近日，蘋(píng)果斬獲“全球最有價(jià)值的公司”頭銜，這在該公司的發(fā)展史上具有里程碑式的意義。有傳聞稱，下一代iPad(iPad3)將于今年10月進(jìn)行試產(chǎn)。有樂(lè)觀人士指出，在iPad這一新增長(zhǎng)點(diǎn)的驅(qū)動(dòng)下，未來(lái)蘋(píng)果的市值還將進(jìn)一步攀升，并且有可能創(chuàng)造增長(zhǎng)率長(zhǎng)期保持在70%以上水平的奇跡。
U.S. technology company Apple is now worth as much as the 32 biggest euro zone banks. That’s the stark result from a steep fall in the share price of banks including Spain’s Santander，F(xiàn)rance’s BNP Paribas，Germany’s Deutsche Bank and Italy’s Unicredit，compared to a steady rise in Apple’s valuation，according to Thomson Reuters data.
美國(guó)科技公司蘋(píng)果現(xiàn)在的市值相當(dāng)于歐元區(qū)32家最大的銀行市值之和。湯姆森路透的數(shù)據(jù)顯示，相比蘋(píng)果估值的穩(wěn)定上升，包括西班牙國(guó)際銀行、法國(guó)巴黎銀行、德國(guó)德意志銀行和意大利聯(lián)合信貸銀行在內(nèi)的歐元區(qū)大銀行股價(jià)大幅下跌，上述結(jié)論正是這一對(duì)比的結(jié)果。(路透社)
歐元區(qū)銀行的市值從2007年5月的歷史高點(diǎn)大幅下滑了75%，相比之下，蘋(píng)果的市值則受iPad及iPhone等產(chǎn)品的推動(dòng)而大漲，已升至3400億美元。
Fourteen years ago，strapped for cash and with faith in his company at rock bottom，Steve Jobs was forced to go cap in hand to arch-enemy Microsoft for a $150m investment. A business worth just $1.7bn when Mr. Jobs returned in 1997 is now worth more than $335bn and has been instrumental in overhauling both the personal computing and mobile communications industries.
14年前，蘋(píng)果現(xiàn)金吃緊，人們對(duì)該公司的信心也處于谷底，史蒂夫·喬布斯被迫低頭請(qǐng)求頭號(hào)敵人微軟施以援手、向蘋(píng)果注資1.5億美元。1997年喬布斯回歸時(shí)，蘋(píng)果市值僅17億美元；如今，蘋(píng)果市值已逾3350億美元，而且促成了個(gè)人電腦業(yè)和移動(dòng)通訊業(yè)的徹底改變。(英國(guó)《金融時(shí)報(bào)》)
回想10年前，微軟的市值高于埃克森美孚，而蘋(píng)果才只是勉強(qiáng)登上排行榜。如今，微軟的市值比蘋(píng)果少約40%，而蘋(píng)果已超過(guò)埃克森美孚，成為全球市值最大的公司，令人們不禁感慨華爾街總是這樣變幻無(wú)常。
By the end of this year，the iPad will already be more profitable for Apple than its traditional Mac business. In 2012， it is also expected to produce considerably higher revenues. A company with sales topping $100bn cannot keep growing at more than 70 per cent for long， but strapping on a new engine such as the iPad certainly helps.
到今年年底，iPad為蘋(píng)果帶來(lái)的利潤(rùn)就將超過(guò)其傳統(tǒng)的Mac電腦業(yè)務(wù)。預(yù)計(jì)在2012年，iPad創(chuàng)造的營(yíng)收也將大幅提高。一家銷售額超過(guò)1000億美元的企業(yè)不可能把增長(zhǎng)率長(zhǎng)期保持在70%以上的水平，但抓住像iPad這樣的新增長(zhǎng)點(diǎn)顯然會(huì)起到積極作用。(英國(guó)《金融時(shí)報(bào)》)
蘋(píng)果對(duì)市場(chǎng)的牢牢掌控令人印象深刻。今年本應(yīng)是iPad類的產(chǎn)品爆發(fā)之年，但如今已到8月，卻仍未出現(xiàn)一款能與iPad抗衡的產(chǎn)品。
Rivals have been routed so far. Motorola cut the price of its Xoom tablet after its February launch，released a cheaper model and warned shipments will decline this quarter. RIM’s PlayBook was delayed until April and still isn’t being offered for sale by the two biggest U.S. wireless carriers. Hewlett-Packard Co. is dropping the price of its TouchPad tablet by 20% little more than a month after it hit stores. Samsung Electronics Co. is now embroiled in a patent dispute with Apple that threatens sales of its Galaxy Tab in most of Europe.
到目前為止，蘋(píng)果的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手都潰不成軍。摩托羅拉2月發(fā)布Xoom平板電腦后下調(diào)了價(jià)格，推出了更便宜的版本，并警告說(shuō)本季度發(fā)貨量將下滑。RIM的PlayBook延遲到4月才推出，而且目前仍沒(méi)有在美國(guó)兩大無(wú)線運(yùn)營(yíng)商那里銷售。惠普公司將其上市僅僅一個(gè)多月的平板電腦TouchPad的價(jià)格下調(diào)20%以促進(jìn)銷量。三星電子現(xiàn)在則和蘋(píng)果公司卷入了一場(chǎng)專利糾紛，這可能威脅其平板電腦Galaxy Tab在歐洲大部分地區(qū)的銷售。(美國(guó)《華爾街日?qǐng)?bào)》)
有消息稱，蘋(píng)果正與亞洲原件供應(yīng)商及組裝商協(xié)調(diào)，擬從10月份開(kāi)始試生產(chǎn)下一代iPad(iPad3)，以在平板電腦市場(chǎng)的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)中保持領(lǐng)先優(yōu)勢(shì)。
Apple Inc plans to invest in a Sharp Corp factory to secure a supply of LCD screens for iPhones and iPads，sources said. The proposed move，along with an investment in a new LCD factory of Toshiba Corp，comes as Apple and key supplier Samsung Electronics battle in courts over patent disputes，spurring talk that Apple may diversify suppliers.
有消息稱，蘋(píng)果公司計(jì)劃投資夏普公司的一家工廠，以保障iPhone和iPad液晶顯示屏(LCD)的供應(yīng)。這一行動(dòng)計(jì)劃，和蘋(píng)果此前對(duì)東芝旗下一家LCD新生產(chǎn)廠的投資，都發(fā)生在蘋(píng)果和LCD主要供應(yīng)商三星電子就專利糾紛對(duì)決法庭的時(shí)間點(diǎn)。有輿論稱，蘋(píng)果可能在實(shí)現(xiàn)供應(yīng)商的多元化。(路透社)
由于與三星之間的專利官司愈演愈烈，蘋(píng)果不得不考慮更多的退路。如果有一天專利之戰(zhàn)全面爆發(fā)，蘋(píng)果也好迅速將大量訂單進(jìn)行轉(zhuǎn)移。