Why I Continue to Buy Apple Stock

Are you wondering when the Apple "bubble" will burst? Don't hold your breath!

I've been buying Apple shares for a long time, even at today's high prices. As the stock pushes ever upwards, I'll continue to buy on the dips. That's right! Each time the stock falls by 5%, I take the opportunity to buy more shares at a discount.

Below are some of the reasons why I continue to buy Apple (AAPL) stock:

1. As a programmer, computers are what I know. If you don't know what I'm talking about, read a Warren Buffett book. Buy only what you know!
2. Although Apple develops some nice software, they are fundamentally in the hardware business. This gives them a tremendous long-term advantage over software companies, such as Google. The "barrier-to-entry" is much higher for hardware than it is for software. Millions of geeks worldwide are trying to create the next Google, but how many people do you know who are trying to create the next Apple? Google buyers beware.
   
3. Apple is currently under-valued because of the "scared of big numbers" effect. Investors often get scared when a stock rises above $150, $200, or $300. They say things like, "I'd never pay such a high price for shares in any company." These people are missing the point. The price per share has nothing to do with it. If the stock split 2/1 tomorrow, the price would fall by half, and the number of shares would double.
   
4. Macs are making a comeback. Every programmer I know is in the process of switching to the Mac. In my years of experience, whenever there's a shift in the programmer population, the general public follows a few years later. If you want to know the future of the computer business, watch what the developers are doing.
5. Apple completely owns the platform. It's not like Windows, where Microsoft only makes a percentage of a new computer purchase. When you buy an Apple product, Steve Jobs takes control of your product experience. And people love Steve, so they willingly let him do this!
   
6. Apple is using their ownership of the platform to lock in customers for life. Just try playing your iTunes library on a non-iPod device. Or try using an iPhone/Safari app on a Motorola phone. It ain't gonna happen!
   
7. iPhone is just getting started. Apple's recently reported earnings growth was great, but it only included the very beginning of iPhone revenue. Just wait 'til the Canadians, French, Germans, Japanese, etc., start buying iPhones.

How to Get Promoted to Management

Are you trying to get promoted, but not getting anywhere? Here's a simple method that will help you get promoted to management.

The key is to stop thinking about yourself. Think about your boss instead. Realize that he's just like you. He probably likes his job about the same amount as you do. Maybe he has a wife and kids at home. Maybe they're saving up for a new house, or trying to get to retirement as quickly as possible, or trying to increase his vacation days.

Begin by talking to your boss about this stuff. Find out what he really wants. It will improve your relationship with him, and it will give you a secret weapon: cooperation.

In order to get promoted, you first need to make your boss' job position vacant! If you're working in a typical top-down company, the most likely promotion will be to your boss' job. So, unless you find a way for him to get promoted, you're out of luck!

Ask your boss, "what do I need to do to get you promoted", and at the same time, begin learning how to do his various tasks. When he gets promoted, you will be the natural replacement. If you're friendly with him, maybe he'll recommend you to take over his position.

And with that promotion, you'll make more money!

How I Became a Programmer: Part 1

My story begins in a small Mennonite town in Southern Manitoba, a Canadian province dead-center in the middle of North America. It was 1986, and one cold December afternoon my dad came home with a Commodore 64. He had borrowed it from the elementary school, where he was a teacher. My two brothers and I looked with amazement as the machine was set up, and we thumbed through the box of disks. Dig Dug, Ghostbusters, Galaxian, and about 40 more games. We were completely mesmerized. We knew exactly how we'd be spending our Christmas holidays.

This wasn't the first time I had used a computer. My 5th grade teacher was the "AV guy" at my school, and we had an Apple IIe in our classroom. I don't remember much about it, but at the time I instinctively knew that computers were a big deal. There was something about it that was ten times cooler than anything else in the school. "Bank Street Writer" was the name of the word processor we used on the Apple IIe. Anyway, it wasn't until decades later that I learned how revolutionary that computer really was. Steve Wozniak was a genius.

Back to the Commodore 64. Because the computer was such a big hit that Christmas, the following year we got our very own Commodore 64C. The 64C was mostly the same as the original 64, but with a more aerodynamic case. Also, the SID sound chip had only 3 voices instead of the 4 voices of the original.

Stay tuned for Part II!

Welcome!

This is my first post to The Wealthy Programmer. Stay tuned for inspiring and educational tips on becoming a successful professional programmer.