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 .

Table:
 | 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
Calculation: table_max(gross margin, none)