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Eugene Hoshiko/AP/Press Association Images

Apple on brink of becoming most valuable company on Earth

The company’s profits have soared ahead of the release of its new OSX Lion system – but a few people in China want a slice of the action…

PROFITS AT APPLE have soared by 124 per cent year-on-year – boosted by the sale of more than 20million iPhones.

“We’re thrilled to deliver our best quarter ever,” chief executive Steve Jobs told shareholders yesterday as the firm announced $7.31billion in profits. The figures saw the firm’s share price break $400 for the first time and brought it within touching distance of Exxon Mobil, the world’s most valuable company.

After-hours trading put oil giant Exxon’s value at $415billion by market capitalisation, with Apple just $55bn behind, its shares trading at $391 at the time of writing. The Guardian reports that Apple sold 20.34million iPhones and 9.25million iPads in the last quarter alone.

The company is set to release its latest operating system, OSX 10.7 or ‘Lion’, later today. The upgrade is expected to bring full-screen working, respond to multi-touch gestures on a laptop track pad, and a new autosave feature so users will never lose their work. The Guardian reports that it will be released via the App Store at 1.30pm Irish time.

Meanwhile, it’s emerged that enterprising businesspeople in China have taken knock-off goods to new heights by setting up an entire fake Apple store in the south-western city of Kunming. Tech blog Gizmodo reports that the outside of the store looks almost as slick as the firm’s trademark minimalist outlets – and is only given away by a number of telltale details, such as staff badges without their names.

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7 Comments
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    Mute conoraleckelly
    Favourite conoraleckelly
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    Oct 26th 2011, 9:57 AM

    The Kindle Fire looks good. I’ll watch Chris Pirillo & a few more tech reviewers on YouTube before I decide if I’ll buy the Kindle Fire. But in all honesty I can see myself buying the iPad 3. I have a kindle already and love it.

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    Mute conoraleckelly
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    Oct 26th 2011, 10:07 AM

    Also the Kindle Fire is out in the US in mid-November, Amazon have not told us when it will be released here in Ireland (as far as I know)

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    Mute Kelly McCarthy
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    Oct 26th 2011, 10:08 AM

    So can you buy one from the US amazon store and have it shipped over here?

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    Mute Alex simon
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    Oct 26th 2011, 10:57 AM

    No they wont post it

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    Mute Hugh Janus
    Favourite Hugh Janus
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    Oct 26th 2011, 11:24 AM

    You could, technically, arrange to have it delivered to a shipping company in the States and then have them send it to you. You’d have tax implications though.

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    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Barry O'Brien
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    Oct 26th 2011, 12:19 PM

    I have the option of having someone in the US send me a Kindle Fire but the problem is that the Amazon marketplace will not work without US credit card, meaning no apps, videos, music or book purchases. In other words, it’s useless here.

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    Mute Patrick Slattery
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    Oct 26th 2011, 3:35 PM

    @Barry O’Brien Not entirely, You can just root it.

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