Coming Back To You -- It Didn't Take Long For World Leaders To Gain New Respect For The US -- T+5 -- November 13, 2016

First: Mexican president telephoned/tweeted his congratulations to President-elect Trump. He was the first foreign leader to send his congratulations, on T+1. On T+2 (November 10, 2016), it was reported that Mexico was ready to "re-negotiate" a "modern" NAFTA agreement.

Then: Canadian prime minister called to say he would like to "re-negotiate" NAFTA with President-elect Trump.

Today, T+5, Reuters is reporting that the Chinese foreign minister says his country is "ready to improve relations with the US." That pretty much says it all, doesn't it?

One can follow the "Trump Daily Thought" here. Some folks will read their Bible passages first: then the "Trump Daily Thought" for the day; and then, The Wall Street Journal. Or not.

Yes, coming back to you.

Coming Back To You, Leonard Cohen

*******************************

The Apple Page

This is perplexing. Apple is shipping its new display, an ultrafine 4K display, what everyone has been waiting for, along with a 5K.

But for the first time, it will not be an "Apple" display. It will not be the iconic aluminum case with distinctive Apple logo. It will be a "generic" black LG monitor.

Apparently, Apple is getting out of the display business. It is said that Apple partnered with LG, telling LG exactly what was needed and then stepped back, letting LG do the design and material -- apparently "plastic" rather than aluminum.

It is definitely a disappointment. The question has to be asked: what was Apple thinking?

Part of the answer is easy. Monitors are low margin "peripherals." Looking at margins / profits, it made more sense to outsource monitors completely.

The bigger question is whether Apple is risking losing its image? That's a tough one.

Mobile devices, including laptops, will still have the distinctive Apple case and logo.

It's very possible the thinking went like this:

• desktop work is utilitarian; not much need for "product placement" or for Apple advertising; doesn't contribute much to the "image issue"
• Apple is skating to where the puck will be ..... and that's mobile devices
• one wonders if the major buyer of desktop Apple computers aren't now large corporations
• large corporations prefer the "generic" black desktop monitors, especially if they cost half as much as the aluminum Apple monitors; one wonders if corporate sales were being hurt by -- or driven by -- corporate purchasing, and it was getting more and more difficult to sell upscale, high-priced, low-margin monitors to corporations, where the majority would be used by employees with little "need" for elegance
• as you re-read that last bullet and try to figure out what I just said, remember the relationship between IBM and Apple

The question is whether this decision will hurt Apple's iconic position among computer users, a question that is being asked by those commenting at the linked article. I don't think so.

As long as they don't go this route with mobile devices, Apple will do just fine.