It embodied the unpredictability of the future. The future could be a Utopian paradise of opportunity and pleasure, or it could be dark, dismal and Orwellian . Some would say that the outcome of the future is purely personal, and the direction is determined largely on the nature of your marriage. The Max Headroom view of the future was both. Few would deny that the tech sector as a whole has been on the ropes for the last few months.
Profitability is once again elusive.
Apple has responded to the crisis with several master strokes. The rebate and price adjustments through the Fall had only a superficial effect on Apple sales and inventory levels. On Jan 1, Apple prices were given a major adjustment . The effect of this is at once chilling and encouraging. For a company that size, and that well financed, these big inventory write downs will likely mean return to profitability in the following quarter.