Apple does it again...

[Bryancd]

Revenue for the December Quarter of $26.7 Billion, 71% higher than last year this quarter.

Mac sales of 4.13 million units, 23% growth, fueled by STRONG DEMAND for the new MacBook Air. Genaeral PC market growth for the quarter was 3%, so Apple crushed that and outperformed in a massve way, they grew at 8x the market rate.

iPod Touch sales were up 27% and accounted for 50% of all iPod sales. Apples overall share of the MP3 player market remains at 70%.

iPhone sold 16.2 million units compared with 8.7 million last year Dec. quarter, 86% growth. Enterprise continues to embrace iPhone with 88 of the Fortune 100 companies and 60% of the Financial Times Europe 100 companies now testing or deploying iPhones.

iPad sold 7.3 million units int he quarter. Over 80% of the Fortune 100 are already deploying or piloting iPad, up from 65% in the September quarter.

Simply amazing.

[Rico]

Good for them.  Kick start that economy!

[Bryancd]

Good for them.  Kick start that economy!

The consumer was alive and well in 2010 despite what was often portrayed in mainstream news media. There was a real disconnect between the negative news about the economy in general and the actual behavior of the consumer. Every month the Wall Street Journal does a poll asking Americans to describe their feelings about the US economy and their own personal financial situation. Without fail, the majority rated the overall economy weak but their personal situation as being very good.

[Rico]

Not sure who they polled.  It's a bit hard to believe with unemployment levels where they are still at.  I think many had held off on certain bigger purchases and finally had to buy something.  2010 may have been slightly better than 2009 but it's still not great for many people.

[Bryancd]

Not sure who they polled.  It's a bit hard to believe with unemployment levels where they are still at.  I think many had held off on certain bigger purchases and finally had to buy something.  2010 may have been slightly better than 2009 but it's still not great for many people.

Holiday spending retail sales were strong as well, further indicating underlying economic strength. 4.5 million unemployed and an unemployment rate of 9% ceratianly is no great shakes, but in an economy of 350 million people it's a hindrance to growth but not a deal killer.

[Rico]

The last I'll say on this is you should visit Detroit or downtown Chicago.  LOTS of empty buildings, empty houses, homeless, etc.  It's very sad.  When I see that all the numbers in the world don't really mean anything to me.

[Bryancd]

I stand corrected, it's ABC News that conducts that poll. here's the latest commentary on it, I just find it as interesting as the author of this piece, Dennis Gartman, from his letter today:

THIS CONTINUES TO FASCINATE
US: For a very long while we have been
fascinated by the dichotomy between what the average
American family sees as its own economic
circumstances compared to that of the nation's
economic health generally. ABC News publishes a
weekly poll of 1000 adults surveying the economy, with
the results ranging from -100 (Depression) to +100.
Last week the survey came in at -43. 13% of those
surveyed rated the national economy as excellent or
good; 87% rate it as not good or poor. This is hardly
the "stuff" of prospective economic growth.
However, when asked of their own family's economic
well being, 45% rate their own finances as excellent or
good; 55% rate them as not good or poor. We
supposed that people may lie to the survey takers and
that is of course a very real possibility; but is it not also
possible that the public hears how bad the economy is
from the media but knows that its own economic health
is far better?