The initial public offering of Facebook is one of the most eagerly awaited events that I have witnessed in my 30 years in the market. In the same 30-year period, I have seen very few companies accomplish what Apple has accomplished.
I’d say that the probability is very high that Facebook will beat Apple hands down where it counts–return on investment–and that Facebook stock purchased in the IPO may beat the return on Apple over the next four years.
Let’s compare the two
Recreation
Sometimes a unique set of events give birth to an enterprise in a manner that it cannot be recreated. Facebook is one of those enterprises. Given any amount of talent and money, Facebook cannot be recreated.
Google (GOOG) has proven the point with Google+. Google has the talent and the money. Google+ is very well done. In my analysis, the design of Google+ is better than that of Facebook in several respects.
Since Google is still the predominant search engine, there is a significant incentive for those who want to show up in Google searches to be an active member of Google+. Facebook simply cannot match this incentive. All of this has helped Google+ to attract about 125 million members in a very short period of time. Even with all of its advantages, Google+ is an online ghost town compared to Facebook.
Apple is unique in many ways but not in the aspect of recreation. Samsung is nipping on the heels of Apple. Several competitors are capable of making offerings on par…Read more at Forbes