Firstly, I own Apple, GOOG & Meta amongst the FAANGS. I bought Apple because everyone I know owns one. I bought Google because my daughter told me I was an idiot to be looking at other search engines when Google was so obviously the best. And I bought Facebook because so many people and businesses I knew were using it - which I do not. I have ignored the terrible advice that a certain lady who runs a weekly financial magazine has been giving, telling her readers to sell these stocks every 6 months for about 5 years. Google controls about 80% of the online advertising market. It is a money machine. I didn't have a clue that they were making inroads into the laptop market, so many thanks for that. Google has about $125bn in net cash which it is using intelligently to test strategies in parallel markets where it has synergies, it hopes, with its core markets. Returns on investments are simply stunning, valuations seem to be low - free cash flow is around $70bn pa, forward p/e is as you say around 20, sales per employee around $1.5mn. I feel very confortable owning this stock and wish I had more.
99.9% of my personal laptop use would be well served by Android. I take Jeff's point about Excel and the requirements of a techie but on the move my use of Excel is light and I would use windows for any serious work. I assume the files are easily shared on G: Drive.
One question I should know; is software stored locally or does one have to be on-line to use it at all. For e.g. is is useful on a plane journey?
Good appraisal. Just to add that unlike a Windows machine, a Chromebook won't get slower over time. Also more secure against virus/malware etc.
And if you're a bit techy, you can easily create a Linux container, and install the software available to Linux users.
Firstly, I own Apple, GOOG & Meta amongst the FAANGS. I bought Apple because everyone I know owns one. I bought Google because my daughter told me I was an idiot to be looking at other search engines when Google was so obviously the best. And I bought Facebook because so many people and businesses I knew were using it - which I do not. I have ignored the terrible advice that a certain lady who runs a weekly financial magazine has been giving, telling her readers to sell these stocks every 6 months for about 5 years. Google controls about 80% of the online advertising market. It is a money machine. I didn't have a clue that they were making inroads into the laptop market, so many thanks for that. Google has about $125bn in net cash which it is using intelligently to test strategies in parallel markets where it has synergies, it hopes, with its core markets. Returns on investments are simply stunning, valuations seem to be low - free cash flow is around $70bn pa, forward p/e is as you say around 20, sales per employee around $1.5mn. I feel very confortable owning this stock and wish I had more.
AI should be the next leg of growth for Alphabet!
OK, I might just have to buy one now - Like a Lotus 7/Caterham I love quick and simple - and unlike the 7, cheap!
99.9% of my personal laptop use would be well served by Android. I take Jeff's point about Excel and the requirements of a techie but on the move my use of Excel is light and I would use windows for any serious work. I assume the files are easily shared on G: Drive.
One question I should know; is software stored locally or does one have to be on-line to use it at all. For e.g. is is useful on a plane journey?
Interesting. I'm looking to buy a laptop. Thanks Graham.
Hi Graham
What I want is a fast 11" Windows laptop that will run a full version of Excel.
Instead, the small laptop market has been taken over by Chrome tablets and Chromebooks.
These won't run a proper version of Excel.
Then even if I use google sheets, google have now made it very difficult to edit google script from Android. Far easier from a Microsoft device.
I would even prefer an Ubuntu laptop ahead of Android. Ideally, Android would be for my phone only.
Jeff