't worth this...
You call it stubbornness when you talk about opening the DRM, which shows you, to be completely delusional when it comest to understanding this matter.
As one of the posters here mentioned, it would be like unifying the keys to everything you own and hoping no one breaks in, or steals anything from you.
Do you think ALL those companies would have joined iTunes, if Apple didn't have a good and pretty solid security to present them with? Ultimately it is all about making sure that the items you buy from them are safe and has a copy protection that insures the record labels that they can trust this format.
So who are you to go up against a phenomenon like iTunes, and these major companies? Do you honestly believe that Apple is the only one who is pushing DRM?
Try to do something productive instead and fight FOR and not against Apple... If you want iTunes, you have to adjust your selves to their format. It is idiotic to think that because I don't agree with certain companies and how they make their products, I can actually make a difference. Scandinavia doesn't have an impact on anything, you won't be able to change anything.
It is like someone disagreeing that the off button on SONY TVs remote is on the right side and not the left... If you can adjust and live with all the things other companies do, then why can't you with Apple? No one is forcing you to use iTunes... Better yet, if you don't like it buy the SONY, knock off of the iPods...
People whining about this simply don't see what is behind all of this. It is like moaning about DVD regional Codes, or copy protection on DVDs in general. Why don't you write to Panasonic or Pioneer and tell them, that you don't like and would fine them for not allowing you to switch regional codes on your DVD burner/player.
You can tolerate other companies, yet you cannot understand why iTunes HAS to work this way.
Your post indicates you have an issue with the size of your country. It indicates a certain insecurity, when you actually want to make justify your views on how many people live in Scandinavia and how many there are in New York alone. We are not talking about the 296 million in the entire USA. Canada is excluded in those numbers.
Why are you people so ungrateful? Why can't you just enjoy what Apple is giving you? Would you rather pirate songs?
Your laws ARE perverted (meaning they are not fair and serve only greed).
Just like our laws are perverted in many of our states, yours in your tiny country has a worse effect. After all, you still don't matter in the grand scheme of things...
And sooner or later, Apple will leave you, then you won't be able to buy anything from iTunes...
Is that what you want? Then why don't you just vote on it? If it matters so much to you?
Don't be so naive and think you have any influence over this... You are not just going up against Apple, but the entire band of companies who are backing Apple in this. Try do go up against them... It is as I said, you cannot change the power on/off buttons placement on the remote-control... Or any other silly thing people have a problem with...
Apart from the conclusion... what do you think is just "kidding"?
Oh I don't know, just about everything? It is this insecurity thing again isn't it?
The fewer the people in a nation, the easier it is to say they are the best or the worst in certain things. Get it?
10 people loved the new Godzilla movie (People loved this movie and this might be the next best thing to sliced bread)
1.000.000 people hated the new Godzilla movie (People hated this movie and is considered to be a major flop)
NebulaClash
Dec 13, 03:01 PM
^ this.
Right. One of the problems people have when they try to predict what Apple might do is they assume the past = the future. "Oh, Apple only does yearly updates, so this rumor is impossible." Well, Apple does what it does . . . until it doesn't. They don't do books, but now they do. They don't do movies, but now they do, etc.
Apple is not a MacRumors poster stubbornly sticking to the only thing they know. Apple changes as market conditions change. If they think they can increase profitability and market share by making semi-yearly phone updates, they are going to switch to semi-yearly phone updates. Simple as that.
So a Q1 2011 Verizon phone is quite possible.
Right. One of the problems people have when they try to predict what Apple might do is they assume the past = the future. "Oh, Apple only does yearly updates, so this rumor is impossible." Well, Apple does what it does . . . until it doesn't. They don't do books, but now they do. They don't do movies, but now they do, etc.
Apple is not a MacRumors poster stubbornly sticking to the only thing they know. Apple changes as market conditions change. If they think they can increase profitability and market share by making semi-yearly phone updates, they are going to switch to semi-yearly phone updates. Simple as that.
So a Q1 2011 Verizon phone is quite possible.
Tsunami911
Apr 8, 01:02 PM
I wonder what the special promotion is.
I bet it is simply..."We have the iPad 2 in stock and no one else does. Come get one."
I bet it is simply..."We have the iPad 2 in stock and no one else does. Come get one."
balamw
Oct 2, 07:10 PM
Perhaps DVD Jon's business model in this instance primarily revolves around getting Apple to pay him off...
LOL. I am a bit surprised that they haven't made him a job offer already w/ decent options.
B
LOL. I am a bit surprised that they haven't made him a job offer already w/ decent options.
B
rtdgoldfish
Apr 3, 08:14 PM
So I got a call from the investigator in charge of my case earlier tonight. They had done a lot of background work on the house I had suspected. A lot of pawn shops in the area had the house down for a bunch of random video games, DVDs and jewlrey. This gave the cops enough info combined with my info to get a warrant.
They went to the house and a lady answered the door. She was more than willing to let the police in to search the place. After searching, they came up with nothing. Not even a single game, controller, anything. The house is a rental house. The guy with the pawn record had moved out two months ago. His lease was up December 31st and this new lady had moved in during January.
This basically leaves the police back at square one. There are no leads, no other suspect houses in the neighborhood. Except for Microsoft.
Basically, all Microsoft has to do is give them the IP address that my XBox is using and the police have the ability to do the rest. They can contact the ISP and track down where they are connecting to the internet.
Microsoft, however, will not do this. I have called them numerous times as have the police. Microsoft claims they have no way to track an IP address when you sign on to XBox Live. As any of you know, this is total BS. It is so simple to track an IP address, especially when you sign on to any service requiring a password and screen name.
My question now turns to this: how do I get Microsoft to give up this information?? The cops are not able to get any info, Microsoft is giving me a run-around. I'm open to any ideas, if anyone knows a phone number for someone higher up the food chain at Microsoft, that would be great. I'm just really pissed off that someone is still using my 360 and Microsoft won't do anything to help.
They went to the house and a lady answered the door. She was more than willing to let the police in to search the place. After searching, they came up with nothing. Not even a single game, controller, anything. The house is a rental house. The guy with the pawn record had moved out two months ago. His lease was up December 31st and this new lady had moved in during January.
This basically leaves the police back at square one. There are no leads, no other suspect houses in the neighborhood. Except for Microsoft.
Basically, all Microsoft has to do is give them the IP address that my XBox is using and the police have the ability to do the rest. They can contact the ISP and track down where they are connecting to the internet.
Microsoft, however, will not do this. I have called them numerous times as have the police. Microsoft claims they have no way to track an IP address when you sign on to XBox Live. As any of you know, this is total BS. It is so simple to track an IP address, especially when you sign on to any service requiring a password and screen name.
My question now turns to this: how do I get Microsoft to give up this information?? The cops are not able to get any info, Microsoft is giving me a run-around. I'm open to any ideas, if anyone knows a phone number for someone higher up the food chain at Microsoft, that would be great. I'm just really pissed off that someone is still using my 360 and Microsoft won't do anything to help.
jeanlain
Apr 29, 04:03 PM
Too bad, I was looking forward to the scroll bars similar to iOS
Where do people get the idea that scrollbars have changed? :confused:
They're just like they were before the update.
Where do people get the idea that scrollbars have changed? :confused:
They're just like they were before the update.
Bistroengine
Apr 5, 04:50 PM
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8G4 Safari/6533.18.5)
better than being angry over someone elses opinion.
I'm not angry. There's a difference between being angry and having a civilized argument that DOESN'T involve name calling.
better than being angry over someone elses opinion.
I'm not angry. There's a difference between being angry and having a civilized argument that DOESN'T involve name calling.
slffl
Oct 3, 12:23 PM
I guess the 'Year of the laptop' was for that year only.
dukebound85
Apr 21, 01:13 PM
nice, seems like an offshoot of a rep system but applicable to the topic at hand. will be interesting to see how this turns out
thefourthpope
Mar 24, 04:47 PM
Happy Birthday!
I love how much smaller the boxes have gotten...
I love how much smaller the boxes have gotten...
muffinss
Mar 25, 02:43 PM
I own a 27 inch iMac because I want a big, powerful computer. I own an iPhone because I want a small portable phone that allows me to check my email while I am gone.
I don't want a 27 inch iMac that's a giant iPhone running an mobile OS. I don't want a small phone that's running a full blown computer OS that's way to complicated and overkill for such a weak, small mobile device. People saying they want iOS to replace OSX on all desktops is like saying they want Windows Mobile to replace Windows all together. No offense, but its a stupid idea.
That's great if all you do if check email and browse the web on your $2,000 computer. There's other people out there that actually use their computer for other things besides checking Facebook on their $2,000 computer.
I don't mind if they merge features back and forth between the two. Features that make sense and wont hinder the two from performing their main functionality. One being a computer OS while the other being a small, mobile device OS.
OS X has been the best computer OS ever made, and was the best decision for Apple in buying out NexT and building their next generation computer OS after it. I hope they keep making a computer OS as well as a mobile OS.
I don't want a 27 inch iMac that's a giant iPhone running an mobile OS. I don't want a small phone that's running a full blown computer OS that's way to complicated and overkill for such a weak, small mobile device. People saying they want iOS to replace OSX on all desktops is like saying they want Windows Mobile to replace Windows all together. No offense, but its a stupid idea.
That's great if all you do if check email and browse the web on your $2,000 computer. There's other people out there that actually use their computer for other things besides checking Facebook on their $2,000 computer.
I don't mind if they merge features back and forth between the two. Features that make sense and wont hinder the two from performing their main functionality. One being a computer OS while the other being a small, mobile device OS.
OS X has been the best computer OS ever made, and was the best decision for Apple in buying out NexT and building their next generation computer OS after it. I hope they keep making a computer OS as well as a mobile OS.
quagmire
Aug 3, 07:35 PM
Well, the Prius carries about a $5000 price premium compared with a comprable Toyota or Honda. But it sells for $24k without as big a tax credit (if any). So I'd have to say that the Prius Premium isn't close to that of the Volt. Plus, you can fit three car seats in a Prius. The Volt is a four-seater.
His point was what was the price of the Prius when it first came to the market? It wasn't at $24K, it was most likely higher. The Volt carries a lot of new technology like the Prius did when it came out. Also like the Prius, it will have a high price tag initially. The battery pack is said to cost $10,000 alone( and GM is still taking a loss on the vehicle).
Yes the Prius is now more affordable to the mainstream buyers, but when it came out it wasn't and it did carry tax credits( the Prius no longer qualifies).
His point was what was the price of the Prius when it first came to the market? It wasn't at $24K, it was most likely higher. The Volt carries a lot of new technology like the Prius did when it came out. Also like the Prius, it will have a high price tag initially. The battery pack is said to cost $10,000 alone( and GM is still taking a loss on the vehicle).
Yes the Prius is now more affordable to the mainstream buyers, but when it came out it wasn't and it did carry tax credits( the Prius no longer qualifies).
Rodimus Prime
Apr 9, 12:06 PM
Other than keeping applications in self-contained folders, I don't see any of this as copying. Even so, having applications run as self-contained folders isn't even an Apple idea.
Different Microsoft IE versions for mobile phones, and computers? OH NOES!! :eek:
Built-in PDF reader?! OMG!! What next, will Windows let you resize windows from all 4 corners rather than.......oh wait, it already does.
yeah that was my though on it.
Something like Time Machine was not even an Apple idea to begin with and I know MS has been working on it a very long time.
I also know the built-in PDF reader has taken so long because of fears with Adobe. Hell to be able to save to PDF in Office MS had to make it an option to download it from them and install it. It could not be installed by default because of Adobe.
Sounds like MS either is paying Adobe a small fee or they are done being scared. It is not like Acrobat reader is anything more than just a PDF reader. Something the OS as sorely needed built in.
Different Microsoft IE versions for mobile phones, and computers? OH NOES!! :eek:
Built-in PDF reader?! OMG!! What next, will Windows let you resize windows from all 4 corners rather than.......oh wait, it already does.
yeah that was my though on it.
Something like Time Machine was not even an Apple idea to begin with and I know MS has been working on it a very long time.
I also know the built-in PDF reader has taken so long because of fears with Adobe. Hell to be able to save to PDF in Office MS had to make it an option to download it from them and install it. It could not be installed by default because of Adobe.
Sounds like MS either is paying Adobe a small fee or they are done being scared. It is not like Acrobat reader is anything more than just a PDF reader. Something the OS as sorely needed built in.
windon
Jan 13, 02:54 PM
the Gizmorons should be banned as most of the replies have mentioned it was "high-school" - I was surprised to see the Cnet community go toward the "as long as I am having fun to hell with everyone else" camp and Proud as Ever to be a mac zealot, we know the credo "it's all fun until someone loses the signal"
ngenerator
May 3, 03:38 PM
This is a major setback IMHO...
I know it is illegal but carriers make tons of cash with their inflated prices... Who protects us from that?
Not all of us are stuck with a 2GB data limit, and some of us use that "unlimited" concept to tether pretty much every device I have on my desk ;) They make no extra cash off of me
I know it is illegal but carriers make tons of cash with their inflated prices... Who protects us from that?
Not all of us are stuck with a 2GB data limit, and some of us use that "unlimited" concept to tether pretty much every device I have on my desk ;) They make no extra cash off of me
RalfTheDog
Apr 8, 12:48 PM
Why would you run a promotion on something that sells out the moment they come into inventory? Sales are for Android products that can't be moved any other way.
Perhaps it is something like, "Purchase an Android device and we will let you buy an iPad."
Perhaps it is something like, "Purchase an Android device and we will let you buy an iPad."
jz1492
Dec 13, 03:37 PM
There are two powerful reasons for Verizon to push for an LTE/CDMA iPhone at this time:
1) Fear of the iPhone data hogs. What better way to avoid saturation in large cities than to channel iPhone users to their highest-BW unused spectrum.
2) Voice + Data. After so much pressure from AT&T and Apple's marketing in this regard, there is no way the new Verizon's iPhone could be introduced successfully without top notch V+D functionality. CDMA is a no go, even with the latest upgrade.
On the other hand, this could be a false rumor slipped by the competition to hurt Christmas time sales of the iPhone 4.
1) Fear of the iPhone data hogs. What better way to avoid saturation in large cities than to channel iPhone users to their highest-BW unused spectrum.
2) Voice + Data. After so much pressure from AT&T and Apple's marketing in this regard, there is no way the new Verizon's iPhone could be introduced successfully without top notch V+D functionality. CDMA is a no go, even with the latest upgrade.
On the other hand, this could be a false rumor slipped by the competition to hurt Christmas time sales of the iPhone 4.
Ryeno
May 3, 07:55 PM
Obviously you have learned about contracts, but have no practical experience with what the terms you are using actually mean...
It is quite a bit different actually. Your home Internet service does not likely limit you to a single device. It is however likely limiting you to your house. If you start hooking up the whole neighborhood through your home Internet connection, they would be well within their rights to charge you more money.
Good try though..
except in that example I would be giving the service I am paying for to someone else. In this case I am using the service I paid for on a different device, just like at home e.g. on an xbox.
good try though
It is quite a bit different actually. Your home Internet service does not likely limit you to a single device. It is however likely limiting you to your house. If you start hooking up the whole neighborhood through your home Internet connection, they would be well within their rights to charge you more money.
Good try though..
except in that example I would be giving the service I am paying for to someone else. In this case I am using the service I paid for on a different device, just like at home e.g. on an xbox.
good try though
overcast
Jan 15, 03:37 PM
Rentals should be $2 MAX.
Benjy91
May 3, 01:55 PM
And why is this on mac rumors.
Does it really matter what the competition does.
Because now they're doing this, it's only a matter of time before they turn their heads to iOS?
Does it really matter what the competition does.
Because now they're doing this, it's only a matter of time before they turn their heads to iOS?
Edge100
Oct 23, 09:17 AM
Success in not necessarily about accumulating cash. Far from it, in fact. A company that sits on huge piles of cash and does nothing with it, is not seen as managing their capital resources well. Many if not most financial analysts would argue that if the company is not investing their cash in future growth (and Apple decidedly is not), then they should give at least some of it back to the stockholders.
In addition to what I said above, dividends are a signal from the company that they're feeling secure about the future. Dividends, even token dividends, are a sign of maturity and stability. Hoarding cash is not.
I agree, the huge stockpile of cash is an issue. That's money that should be working for Apple, and IMHO that should be in the form of purchasing other companies that will strengthen Apple in key areas, like music distribution and/or audio/video/graphics production.
And I also agree with you on the dividend issue. A small investment of that money into dividends may have the exact effect as you describe. On the other hand, putting that money into new products/enhancing existing products, may do more for Apple's long-term health vs. providing a dividend to improve the 'optics' of the company in shareholders' eyes.
In addition to what I said above, dividends are a signal from the company that they're feeling secure about the future. Dividends, even token dividends, are a sign of maturity and stability. Hoarding cash is not.
I agree, the huge stockpile of cash is an issue. That's money that should be working for Apple, and IMHO that should be in the form of purchasing other companies that will strengthen Apple in key areas, like music distribution and/or audio/video/graphics production.
And I also agree with you on the dividend issue. A small investment of that money into dividends may have the exact effect as you describe. On the other hand, putting that money into new products/enhancing existing products, may do more for Apple's long-term health vs. providing a dividend to improve the 'optics' of the company in shareholders' eyes.