“Last week, Apple reported that it now has reserves of $76 billion in cash, short term securities and long term securities,” Paul Boutin reports of Technology Review. “As many wags pointed out, that’s more than the cash-strapped U.S. government has left.”
“Never mind buying Hulu or some other company,” Boutin writes. “Here are five ways could Apple actually invent the future, and thwart other makers of phones, tablets, and computers.”
Five ways Apple should spend its $76 billion:
5. Color screens that work in the sunshine
4. Wireless network quality
3. Hands-free interfaces
2. Education
1. Reinvent the battery
Read more in the full article here.
6. See-through iPhone and iPods:)
6. Do not spend the money and raise it to $100 billion, and then to $150 billion, and then to $200 billion (and then buy Microsoft) ;)))
what at waste of money
1
Yes. You are correct. A reserve is appropriate. This amount cannot be defended. And it is not ever defended. The subject when brought up is basically not answered. That’s Steve. You can bet that he’s the reason for hoarding all that cash. It actually costs them money to horde this much cash. Very poor management. Look for that to change soon. It’s dumb and not fair to shareholders. Steve is a visionary regarding marketing but not logical regarding cash reserves. This is hurting the company’s chance of being even bigger and appealing to a broader investor base. Sorry fanboys, I love AAPL too but as a non fanboy and a grownup I can separate fact from fiction.
What a bunch of nonsense. They are growing faster than anyone could have even imagined and you say having large cash reserves is hurting them. It is a problem that they are selling great products with good margins and just killing the competition? Horse feathers!
Buy a bunch of companies, getting distracted for the core vision and starting to flounder. That is what would hurt them. The reserves do nothing but sit there driving greedy people crazy.
Somewhere, a village has mislaid its idiot.
=:~)
Neither of you understand business. I would be a gentleman but since you have no manners asshole, I will try to rise above it. now, go back in the basement and pound it.
“Steve is a visionary regarding marketing”… If that is all you are able to see, it’s no wonder you don’t understand his strategy.
Ha, these “I love Apple, BUT” trolls are fun…
No, buy the U.S. and make it consumer-friendly.
Apple doesn’t know how to be consumer-friendly, just all consuming…
Take your bullshit elsewhere.
Make it so that it just works?
I think if Apple ends up having that much cash reserve, I’m sure Windows will be irrelevant at that point and not worth buying.
I’d certainly like to see Apple tackle battery technology with mobile devices currently being so important. One would figure that a billion $s tossed in that direction would get some serious battery improvements and maybe lots of patents.
The only people that would want that are msft share holders haha
Well, if we’re creating a wish list can I add worm hole generator? You know, to make traveling more fun. It could have a real unique name like iTeleporter.
@No. 1
Lithium ion? How quaint. Di-lithium crystals, man.
offhand i would guess apple has been working on these areas already.
They didn’t mention buying Adobe? (And then they ate their minstrels – dying applause).
certainly- it would be great to see apple buy infrastructure to provide wireless access to their devices/iCloud using 802.22 WG.
Couple that with iMessage and FaceTime- and telcos are pwn3d.
They should invent portals that allow you to walk in one place and arrive at a portal at your destination, say from home to work and back. They can call them iGates!
But only if it is bug-free.
Buy Italy. It’s cheap today.Apple wiould have one big museum in which to display and sell it’s products;and anyone who visits will eat and drink well. Maybe France tomorrow if the market share continues to skyrocket.
And Ferraris!
Come up with that hybrid e.ink/color screen.
When you spend all you have you don’t have a pot to piss in, some people never learn about saving for a rainy day…
My recommendation: Spend about $50 billion to acquire a controlling interest in Intel. Announce end-of-life for x86 in 2021. Use Intel’s process to make better ARM chips, and use their design team to make a whole new 64-bit architecture to replace x86.
-jcr
Why? Apple already designs its own chips, it could just hire Intel to build them. Cheaper and easier, and no cries of “Monopolist!” when Apple won’t license it’s superior chip tech to other companies.
I think Apple should give all of its loyal users free stuff or wads of cash. Be like Alaska – Apple makes money, then pass it on to the consumer in yearly checks.
Of course, we would just by more Apple gear, so it all comes home again anyway.
Just a matter of perception:
You can do that by selling Apple stock and buying all your Apple stuff with the profits. Consider it a gift from Apple, which at the rate it’s growing, even after taxes, would afford you at least one of every product it makes, and then some if you have enough stock that appreciates with time.
Buy Oblong Industries.
Why spend it at all? Sit on it and use it as a buffer to ride through future hard times. I don’t understand this belief that having money requires that it be spent.
How about buying a company that makes X-Ray spectacles so I can wear them while visiting an Apple store, or while I’m interviewing Minka Kelly for my online magazine.
It’s kind of a silly article since Apple already spends money on R&D and is aware of the need for these things, thus spending money where they believe they can get return.
However, Apple is in a new position now that it wasn’t in a few years ago. As such, Apple may want to consider building out a larger research division which includes an academic component.
The idea being that Apple has been a consumer user experience focused company quite successfully now for quite some time. Keep that up, and keep going strong, but have some drones in the labs cooking up new stuff that results in competitive advantages.
This wouldn’t be but a fraction of the $76 Billion. The difference from what they’re doing now is that it wouldn’t necessarily be directly consumer product focused. For example, Gorilla Glass would’ve been huge if Apple had exclusive rights to it.
This involves outlining all aspects of Apple’s products and production and developing research in materials, manufacturing and components which may not have a specific product in mind in of itself.
Some results from this research may end up being unrelated to Apple’s business and sold off, but that’s ok/
All this talk is meaningless. This time next year Apple will have close to $100B in cash & people will still be debating the same thing. They’re going for the top market-cap, then the $1,000 stock price. They’re doing everything else fine since they have no debt.
You can do that by selling Apple stock and buying all your Apple stuff with the profits. Consider it a gift from Apple, which at the rate it’s growing, even after taxes, would afford you at least one of every product it makes, and then some if you have enough stock that appreciates with time.
If Apple used their cash hoard to develop cutting edge battery tech, that would transfer into other markets such as automobiles, they might become the first 2 trillion dollar market cap co. and change the world (again) for the better in the process.
Develop a battery technology that will perpetually charge itself using carbon dioxide expelled by humans and animals and producing oxygen in the process. This will kill two birds with one stone: solve global warming and save precious hydrocarbons for more important applications.
Plants already do that. No sense reinventing the wheel.
I think the buying Adobe is a good option. Apple can integrate its existing software with Adobe (sans Flash), sell it cheaper, and really corner the graphic software market and have one less thorn to deal with.
The other is to open its own manufacturing facility/foundry in the States like what Toyota, VW, BMW, already do.
Lastly, is buy or create its own telecom. Send Apple satellites into space.
Apple is showing sound fiscal policy of conserving money and making excellent products. A Depression is upon us but Apple will thrive. Their stockpile for a rainy day will hold them in good stead.
That 76 billion is going to quickly disappear into the back pockets of the hundreds of lawyers Apple finds itself needing with all the lawsuits its gotten itself involved in.
Better hang on to that cash. Apple as well as others are going to need it to stay in the game as this economy goes down the tubes. Fewer jobs = Fewer sales of Apple stuff. Bumpy road ahead.
pay their employees more!
Bollocks! give it ALL to me!!! I need to get a haircut!
oxymoron?