Apple Is on A Roll

Apple is on a roll, and the numbers at the end of the first quarter prove it. The Cupertino based company had a revenue of $5.7 billion, a lot more than Apple itself expected. The forecast made in October was for $4.7 billion in total revenue, but this was easily topped as iPod shipments tripled and computer purchases topped 1 million.

The company's retail stores had sales of more than $1 billion, and overall, Apple sold 12 million iPods over the holiday season, ending all concern that it simply does not have enough production to meet the huge demand and overcoming much of the supply shortages.

"The iPod number was shocking," said Piper Jaffray & Co. analyst Gene Munster, who had been expecting 11 million units sold during the holiday shopping season.

The iPod interest has been splilling over onto the company's computers and Apple sold 1.25 million Macs in the quarter that ended on the 31st of December. This is the fifth consecutive period in which Mac shipments exceed the million mark.

The company has also sold 8 million videos through the iTunes Music Store, since the content was added in October, and over 850 million songs through the service.

Shares of the Cupertino, California based company rose $4.81 (6.3 percent), to $80.86 at 4 p.m. New York time in Nasdaq Stock Market composite trading. The stock more than doubled last year and tripled in 2004.