Apple reported its highest quarterly income in nine years today, pepped by over two million iPod shipments. The iPod has also given regular folks a reason to go into an Apple Store, with the retail chain reporting revenues 95 per cent up year on year, and an $18m profit. The company reported revenue of $2.35bn for the quarter, and after a restructuring charge of $4m, net income was $110m.

Apple shifted 836,000 Macs, up nine per cent on the year. But G5 supplies are still constrained, which affected the PowerMac and iMac lines, CFO Peter Oppenheimer said. The company had expected margins to decline gradually in the longer term, as the iPod mini came into the mix; but margins in Q4 2004 nudged higher to 27 per cent. Executives declined to break out the iPod vs mini share.

Apple has set up "relatively small" direct sales force to take advantage of virus-weary corporates who might want to have a better look at Mac OS X, we learned. But it's too early to judge the success, said executives. ®

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