Congratulations, Apple

Everyone’s favourite fruit company [announced their best financial quarter ever](http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2006/jan/18results.html)  . They raked in US$5\.75 billion, around $US565 million of that was profit. They sold about 14 million iPods, which is about a million iPods per week, or about 100 every minute – over 200% more than last year.

In the same quarter, they sold about 1.2 million Macs, about 20% more than the year-ago quarter.

I’m trying to parse these numbers. It seems that “200% growth” means a threefold increase in numbers. If 0% growth means it’s flat, no change; then 100% growth would mean a doubling in numbers. Take what they did last year, and double it. So 200% growth would be taking what they did last year, and adding the doubled number to it.

They say iPods grew 200% and Macs grew 20%.

So on one hand, it’s a good thing that more people are buying Macs. Hooray for that. However, I need to question whether the “halo effect” is as prominent as they say it is.