This is not surprising. Apple it famous for overcharging for underpowered hardware. Steve just gives barely enough performance so that his products are marginally usable, yet you are first in line for the next release to get that 10% bump in performance.

They won't fund space exploration, so many educated and talented people are now out of a job. Yet the government will pay illiterate, unemployable, cockroaches money to breed and produce a non-stop supply of willing voters for the Democrats. GENIUS!

Why do all consumer electronic devices these days only come in -one- color, white. Thanks Apple, now all my gear looks like it was plucked out of Woody Allen's "Sleeper." I was so glad when the 70's ended, now I have to re-live that horrible decade each time I pick up my remote, ipod, etc. bleech.

"...and they have written off $4.8 billion dollars in stock value.."

Submitter, did you bother read the article? They impaired (wrote down) assets on their books in response to a drop in stock value.

Show me the asset on their books that represents their ownership stake in themselves. You can't since it doesn't exist. Before you start writing about accounting and finance, learn about it first ignorant pig.