For example, if you'd bought an Apple PowerBook G3 250 when it was released on November 10, 1997, it would have cost you a whopping $5,700.
Are you still using it? I didn't think so.
If you'd instead put $5,700 into Apple stock on that day, that investment would be worth...wait for it...I hope you're sitting down...$330,563. (My calculations came to $321,387 but that may be due to a selloff today.)
On the other hand, if you'd taken that $5,700 on November 10, 1997 and bought Microsoft stock, it would now be worth...$13,225. Dell ? $9,943.
The examples continue.
Did you buy the iPod for $399 on October 23, 2001 or did you buy stock that day? If you bought stock, that investment would be worth almost $12,000. Even if you waited until the iPhone debuted in 2007 and taken $499 to your broker instead of your Apple Store, you would have nearly tripled your money.
I ran the numbers on the iPad, which started at $499 when it debuted Saturday, April 3. If you'd put that money into Apple shares on April 2, and it would now be worth $551, which may be about break even if you consider sales taxes.