Apple has twice as many hurdles to overcome with its new machines.
Right now, things are looking up for Mac users. If you want a new
machine, you can buy now at a good price. You won't suffer too much
on the performance front (you hope) when Apple releases new machines
(we hope) at Macworld Expo.
If you're waiting to upgrade, Macworld is just around the corner
and (you hope) there's a machine with a decent speed bump, better
hardware and, of course, the signature Apple wrapping.
With rumors flying that a new Apple subnotebook is on the way and
faster machines with several other goodies, it would seem that Apple
is well on its way to recovering from the "speed bump" it encountered
earlier this year. Things would appear to be on the upswing, so get
your Apple stock now.
Unfortunately, waiting for an Apple stock bounce because of
OS X and the potential new products coming up might not be the
best investment strategy. Investors will be looking for iMac-like
success before they start scooping up Apple shares left and
right.
It's unfortunate but true that the majority of investors suffer
from a herd mentality when it comes to investing. Few people actually
understand how the stock market works, do their own analysis, or even
select their own stocks. Many rely upon someone else to do their
thinking for them.
For those that do pick their own stocks, few, I suspect, do
sufficient analysis to know what they are getting involved with.
Apple's recent stock plunge illustrates that most people just don't
have the time to analyze a stock properly before buying (or
selling).
This means a couple of things for Apple and Apple investors. One
is that armchair investors will not appreciate the good financial
health of Apple. It's all Greek to the armchair investors if you
spout on about all the money lying in a vault below Apple
headquarters.
The second is that non-Apple using Apple investors will want to
see results on the scale of the iMac. Even if Apple releases the most
stunning subnotebook to ever be seen on this planet, even if
OS X is the most stunningly superior operating system ever
release, and even if Apple releases a 1 GHz machine, folks won't
buy Apple shares until they see the numbers (or hears the so called
"experts" rate Apple something worth having). Apple still has to
overcome the recent setbacks of the lukewarm reception for the Cube,
the softening PC market, and the doomsday scenarios being rehashed
yet again.
So hold on to your investments seat. It'll be a bumpy ride for the
foreseeable future.
Stephen Van
Esch is the founder and president of
the
E-learning Foundry, an online training
resource for Mac users. Steve loves the Mac and is doubly bilingual,
since he's also fluent in Windows and French.
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