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Apple and the Tipping Point That Will Drive Above-Market Returns for Tech Stocks
PC Market Beats Expectations with Mild Improvement in Business Outlook - IDC
Gartner Says Worldwide PC Shipments in the Third Quarter of 2013 Declined 8.6 Percent
OWC 8GB MaxRam Certified FB-DIMMS For Apple Mac Pro 2008 Unleashes New Performance Capabilities With Up To Double The Factory Memory
IP Camera Recorder 2 for Mac Released
Apple and the Tipping Point That Will Drive Above-Market Returns for Tech Stocks
Next Inning Technology Research (http://www.nextinning.com), an online investment newsletter focused on technology stocks, has issued updated outlooks for Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), Wave Systems (Nasdaq: WAVX), NXP Semiconductors (Nasdaq: NXPI), Atmel (Nasdaq: ATML), Intel (Nasdaq: INTC), and Qualcomm (Nasdaq: QCOM).
Next Inning Editor Paul McWilliams has been a leading analyst covering the technology sector for over a decade. McWilliams is known for helping its readers generate strong returns, and no one has been more accurate when it comes to Apple than McWilliams, who nearly a decade ago advised readers that Apple was positioned to win big when it was trading for less than $10 per share (split adjusted). While many analysts turned negative on Apple when Steve Jobs died, McWilliams maintained his strongly bullish opinion. However, as Apple was hitting record highs in 2012, he advised Next Inning readers to sell.
In his latest special report "The Tipping Point of Implementation," McWilliams carefully explains why it often takes years for new technology innovations to reach a point of mass implementation. Tech investors often pride themselves in spotting new innovations, but then lose money because they aren't implemented in the market as quickly as they expected. This report helps investors learn how to discover what leads to mass implementation of new technologies and addresses one specific new development in the smartphone industry that is finally ready for prime time implementation.
What is this important new technology that Apple implemented in its new iPhone 5s that analysts are overlooking and what will it mean for smartphone users? Does Apple really have a lead with this new technology or are semiconductor companies like Atmel and NXP poised to make it easy for Apple's competitors to defuse any competitive advantages? Why does McWilliams believe Intel and Qualcomm may be the biggest beneficiaries as this technology is more broadly adopted in the smartphone sector and the rapidly emerging "Internet of Things (IoT), and where does he think it will lead over the longer term?
The report, which available for free to trial subscribers, also covers the evolution of security technology that has been chased by companies like Wave Systems, and it handicaps how tech blue chips like Apple, Intel, and Qualcomm may benefit from this broad new paradigm, alongside smaller names like Atmel and NXP, both early movers in sensor technology. The report includes McWilliams' investment opinions on all of the stocks mentioned above.
This report is a must read for tech analysts and investors. Trial subscribers can read McWilliams' "The Tipping Point of Implementation," for free, as well as his exhaustive earnings season coverage, at the following link:
https://www.nextinning.com/subscribe/index.php?refer=prn1633
Financial writer Steve Halpern, who has covered the newsletter industry for nearly three decades, says without caveat that the Next Inning State of Tech report is "the most ambitious project" he's ever seen in the advisory world. Next Inning has just released its Q3 2013 State of Tech report, available for free to trial subscribers.
State of Tech is designed to help tech investors establish and manage strategies as well as capitalize on profit opportunities during the upcoming earnings season. This report covers 71 technology stocks and dives deep into a number of exciting, emerging tech trends.
Next Inning editor Paul McWilliams provides clear and actionable calls and defines what he views as a "full value" price range for over 71 leading tech stocks. Some readers have said it's like getting next month's news today. Trial subscribers will receive the 212-page report, which includes over 40 detailed tables and graphs, for free, no strings attached.
McWilliams spent a decades-long career in the technology industry and has earned a reputation for his skill in communicating complex technology trends to individual investors and professional analysts alike. His reports have won over readers with their ability to unravel the complexities of the industry and, more importantly, identify which companies are likely to be the winners and losers as technology trends change.
Founded in September 2002, Next Inning's model portfolio has returned 291% since its inception versus 83% for the S&P 500.
Next Inning
Next Inning is a subscription-based investment newsletter that provides regular coverage on more than 150 technology and semiconductor stocks. Subscribers receive intra-day analysis, commentary and recommendations, as well as access to monthly semiconductor sales analysis, regular Special Reports, and the Next Inning model portfolio. Editor Paul McWilliams is a 30+ year semiconductor industry veteran.
For more information, visit:
http://www.nextinning.com/
PC Market Beats Expectations with Mild Improvement in Business Outlook - IDC
Worldwide PC shipments totaled 81.6 million units in the third quarter of 2013 (3Q13). In year-on-year terms, the market contracted -7.6%, ahead of a projected decline of -9.5% for the quarter, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker. While shipments remained weak during the early part of the quarter, the market was somewhat buoyed by business purchases, as well as channel intake of Windows 8.1-based systems during September.
The third quarter was pretty close to forecast, which unfortunately doesn't reflect much improvement in the PC market, or potential for near-term growth
A slight uptick in business volume contributed to shipments. The top three vendors (Lenovo, HP, and Dell), which all have an important presence in the enterprise and public sectors, each saw modest positive year-on-year growth during the quarter. Conversely, consumer sentiment remained lukewarm at best, as evidenced by the continued struggles of Acer and ASUS.
Despite some encouraging developments in the business space, emerging markets continued to exhibit troubling signs, with Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan)(APeJ) in particular still facing a large unsold stock of Ivy Bridge-based systems and continued encroachment from lower-priced tablets and smartphones.
"The third quarter was pretty close to forecast, which unfortunately doesn't reflect much improvement in the PC market, or potential for near-term growth," says Loren Loverde, Vice President Worldwide PC Trackers. "Whether constrained by a weak economy or being selective in their tech investments, buyers continue to evaluate options and delay PC replacements. Despite being a little ahead of forecast, and the work that's being done on new designs and integration of features like touch, the third quarter results suggest that there's still a high probability that we will see another decline in worldwide shipments in 2014."
"The United States outperformed many other regions as growth stabilized just under 0%. Continuing upgrades from Windows XP boosted shipments, particularly in the commercial desktop segment, while retail acceptance of new and emerging product categories, such as Chromebooks and Ultraslims, helped the portables segment," observes Rajani Singh, IDC Senior Research Analyst, Personal Computers. "Nevertheless, the broad picture of the U.S. market has not changed much, with hopes for a small increase in the fourth quarter followed by a challenging 2014."
Regional Highlights
United States: The U.S. market continued to show signs of recovery although shipments were down slightly (-0.2%) year over year in the quarter. Better alignment with channel partners and internal restructuring helped most of the top vendors to grow faster than the market. Additionally, emerging product categories and a greater assortment of Windows 8-based models supported the volume uptick. Migration from Windows XP to Windows 7 added a few basis points as well. HP maintained its leadership position, gaining a few points of share in the U.S. Among the other top-tier leaders, Lenovo recorded impressive growth of 25.8% year on year and managed to maintain strong positive momentum by growing its channel reach and relationship sales.
EMEA: The PC market in Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) contracted in the third quarter in line with IDC forecasts. PC shipments remained constrained particularly in the home segment, which continued to suffer from weak consumer demand amid an ongoing budget shift to tablets. From a supply perspective, the quarter was also affected by an unfavorable year-on-year comparison with 3Q12, when shipments were supported by preparation to Windows 8 launch. Lean inventory remained a priority for channel partners across EMEA during 3Q13, inhibiting further sell-in. Portable PC shipments suffered a particularly strong decline, while desktops were less constrained. As forecast, the commercial market was less negative than the consumer market due to pockets of investments remaining available despite constrained spending. Shipments were also supported by seasonal back-to-school projects.
Japan: The PC market in Japan performed better than expected. Improved economic sentiments, favorable exchange rates, and the approaching expiration of Windows XP support helped to lift the market although consumer buying remained suppressed. Most of the top 5 vendors saw growth compared to the year before.
Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan): APeJ was generally close to forecasts with a decline of -8.8% year on year. Many countries, particularly in developing markets, struggled with exchange rate pressures, but commercial buying in China was better than expected.
Vendor Highlights
Lenovo maintained the top PC vendor title, and continued to expand its channel reach as well as experiment with new form factors. Troubles in Asia/Pacific continued to pose a significant problem, where much of the lower-tier channels struggled with inventory clearance, constraining overall growth. However, the vendor posted a strong gain in the U.S. market, growing more than 2% compared to a year ago.
HP finished the quarter in the number 2 position, with growth improving from recent quarters. The company continued to receive a boost from shipments to India as part of a large education project. Shipment trends also improved in the U.S. and EMEA, but HP continued to face struggles in Latin America.
Dell saw its first positive year-on-year growth since the fourth quarter of 2011, thanks largely to maintaining growth in the Americas market. The company also managed to edge past 9.5 million units shipped in a quarter for the first time in over a year.
Acer Group continued to be affected by declines in shipments across all regions due to continued weakness in consumer PC spending. The firm nevertheless has remained aggressive in trying new form factors and hybrid devices.
ASUS shared a similar predicament with Acer where despite a focus on new designs, its lack of corporate customer base has also limited its growth.
Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker, October 9, 2013
Table notes follow the last table.
Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker, October 9, 2013
Table Notes:
Some IDC estimates prior to financial earnings reports.
Shipments include shipments to distribution channels or end users. OEM sales are counted under the vendor/brand under which they are sold.
PCs include Desktops, Portables, Mini Notebooks, and Workstations and do not include handhelds, x86 Servers, and Tablets (i.e. iPad and Android-based Tablets with detachable keyboards). Data for all vendors are reported for calendar periods.
IDC's Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker gathers PC market data in over 80 countries by vendor, form factor, brand, processor brand and speed, sales channel and user segment. The research includes historical and forecast trend analysis as well as price band and installed base data.
For more information, visit:
http://www.idc.com
Gartner Says Worldwide PC Shipments in the Third Quarter of 2013 Declined 8.6 Percent
Worldwide PC shipments totaled 80.3 million units in the third quarter of 2013, an 8.6 percent decline from the same period last year, according to preliminary results by Gartner, Inc. This marks the sixth consecutive quarter of declining worldwide shipments.
Consumers' shift from PCs to tablets for daily content consumption continued to decrease the installed base of PCs both in mature as well as in emerging markets. A greater availability of inexpensive Android tablets attracted first-time consumers in emerging markets, and as supplementary devices in mature markets.
"The third quarter is often referred to as the 'back-to-school' quarter for PC sales, and sales this quarter dropped to their lowest volume since 2008," says Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner. "Consumers' shift from PCs to tablets for daily content consumption continued to decrease the installed base of PCs both in mature as well as in emerging markets. A greater availability of inexpensive Android tablets attracted first-time consumers in emerging markets, and as supplementary devices in mature markets."
HP and Lenovo have been virtually neck and neck for the top global position in the PC market. Lenovo took the lead, as it did last quarter, but the upcoming holiday sales season will be a key battlefield for both companies. Lenovo accounted for 17.6 percent of global PC shipments in the third quarter, and HP had 17.1 percent of shipments, according to preliminary results (see Table 1).
Weakness in the Chinese market continued to affect Lenovo's overall growth. However, strong growth in the Americas, as well as EMEA, offset the declining PC shipments for Lenovo in the Asia/Pacific market. HP recorded positive shipment growth in 3Q13 for the first time since 1Q12. With the exception of Latin America, HP's growth exceeded the average growth across all regions.
Note: Data includes desk-based PCs and mobile PCs, including mini-notebooks but not media tablets such as the iPad.
Source: Gartner (August 2013)
Dell's PC shipments exceeded growth rate averages across all regions. Acer's shipments declined 22.6 percent compared with a year ago, as a reduction in netbook shipments impacted overall PC shipment results. Acer has heavily sought opportunities in other device markets. Asus saw PC shipments decline 22.5 percent. Asus has clearly shifted its focus from PCs to tablets. Asus' tablet shipments were nearly equal to its mobile PC shipments in 3Q13.
In the U.S. market, PC shipments totaled 16.1 million units in the third quarter of 2013, a 3.5 percent increase from the same period last year, registering the second consecutive quarter of shipment growth after six quarters of decline (see Table 2). Low inventory from the first half of 2013, and the introduction of new models with Intel's Haswell and new form factors brought the sell-in shipment up compared with a year ago.
"The positive U.S. results could mean that seasonal strength and channel fill for new product launches in 3Q13 finally overcame the structural decline," Ms. Kitagawa said. "Even though 3Q13 shipments were compared with artificially weak 2Q13 because of inventory control for the Windows 8 launch at the time, the 3Q13 results imply the U.S. market may have passed the worst declining stage, which started in 2010. The shrinking installed base of PCs has also passed the steepest decline phase because the structural change has progressed fairly quickly. Tablets will continue to impact the PC market, but the U.S. PC market will see a more moderate decrease rather than a steep decline in the next two years."
Note: Data includes desk-based PCs and mobile PCs, including mini-notebooks but not media tablets such as the iPad.
Source: Gartner (October 2013)
PC shipments in EMEA totaled 22.4 million units in the third quarter of 2013, a 13.7 percent decline from the same period last year. The EMEA region suffered its sixth consecutive quarter of declining PC shipments. All areas of the region Western Europe, Eastern Europe and the Middle East and Africa showed a shipment decline. PC shipments across all of Eastern Europe remained weak due to the ongoing popularity of tablets and some weakening of the Russian Ruble versus the euro and U.S. dollar, which led to a PC price increase.
In Asia/Pacific, PC shipments were at 28.1 million units in the third quarter of 2013, an 11.2 percent decline from the third quarter of 2012. The region was hampered by the currency volatilities, especially in India and Indonesia, where currencies plunged to record lows. Vendors were also mindful of Windows 8.1, new models based on Intel's Bay Trail that will start shipping the following quarter. Therefore, they were careful in managing inventory.
These results are preliminary. Final statistics will be available soon to clients of Gartner's PC Quarterly Statistics Worldwide by Region program. This program offers a comprehensive and timely picture of the worldwide PC market, allowing product planning, distribution, marketing and sales organizations to keep abreast of key issues and their future implications around the globe. Additional research can be found on Gartner's Computing Hardware section on Gartner's website at:
http://www.gartner.com/it/products/research/asset_129157_2395.jsp.
For more information, visit:
http://www.gartner.com
OWC 8GB MaxRam Certified FB-DIMMS For Apple Mac Pro 2008 Unleashes New Performance Capabilities With Up To Double The Factory Memory
Other World Computing (OWC), has announced through its in-house MaxRAM testing lab its Certified 800MHz PC6400 FB-DIMM Upgrade Kits for 2008 model (MacPro3,1), a known workhorse in the creative industry. OWC now provides up to 64GB - double the factory maximum installed memory with up to a 48 percent lower cost. The 8GB per DIMM matched kits are fully tested and certified to meet, if not surpass, all Apple memory design and compatibility specifications and come backed by a Lifetime Replacement Warranty and easy-to-follow, step-by-step installation videos.
Maximum Memory Recommended for Optimum OS X and Application Performance
To get the full benefit of the Mac Pro, memory is critical. With applications such as Aperture, Creative Suite/Photoshop, iMovie/iDVD, Logic, Lightroom, where large files are being addressed, even 16GB of RAM is probably not enough memory. MacPerformanceGuide, a leading benchmarking source for professional photographers and Mac enthusiasts, found that 10-15GB of RAM is used just by their daily use of Photoshop. By increasing RAM, they found dramatic time reductions in working with huge files. With today's higher resolution digital and video cameras, having the maximum amount of installable and addressable RAM is becoming a necessity for Mac Pro owners.
OWC MaxRAM Memory Upgrade Kits Offer Up to Double The Factory Maximum RAM:
Apple Mac Pro Quad-Core and 8-Core 2008 (MacPro3,1) 'MaxRAM' options now up to 64GB
Matched Sets of 2GB Modules, install/add up to 16GB for as low as $26.25 per GB
Matched Sets of 4GB Modules, install/add up to 32GB for as low as $31.19 per GB
((*))NEW((*)) Matched Sets of 8GB Modules, install/add up to 64GB for as low as $39.05 per GB
Original 32GB factory maximum. Apple no longer offers memory for this Apple Mac Pro Model.
Complete, matched set kits also available for all Mac Pro models:
Apple Mac Pro Quad, 6-Core, 8-Core, 12-Core 2010-12 Models (MacPro5,1) 'MaxRAM' up to 128GB
Matched Sets of 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB to install/add up to 128GB for as low as $9.22 per GB
Compared to current factory offered 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB modules costing $37.50 per GB, OWC kits offers up to 2X more memory and at a cost of up to 75 percent less compared to factory available.
Apple Mac Pro Quad-Core and 8-Core 2009 Models (MacPro4,1) 'MaxRAM' up to 96GB
Matched Sets of 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB to install/add up to 96GB for as low as $9.07 per GB
Compared to current factory offered 2GB modules costing $75 each, OWC kits offers up to 6X more memory and at a cost of up to 75 percent less compared to factory available.
Apple Mac Pro Quad-Core & 8-Core 2006/07 Models (MacPro1,1 & 2,1) 'MaxRAM' up to 32GB
Matched Sets of 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB to install/add up to 32GB for as low as $20.63 per GB
Original 16GB factory maximum. Apple no longer offers memory for this Apple Mac Pro Model.
To assist all Mac Pro owners in selecting the correct memory upgrade for any of the 2006 to current Mac Pro models, OWC has created a http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/memory/Mac-Pro-Memory simple to use guide that shows the correct memory type and options specific to each of the different Mac Pro models. The full OWC Memory line, as well as a compatibility guide which directs customers to the correct upgrades for nearly every Apple computer model manufactured over the past two decades, can be found in our online store.
"When you're running professional A/V editing, graphics production and server applications on a Mac Pro, you can dramatically increase its performance capabilities by simply adding more RAM," says Larry O'Connor, Founder and CEO, Other World Computing. "Even with the 2013 Mac Pros on the horizon, we will continue to work on Mac Pro upgrade options as these systems are far from done and often with much untapped potential. In addition to offering faster opens and saves of large files, general system responsiveness to operating tasks such as booting are greatly improved as well. Dollar for dollar, there's no better upgrade than adding more RAM."
Easily Improve Drive Performance Up to 5x
Mac Pro owners can take advantage of an available PCIe slot by installing the Mercury Accelsior PCIe SSD. Easy to install, no drivers required, this SSD offers speeds up to 688MB/s, over 2X faster data transfer rate performance than the maximum from an internal SATA connected drive. And, as the only Mac-bootable, Mac supported PCIe SSD available, Mac Pro owners can now also experience near instantaneous booting and application launches in addition to not having to wait for I/O-intensive apps like Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, or Avid Pro Tools to render, capture or process.
New Modern Video Cards/GPUs and USB 3.0 Connectivity
Unlike any other Mac that Apple has shipped in the last seven years, the Mac Pro's internal PCIe slots enable a variety of upgrade options. In addition to the PCIe SSD for applications that depend on GPU performance, a selection of Video Cards specifically for the Mac Pro 2008 and later enable the necessary capabilities for a fraction of the cost of a new system. Capabilities such as USB 3.0 and mini-SAS are also just an upgrade away.
For more information, visit:
http://www.macsales.com
IP Camera Recorder 2 for Mac Released
Rochester, New York based DComplex, LLC has announced the second generation of Camera Recorder, a major update to its popular video surveillance software for Mac OS X. Camera Recorder allows users to monitor up to 20 IP Cameras simultaneously on a Mac, record video from the cameras, detect motion, control PTZ and more. The companion free iPhone/iPad app allows users to instantly review motion events, remotely watch live video, search and playback recorded video.
Setting up a video surveillance system at home or an office has never been easier. IP Camera Recorder is an advanced yet easy to use video surveillance solution designed to use the best features of the Apple products. Remote connectivity allows user to record video from IP Cameras on one Mac and remotely review it using slick apps from another Mac, an iPhone/iPad or any computer.
Major improvements in version 2 include:
((*)) Added support for hundreds of models of IP Cameras
((*)) Improved web interface. Now all functionality of the Recorder can be controlled remotely from a Web Browser without installing any software/plugins
((*)) Improved Motion Detection. Now user can specify regions for ignoring motion, such as trees, etc.
With affordable Day/Night IP Cameras by camera manufacturers such as EasyN, Foscam (see Amazon.com), Mac users can now quickly setup a home surveillance system.
System Requirements:
((*)) Apple Mac computer with Mac OS X 10.6 or later
((*)) Supported IP Cameras. See the link for the details
IP Camera Recorder 2 software for Mac OS X comes with free 30-day trial. It can be downloaded for free from the DComplex website. Pricing depends on number of cameras. Price for 1 camera is $39.99 USD. Price for 4 cameras is $99.99 USD. The companion iPhone/iPad app: DComplex IP Camera Recorder Client, is available for free through the App Store in the Utilities category or through the link below. Existing IP Camera Recorder customers can upgrade their software to version 2 for free.
DComplex:
http://kb.dcomplex.com
IP Camera Recorder 2:
http://dcomplex.com/recorder/
Purchase IP Camera Recorder:
http://dcomplex.com/store/
DComplex IP Camera Recorder Client 1.10 (iOS):
http://goo.gl/T8NEFo
Trackback URL:
http://goo.gl/Y1rj6F
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