Forrest Gump went to his mailbox and opened a letter. In the narration voiced by Tom Hanks, Forrest states that Lt. Dan invested in “some fruit company” and that he didn’t have to worry about money anymore. Forrest says “Well that’s good. One less thing to worry about.” The setting was the mid 1980’s when this fruit company was at their apex. In the mid 1990’s they took a steady nose-dive.

About five years ago I pondered dropping $500 worth of money I had on Apple stock which was trading at about $20 per share. This was before the iPod/iTunes really hit its stride in the mainstream and OS X was the powerhouse it is now. Today they are trading at over just over $90 per share. About four years ago I plunked down cash for a widescreen G4 iMac which still works very well.

Apple now leads the market in digital music and video distribution. Numbers show that online music sales rose 65% while in-store sales dropped around 7% (a 10+ year trend). Apple controls the digital audio player market with an 85% share with the seamless iTunes/iPod interface. The transition to Intel chips in their entire computer line has made Windows a viable option for Mac owners. In fact Windows runs smoother on Apple machines, much to the embarrasment of Mr. Gates. Mac adoption rates have more than doubled in the past year as a result. Many users have been opting to stick with OS X and leave Windows behind.

Today Apple unveiled the oft rumored iPhone. It comes in 4gb and 8gb versions, runs OS X, iTunes, and is a cellphone with a myriad of connection technologies all run from a touchscreen. This is Apple’s Gleichanschaltung (coordination) at its finest. I have for nearly a decade now refused to purchase a cell-phone. I believe I may buckle for this one… eventually. I still hate cell phones.

I do not have any money right now to invest. But five years ago my $500 would have brought in $2,250 if I sold today. That would help me pay for the three tracks I just bought on the iTunes store.