AOL Money & Finance Hot Sheet Lists also Feature Cupertino's CEO
| by Joe Leo, Columnist |
NEWS FEATURE: 12.27.07-- As the year winds down and a new one begins in just a few, the list of hot items, hot people, you name it--the hot lists of the year--gets published by various media entities. On the radar of AOL Money & Finance this year is one company whose temperature hasn't dropped since they dropped their own ball two weeks into the 2007 year.
The party at the Big Apple would pale in comparison to the one celebrated all-year round by the formerly-beleaguered-company-now-No. 3: the big apple themselves... Apple, Inc.
AD: Find any of the Apple products mentioned in this piece--from the iPhone, to the [Apple]TV, even classic PowerBook G4s!--and the lowest prices and latest deals & bundles on each, by going to Mac Prices.
For the "Top Departures of 2007" out of a list of 21 persons, places, and/or things that we're not supposed to expect to see anymore (and no, unfortunately, Microsoft and Windows weren't on that list), three companies are worth mentioning because of their direct--or indirect--ties to Apple and just what that departure means.
At No. 15 on the list is the brand name Cingular. You don't need a lesson on that one. If you do? E.T.? Better phone home!
Cingular would become AT&T and the transition started at this time last year. The final nail in the coffin took place in June, just around the time the iPhone came out. Thus, the significance to Apple. Of course, you'll remember that Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone at Macworld 2007, Cingular was announced as the exclusive provider, before they became AT&T.
Coming in at No. 12 is CompUSA. Some would say "good riddance" and no tears shed for the geeks in the red shirts, but we need to remember that before there was ever an Apple Store at the retail sector, they were the place--the only place--you could buy Apple products in a national retail chain. With Apple Shops inside their stores, it was Mac heaven.
After purchasing the Good Guys! chain to expand its presence, the merger lasted for a bit, eventually turning into major store closures across the nation, leaving only 103 of the 244 nation-wide. As of this month, that number becomes zero. (It was fun while it lasted).
Topping the list at No. 5 is Nintendo's GameCube. While no direct reference to Apple--or any ties to Apple for that matter--can be found on the surface, some say (including this columnist who agrees) that Nintendo closely watches what Apple does and incorporates it into their product line. Hence, the GameCube being released a while after the PowerMac G4 Cube.
Furthermore, rumors late in 2007 of Apple partnering with Nintendo to possibly turn the [Apple]TV into a type of gaming console along with the other media-capable features makes the thought quite interesting.
The only "Mac" on the list of departures? Not even an Apple product at all. No. 2 on the list is the golden arches' McRib sandwich, the other big mac that didn't quite market so well. (Kind of like the G4 Cube... looked good--tasted good to some, the sandwich!--but never took off).
So where is Microsoft on that list? Some would bet their money on Vista being something that should be taking an exit stage right. Speaking of money...
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In the AOL Money & Finance section of AOL.com, three of the features contain the Cupertino, CA-based company in various shapes and forms. From its products to its CEO (of course), Apple is no stranger to top ten lists. So we'll start with the less obvious.