So does this mean we will see a Mac Pro at the same time as 10.7.3 or after?
I'd say doubtful... the new Intel Chips have been the hang up. I would say this means Apple probably has some early stock of the AMD and probably the Intel Chips in their labs for testing though as they prepare. Q1 is Jan-March.
(I don't and have not doubted a new Mac Pro was coming. Listening to analysts is silly. I think it has been more of an Intel delay issue, and the other rumor about Apple having consider AMD chips <that turned out to be stinkers> might have been another factor. The Pro Line sells, but not like hot cakes. People can get more longevity out of these machines, and with their prices, you don't upgrade every gen.)
Microsoft profits obscenely...what exactly are you talking about? Apple makes their money via targeting a very small portion of the market and charging a gross premium on what they offer. They sell a tiny share of the total phones in the market and have most of the profits. Can you not put 2 and 2 together and realize they are making massive margins on a relatively small number of people?
There are tons of successful companies in the tech industry. You talk as if Apple is the only one doing well, while the rest of the industry is a wasteland. That is far from the reality however.
I don't think that was the intent of the op's post to say Apple is the only one making money. I think what he was saying is they are the only ones making a good profit margin and money, and they kind of are.
You always hear about "We had X billion in sales!" Microsoft has had higher sales than Apple many a quarters... but Microsoft also made less profit, or in many cases even posted losses. Don't confuse a company's sales to their profits.
To be honest, the tech sector has turned into a bit of waste land. Every product category these days is being squeezed and generating lower margins. Look at HP's blundering with their PC unit. The why? It was low margin... but it was also high volume and though it was a chump change profit per machine, it WAS ALL THEIR PROFIT.
When Apple is garnering a 30-48% profit margin on hardware everyone else get lucky to see 7-12% on, yes, that is wildly successful. It is a company living in a thriving Oasis of cash while everyone else is in a desert with a bunch of mirages. Microsoft's only money makers are Windows and Office and the Xbox. If Microsoft were smart, they'd kill off almost every other unit they run. They don't make them money, they drain the value of the company... and instead they keep buying more dead end start ups and investing in areas they can't compete like Search and web portals. This is the polar opposite of Apple who for as large as they are, is very small. They don't spread themselves into senseless areas. Where HP is trying to cut of their arm to buy fat.... Microsoft waters themselves down by not cutting the junk and focusing on what they're doing well at.
I could throw out 100 other tech companies that are struggling in the same ways, but the stories are all the same. Why did the Flip Cam get a death when it dominated the market? Because a software company owned it, saw it was a penny profit, and said we'd be better in the long run leaner and focusing on our core. Sometimes I wonder how Dell stays alive. The bulk of their sales aren't the systems that make them money, they're the "we're practically giving these away and hope people are swayed to upgrade" systems. Sony? Wow, they've lost money steadily for awhile as well. Samsung lives a healthy life because they aren't reliant on their products, they also supply components to all their competitors for a win/win. Didn't buy our tablet? No biggie, the innards in theirs still made us money...