Apple, even with Steve Jobs overseeing instead of commanding, is way too smart to push a new-generation product into Q4 of a terrible worldwide economic season. To AAPL's credit, they have a better POR.
They are OK if their competitors make dumb mistakes, but not Apple. That is a major part of why they financially rule the CE world.
Have you noticed that AAPL is not your typical GE-type huge-cash-company trying to grow as a finance company? Steve jobs and all the folks he trained are too smart for that. That's why they continue to be world-class.
