Apple vs. the World

When it comes to companies that compete with one another, ratio charts can provide a dynamic -- and statistically unbiased -- view of which company the market feels has the current advantage.

Below is a look at a few noteworthy head-to-head competitions that Apple is currently involved in.

While MSFT is triple the size of AAPL and has huge penetration in areas like OS, the chart below shows that investors have a very different take on which company is the better investment. After 5 quarters of duking it out, AAPL has sprung to a new high vs. MSFT. This suggests the following formula: iPhone+iPod+Leopard > Vista+Zune.







Regarding the iPhone vs. Blackberry, RIMM shouldn't be underestimated. The chart below shows that the market sees the iPhone as a distinct, consumer-oriented product that isn't going to eliminate Blackberry's business-oriented appeal. For now, investors are saying that there's room for both of these products in the handheld communication space. Once the iPhone is released, the line on the chart will likely start climbing however.







The consumer cellphone market is a very different story than that of the Blackberry. A look at AAPL vs. NOK and MOT shows that the current cellphone leadership is about to receive a major challenge from the iPhone. NOK is obviously regarded as the more worthy competitor.







In the computer segment, a comparison with DELL and HPQ clearly shows that AAPL is gaining ground in market share. DELL is more of a pure computer play, and the market share increase with Apple computers is easier to see. HPQ is a much better overall company, making those gains encouraging in a different way.







I'll update these periodically as things develop.

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