Apple Surpasses Microsoft as Most Valuable Tech Company

[travelin cat]

Apple, the maker of iPods, iPhones and iPads, overtook Microsoft, the computer software giant, on Wednesday to become the world’s most valuable technology company.

[nytimes.com...]

[weeks]

Either Apple is waaaay over-valued or Microsoft is waaaay under-valued. Or both.

[travelin cat]

The article also says that the only American company valued higher is Exxon Mobil, with a market capitalization of $282 billion.

Who knew?

[physics]

All I can say is wow.

[Demaestro]

I never would have guessed that.

If I were guessing on the most valuable tech companies I would have even put Oracle ahead of Apple.

[mack]

I'm amazed that Apple have caught and passed Microsoft is such a short time.

Mack.

[walkman]

Sorry but AAPL will not last that long that high up. They have many more people working against them (from Sony to Google), MSFT is a different matter.

[longen]

Apples success is due to "that man" while M$ relies on a system, and long term I think the system will win.

[J_RaD]

based on what?!? MS still has more revenue then apple AND google.

[BillyS]

based on what?!?

Market capitalization (price and number of shares...)

[np2003]

From what I heard that doesn't count Bill gates foundation shares, if you add that up that's another $40-50 billion.

[commanderW]

I am now in San Francisco. Last week I counted 11 laptops in a cafe. 2 were not macs. 1 was a white ibook. 8 were silver Macbookpros (There was also 1 iPad). Lately it has been the same everywhere I go. It's a limited range and sample but it must mean something. Also, there iPhones everywhere. More iPhones than Blackberries now. There is a popularity swing going on.

[J_RaD]

I am now in San Francisco

that isn't exactly the normal market.

[Hugene]

This is very ironic, because this turn of events (temporary IMHO because the AAPL is overvalued I think) basically returns hardware at the top, ahead of software. All this talk of software is king and hardware is dead is proved temporally wrong. Funny.

[J_RaD]

The Microsoft, IBM, Oracles of the world that really add value to things have been surpassed in market value by a company that makes electronic gadgets, what is the world coming to?

[nomis5]

I hate to say this, but Apple is winning the war because the I-Phone has taken over the smartphone market. Think, if you were designing an app, would you aim it at the i-phone or nokia smartphones? The iphone wins hands down every day.

The real battle has moved from the PC to the smartphone and it's happened in the wink of an eye. Get ready guys and gals, the inevitable is happening in front of your eyes and at lightning speed. The smartphone is overtaking the laptop and you ignore this at your peril.

[J_RaD]

intel quotes 1 million PCs are sold per DAY.

In 2010, for the first time, PCs cross a million a day. A million PCs a day — built, shipped, and sold in the industry

this stuff might be the new in your face everyday fad but in reality.

Phones and gadgets always have been very buzzy like someone just got a new toy.

[Mike_Feury]

I'm amazed that Apple have caught and passed Microsoft is such a short time.

It must be over 20 years surely since Apple were last ahead of MS. That's a long time in this industry. However, it's good going for a company which spent much of the 90s on life support.

I think Longen is right, once Steve Jobs departs the scene, Apple won't transition well. They're following his strategy from the mid-90s (paraphrase: "Milk the Mac as long as we can, get on the 'next big thing'), and it'll be difficult for his successor to marry stylish and cool winners on an ongoing basis.

They should try a game console next.

[J_RaD]

igame

that whole iproduct stuff is annoying.

[grelmar]

I am now in San Francisco. Last week I counted 11 laptops in a cafe.

Key words: "San Francisco" and "Cafe"... Hipster crowd. Mac took over that Market segment ages ago.

As soon as the hipsters realize that their tech-du-jour is actually mainstream, they'll dump it like a hot rock and move on to the next thing. It happens with sneakers, jeans, things like "fixie" bikes, the list goes on and on.

And when the hipsters move on, the stock market will as well.

People who like to think the Market is rational and reflects the true value of a company or the economy in general have a tendancy of getting proven wrong every ten years or so when the latest bubble bursts.

[kaled]

Apple stock is probably over valued. Also, in 2008 Microsoft were so cash-rich they bought back $40 Billion of their own stock - how has this been counted?

Kaled.

[k31985]

thats a really remarkable achievement bu Apple. :)

[tivrfoa]

This is very ironic, because this turn of events (temporary IMHO because the AAPL is overvalued I think) basically returns hardware at the top, ahead of software. All this talk of software is king and hardware is dead is proved temporally wrong. Funny.

Okay, machines, but there are great software running on them. Otherwise it would be just plastic (or whatever)