MAY 10, 2010 - Gadgets vs. Apple Stock is not a recommendation to go out and buy Apple stock this week. At least, I'm not recommending it on that time frame. Let the markets settle down before buying anything, is my recommendation. Seriously, the correction that began this month - right on schedule - probably has some room to run; which means there's likely a better price on Apple later this month rather than earlier. And in fact there's still room for downdraft into the summer - so there's no need to rush, and probably lots of incentive to wait. Of course, if you're the type who believes we're heading into a Mad Max Road Warrior type of apocalypse, then your idea of a good investment might be more along the lines of Uzis, dried beans and rice. But as Gadgets vs. Apple Stock points out, what you spend on gadgets like iPhones and iPads and Mac laptops and such could come back to haunt you if civilization survives. Consider that the $5,700 that would have bought you a G3 Apple Powerbook back in 1998 would be worth $330,000 today, if you had put it into Apple stock instead. Of course, that could turn into a somewhat less impressive nest egg if Apple stock follows the market south, as I suspect it will for weeks or months to come. You know what they say about trying to time a market bottom: it's like trying to catch a falling knife. If you're tempted by Apple stock, if the Nokia suits and the anti-trust investigations don't phase you as much as the great product line and business model impress you . . . well, your day might not be so far into the future!
