August’s TechTitans (or Apple is worth $620B)

A huge uproar has resounded throughout the internet the past few days, Apple is now worth more than $620B, the largest cash value in US history (not accounting for inflation both IBM and Microsoft have been worth more given inflation on given days). However, in an era in which most technology companies are experience minor, or stagnant growth, Apple is showing exploding profits and valuation.

So without much ado, here is today’s (21 August 2012) Tech Titan list according to their market cap (all valuations are from 10:00 EST).

At almost the sum of the next 3 technology firms, Apple’s Market Cap impressive

So what should we know from this? Well Apple’s stock has been surging as the rumors of iPhone 5 and iPad Mini congeal. Success of devices like the Amazon Kindle Fire and the Google (Asus) Nexus 7 have shown desire for 7″ tablets (and we can assume that Apple’s entry would compete well against both of them). As well, the iPhone 5 will debut with undeniably huge sales, again spiking the market cap of Apple.

Despite the huge leaps forward that Apple will inevitably see, there are some dark spots in their future. The first is the settlement of the Apple/Samsung trial going on right now. Despite the Judge’s best efforts, they could not manage to meet in the middle, and who knows how a jury will answer? Secondly, Google has used some of their recently acquired Motorola patents to file a complaint against Apple. This clash, which one writer has described as “Mutually Assured Destruction,” might become the Cold War of the technology age.