expansion of the retail segment has required and will continue to require a substantial investment in fixed assets and related infrastructure , operating lease commitments , personnel , and other operating expenses .capital expenditures associated with the retail segment were $ 132 million in 2005 , bringing the total capital expenditures since inception of the retail segment to approximately $ 529 million .as of september 24 , 2005 , the retail segment had approximately 3673 employees and had outstanding operating lease commitments associated with retail store space and related facilities of approximately $ 606 million .the company would incur substantial costs should it choose to terminate its retail segment or close individual stores .such costs could adversely affect the company 2019s results of operations and financial condition .gross margin gross margin for each of the last three fiscal years are as follows ( in millions , except gross margin percentages ) : september 24 , september 25 , september 27 .
[['', 'september 24 2005', 'september 25 2004', 'september 27 2003'], ['net sales', '$ 13931', '$ 8279', '$ 6207'], ['cost of sales', '9888', '6020', '4499'], ['gross margin', '$ 4043', '$ 2259', '$ 1708'], ['gross margin percentage', '29.0% ( 29.0 % )', '27.3% ( 27.3 % )', '27.5% ( 27.5 % )']]
gross margin increased in 2005 to 29.0% ( 29.0 % ) of net sales from 27.3% ( 27.3 % ) of net sales in 2004 .the company 2019s gross margin during 2005 increased due to more favorable pricing on certain commodity components including lcd flat-panel displays and dram memory ; an increase in higher margin software sales ; a favorable shift in direct sales related primarily to the company 2019s retail and online stores ; and higher overall revenue that provided for more leverage on fixed production costs .these increases to gross margin were partially offset by an increase in lower margin ipod sales .the company anticipates that its gross margin and the gross margin of the overall personal computer and consumer electronics industries will remain under pressure in light of price competition , especially for the ipod product line .the company expects gross margin percentage to decline in the first quarter of 2006 primarily as a result of a shift in the mix of revenue toward lower margin products such as the ipod and content from the itunes music store .the foregoing statements regarding the company 2019s expected gross margin are forward-looking .there can be no assurance that current gross margins will be maintained or targeted gross margin levels will be achieved .in general , gross margins and margins on individual products , including ipods , will remain under significant downward pressure due to a variety of factors , including continued industry wide global pricing pressures , increased competition , compressed product life cycles , potential increases in the cost and availability of raw material and outside manufacturing services , and potential changes to the company 2019s product mix , including higher unit sales of consumer products with lower average selling prices and lower gross margins .in response to these downward pressures , the company expects it will continue to take pricing actions with respect to its products .gross margins could also be affected by the company 2019s ability to effectively manage product quality and warranty costs and to stimulate demand for certain of its products .due to the company 2019s significant international operations , financial results can be significantly affected in the short-term by fluctuations in exchange rates. .

Question: what was the largest gross margin in millions dollars over the three year period?
Answer: 4043