Innovation: money do not buy it

The macro topic, we put it narrow once: apple.

The past 11 years, from 2001 iTunes/iPod began, is called "I eleven years", we witness the "I" word throughout your generations of the beginning of products again cause exclaimed. These dazzling aura, attributable to the jobs, is the apple of the research team, the credit.

But in fact, relative to other technology companies, apple in the research and development (R&D) input is not big, but no doubt the biggest benefit. There are jobs genius talent factor, have apple "focus" strategy, and product less input less factors. We come to see asymco this group of information figure.

Beginning in 2006, to 2011 in the third quarter, apple in development input from less than $200 million increase to more than $600 million, with an average annual growth of more than 33%. But sales of research and development spending in the than but declined, from 2006 in to about 4% of falling to 2.5% below. Two reasons: sales revenue (the denominator) increase too fast, too slow growth funds for research.

Apple operation cost of sales revenue than in accounting for declined year by year, thanks to the supply chain, and other aspects of the management level of improvement, and various kinds of cost control efforts. Blue region is funding research and development in the case of sales income than, as previously mentioned, to drop.Compared with other technology company, apple over the past five years in development input is "stingy". Only in the HP and DELL between, far less than Microsoft, Google, bloated enterprise. In the hardware manufacturers in the ranks, also lower than SONY Ericsson, nokia (equipment and service department), samsung, RIM, SONY, HTC. Including nokia (equipment and service department) of funds for research into the sales reached 9.3%.

To apple for data base, New Year's day 12 months each company in development of investment is the apple is how many times? Nearly four times, Microsoft, nokia and samsung are more than three times, including SONY, DELL, RIM, HTC, Acer's research and development spending less than apple.

The horizontal axis shows the 5 year average for Chinese New Year development costs increase. Acer although of funds for research in the sales revenue accounts for only 0.1% of the than, but five years has increased by 100%. Funds for research into far greater than apple's Microsoft, samsung and nokia, five years growth is extremely low, the reason is their original base is very big. Especially, it is worth noting, Amazon in R&D input amount and increase with apple's most close, although everywhere in different industries, the most majestic demeanor.