Ah...they asked business folks. Ok, I can agree with that. If you're talking pure business then companies larger than Apple SHOULD come in above.

At first I thought this was a consumer survey, which is why I couldn't understand Dell's high ranking. People like the fact that they can get computers inexpensively, but does anyone really LOVE Dell as a company?

But after reading the article, it makes sense.

...they really *do* have some great employees. When I lived in Austin I knew lots of Dell folks & subcontracted a bit for them even.

Bright folks down there, but they don't have much say in the company itself.

Yes this is basically about which companies have returned the best shareholder value (stock price increase and dividend) and have the lergest market cap.

Microsoft normally does well on these business person surveys but they don't get a mention in the synopsis. Their languishing stock price is part of it but mind share is evaporating too.

These guys think that "employee talent' refers to themselves (management).

I wonder if Enderle was one of the 'veteran analysts'

"We were very pleased with our 30 percent year-over-year revenue growth and our operating margin expansion," said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple's CFO.

"Its profits in this margin-squeezed business soared 15% in 2004, a feat that Dell makes look boringly routine,"

i guess a 15% increase is good, but apple's year over year expansion was 30%

i realize dell had more to start with, but in terms of growth, apple takes the cake

TRO

I guess these execs are admiring Dell for successful bait-and-switch tactics that we've recently read about (right here at TMO). If that's what it takes to be number one, they should be soooooo proud!

Darn that Apple for not fooling its customers too! It cost them the number one slot this year!

-Ken P

There is no mention of Apple in the Fortune European edition's "Worlds Most Admired". The Computer company list goes from no. 1, IBM with a score of 7.35, to no. 11, Fujitsu with 5.42. Dell is no. 3 and Microsoft no. 4 on the list. Europe never did care much for thinking different. Those who did emigrated to America a century ago.

Ha. The place and 75% of the people are a joke and not qualified to be running the business. The business model & marketing is what keeps the company alive.