On October 6, 1997, in response to the question of what he’d do if he was in charge of Apple Computer, Dell founder and then CEO Michael Dell stood before a crowd of several thousand IT executives and answered flippantly, “What would I do? I’d shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders.”
A little more than a month later, on November 10, 1997, new Apple iCEO Steve Jobs responded, speaking in front of an image of Michael Dell’s bulls-eye covered face, “We’re coming after you, you’re in our sights.”
On January 13, 2006, after a little more than eight years of hard work, Apple Computer, Inc. passed Dell, Inc. in market value, $72,132,428,843 vs. $71,970,702,760 at market close respectively. After trading places, Apple promptly fell behind Dell as shares of the Cupertino Mac maker were subject to a multi-week bear raid. Today, however, Apple’s share price continued its rise while Dell’s continued to slip. The result, once again, is that Apple Computer ($60,166,590,800) is now worth more than Dell ($60,061,881,440) in a race whose leadership is likely to oscillate a bit in the near term (before Apple pulls away for good).
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what the dell?
BOOOOOOOYAHHHHHHH!
It’s gonna be hell for Dell!
The gap between them is well over a billion dollars now. And they will oscillate over the next few months, but by year end, AAPL will have left Dell in the dust for good.
If the world lost Dell, there’d be no real loss.
If the world lost Apple, the ramifications are bewildering.
IMHO Apple’s worth is far greater than Dell, always.
Dell = Disaster ensconced in laughable lunacy.
In an intellectual and visionary dual between Steve Jobs vs Michael Dell, it isnt even a fair fight.
I think we should pound their god-damned existence into the earth.
michael dells run of being a parasite is almost over.
killed by the ever growing, ever advancing assassin that is Apple Computer.
wooohooo!!
Dell = Decrepit enterprise losing lucre.
good bye ya skirt wearing poodle walker
when the tables are inevitably turned what will mikey dell propose ?
who on earth will want dell shares when they’re worth bugger all ??
I love that story!
MDN predicted that the next time Apple passed Dell would be the last. However I’m happy for a little “oscillation”, the way a cat toys with a wounded mouse before the kill.
Hurry up and order your Dell today, dude. Today and only today, if you buy a Dell you can get a Fee CD Burner Upgrade.
PT Barnum was right.
Michael who?
Maybe the warehouse of unsold Dell DJs can be recycled into the next generation iPods. Or unsold Dell PCs could also be recycled with Precision under a Low Profile adding a new Dimension to Intel Macs but not really giving the Systems a PowerEdge.
BUT DELL MAKES MORE SALES AND PROFITS!!
So now what?
Come on guys, got to get ready for the real trolls.
“PT Barnum was right.”
When he said, “Never stand behind an elephant?”
Although the gap is closer this time around, I think these numbers are more realistic than the Jan 06 numbers. Apple was riding real high back them and most said they were greatly over valued.
So now things have come back into balance for Apple and they’re still valued more than Dell. Dell has just blown it. They have nothing encourging to offer and will continue to slide.
The only way they could ever really pull forward in a huge way is if Apple helped them by licensing osX to them. That’s would be about the only “innovative” thing they’d have in their future.
Wow…The real story is that they both lost nearly $$10 Billion in Market Cap in less than 5 months!!
Al Jazzo says “BUT DELL MAKES MORE SALES AND PROFITS!”
——————–
More revenue, yes. Higher profit margins, NO. Apple is the big winner in profit margins. That’s why they are on the way up and Dell is on the way down.
More revenue, yes. Higher profit margins, NO. Apple is the big winner in profit margins.
What’s the big deal in profit margins?
I’ll take 2% of Microsoft’s volume over 33% of Apple’s anyday.
Volume baby volume!! Dell can crush Apple.
Bigger war chest.
Hopefully Apple’s advertising blitz is somewhere even close to the success of Dells.
I have said before and I will say it again and again.
DELL SUCKS.
Why do people who keep having problems with the Dell junk always go back to them for a new computer. I don’t get it.
Hey Apple, get those freekin MacBooks out and show some ads with real world people using Apple computers and software. You can show people talking in front of a white background (new ads and swither ads) all you want but nothing compares to actually showing off all the great things an Apple computer can do. Like Steve Jobs once said, “Nothing like the power of a demo.” Great words, NOW DO IT!
Did I mention DELL SUCKS!!!!
“Volume baby volume!! Dell can crush Apple.”
Dell’s profits are on the slide. All it knows how to do is build Windows boxes, and the only differential it’s had is price. But now the price war is hotting up.
Meanwhile, Apple can differentiate itself and add value with its unique software. It’s holding firm on its margins and diversifying into new media.