If you an own an iPad, and iPhone and a MacBook Pro, you probably get excited when Apple’s stock is up.
I have no idea what any of this means and neither do you.
Unless you’re 1) a huge nerd or 2) happen to be one of the silver-spooned urban brethren of which I am perpetually envious, there is no reason to care about Apple stock.
There may is no company in the history of capitalism where its customers cared not only deeply about its products, but also cared deeply about its financial performance in markets that they do not understand. When Wall Street valued Apple ahead of Microsoft, Apple fanboys rejoiced. Why?
The theory goes that Steve Jobs has done such an amazing job branding himself as a countercultural figure—a corporate Che Guevara is a popular euphemism—that loyal customers have become hypnotized by his products and speeches. When he succeeds, we all succeed. The result is when you drop your iPhone and its cheap glass is shattered instantaneously, you don’t get mad. And you certainly don’t think about the time you dropped your old Nokia handset down a flight of stairs when you were drunk and it still worked like a charm.
That’s not to say Apple products aren’t incredible. I get depressed when I sit at a Windows machine, I’m just not sure if Bill Gates made Apple Computers I would feel the same.
“Apple Stock Up After Announcement X” will be an evergreen headline for the amazing number of Apple-specific blogs out there in perpetuity. Just keep that enthusiasm up fanboys; it may not be good for you, but it’s good for the shareholders.
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January 12, 2011 at 4:21 am, Peter G. said:
You (partially) missed the point:
October 6, 1997: “What would I do? I’d shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders.” – Michael Dell
This story is hard-coded into Western culture: The underdog ignores the naysayers and triumphs against all odds.
This is why people (not just fanboys) care – because the narrative confirms what we want to believe about the world. This is corporate ROCKY at its finest.