“Apple Computer, the maker of iPod digital-music players and Macintosh computers, has sued three software developers, contending they distributed unreleased versions of its OS X computer operating system on the Internet,” Bloomberg News reports. “‘Before, they didn’t have enough market share to care about things like this,’ said Eugene Munster, an analyst with Piper Jaffray & Company in Minneapolis. Mr. Munster, who rates the stock as outperform, said Apple computers represent 2 percent of the global personal computer market, and that share is increasing. ‘With a growing market share, they’re going to have to start acting like a grown-up company.'”
Full article here.
I am SO tired of analysts! When have they been right about anything? For every accurate guess, they make 100 bad ones.
i don’t get it…. any mature company would do the same thing…. right?
They don’t call them ANALysts for nothing!
Had anyone distributed unreleased Mac OSes before this? Has anyone heard of previous leaks?
It’s probably Microsoft’s fault – all the FUD, lies, viruses, patches – other companies just think misinformation and bad tactics are standard practice
4th & 5th post as well!
Apple has been a leader and innovator for more than 20 years. Where do these pin heads get their jounalism training?
“Before, they didn’t have enough market share to care about things like this”
Hmmmmm… So when exactly was “Before” ??
2-3% marketshare now (increasing, according to Munster but allegedly still dropping, according to others) vs 10% marketshare “then”
Doesn’t he remember the Apple vs. Microsoft “Look & Feel” suit ??
Whatever…
Heck! Since when DIDN’T Apple sue for breach of non-disclosure. Where software developers are concerned, Apple is merely enforcing the contracts they SIGNED, and that IS a very grown up thing to do. If any software developers ever thought Longhorn was good enough to post on the web, and actually had the nerve to do so, doesn’t this guy think Micro$oft would sue for the same reason??
For some people, nothing that Apple does will ever be right enough.
This post brought to you by the word ‘can’– meaning undisclosed for fear of lawsuits.
And who doesn’t sue when a developer violates the terms of thier Non-Disclosure Agreement?
M$ is suing people as well, it’s called protecting your intellectual property.
Apple has protect it’s interests to stay in buisness.
This ANAList can kiss mine.
Woah woah woah.. there is an NDA here.. and that’s what this is about.. releasing images of Tiger breaks that agreement.. this is standard stuff.. what the hell is this analyst suggesting..
Furthermore.. the Installed base on OS 9 and OS X is 30 million.. lets just talk about that number okay.. this percentage crap is not as helpful as it seems..
So.. what if Apple has great ideas..and they freak out when the NDA is breached… is that an immature way to protect your assets?
*shakes head…
I think this was just an excuse to say..hey Apple’s gonna have a better marketshare next quarter.. not really sure what else this means.. oh yeah.. they also have a breakthrough OS coming out and.. LOOK.. some people are trying to get an early peek at it..
these analysts really really have no clue.. it’s nice that.. because of a MUSIC PLAYER.. they’re starting to look at Apple’s CORE business.. (pffft)
why the hell is there a link to “the full article” when there are fewer words cut from the full article than in the link to it?
I prefer to call them analcysts.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” /> Thought I’d invented it, but it’s been used quite a bit in Linux forums while discussing SCO.
WHOA – hot heads! Isn’t the analyst actually endorsing Apple’s behavior here? I think you guys may be reading this wrong. Piper Jaffray seems to be on Apple’s side lately. Granted, his choice of wording was unfortunate…
I agree with Another perspective. Mr. Munster may have not have chosen the best words to make his point, but I think his point is basically that major companies have to worry about things like this (as CDR stated earlier) and Apple is now in a position where it needs to be more concerned with possible information leaks. He is just supporting his outperform rating on Apple stock by showing that Apple has some very strong potential to grow in different areas, a position Apple has not really been in for the last few years. He just chose a confusing way to make a positive point.
Whoa.
Seems “acting grown-up” is something a few Apple fanatics might want to try too. The only two to read this with any intelligence are Another perspective and king_alvarez.
Get a grip; this is a positive article.
The point is, he’s alledging that Apple has not consistently protected it’s intellectual property.
His premise is falacious; his conclusions are worthless.
His premise is falacious; his conclusions are worthless.
Next!
Personally I think the legal action was a wise marketing move by Apple – it is getting lots of free publicity round the globe and people will be asking themselves “what is this new OS?”
Analysts, like a lot of people, are still sore at Apple for screwing stuff up in 1985 (when the ditched Steve).
So… how exactly is a “grown-up” company supposed to act?! I like this Munster guy, but he needs to elaborate on what he means by “grown-up.”
The analysts/media are to be so hypocritical. When MS sues, they are never criticized. But when Apple does it, critics throw a tandrum. It seems that it’s the analysts and media that needs some serious “growing up!”
{Oh, and this post is brought to you by the magic word “force”}
Who the **** are Piper Jaffray, anyway?
I used to work in finance and investment banking and I’ve only ever heard of them on Mac fan sites in context of giving opinion on Apple shares. Do they only analyse Apple?
It’s about time Apple sued this bunch for blabbing about future products as they are the ones who seem to be divulging sensitive information more than anyone else.
YOU ARE ALL STUPID!!!
FIRST OF ALL THIS LAWSUIT SUCKS BIGTIME FOR A COMPANY THAT ONCE HAD A PIRATE FLAG ON TOP OF IT’S BUILDING. OUR THOUGTHS SHOULD GO TO MERKN, DMSMAC, AND DESICANUK.
AND SECONDLY CAN’T YOU ZEALOTS EVEN READ? THIS BLOOMBERG GUY ACTUALLY APPROVES THE LEGAL ACTION AND THINKS THAT’S HOW A “GROWN UP” COMPANY BEHAVES.
No I don’t write normally all caps, but I guess this is the way to talk to a bunch of paranoid apple psychopaths.
Let’s get one thing straight, “adolescent” companies are not debtless and do not have $5 billion in the bank.
Apple should do this. Apple shouldn’t do that. If Apple doesn’t do this there will be hell to pay.
Apple is doing just fine. Sod off!
I’ve got to agree with donco and folks. Even the slightest perceived hint of smudge on Apple, its products, or actions gets reams of derision from posters on this board.
So what that Apple’s market share well over a decade ago was big. Frankly, it doesn’t matter now. What matters is that they represent a small minority (albeit, a growing, significant minority). Compared to Microsoft, HP, IBM, Motorola, etc., Apple is an immature company quickly growing up. Maturity in the marketplace and a small debt sheet have little in common in the short term.
I am glad Apple is suing the three idiots who broke their NDAs to post Apple’s software. The three stooges who did it where acting immature and illegally. If you want to be treated as part of the mature development community, you treat the code that Apple offers you with the same respect they offer you (giving you an advantage in developing your products in exchange for treating their product with confidentiality and providing useful feedback).
Please, stop with the knee-jerk reactions already. I agree with Another Perspective’s take. It seems to me that the analyst is endorsing Apple’s actions, but it appears that he is mistakenly assuming that Apple hasn’t always acted to protect their copyrights and patents. There is no question in my mind that Apple (or any other company) should take harsh action when an NDA is breached. If you don’t think that you can adhere to the terms of a contract, then don’t sign it.
Hobbes,
How can you say that the lawsuit sucks? That’s simply ridiculous. Breach of contract is breach of contract, period, and the injured party has every right to seek legal remedies.