Now that Steve is gone they no longer know what to do with their money. The current management rather then reinvesting the money in the company will simply squander it away by giving it back to stock holders. I'm sure that in a couple of years, when Apple actually starts needing this money, everybody will realize how stupid it was to give away their war chest.

Really, that the current CEO could not think of anything better than to give money back to the stock holders tells me that Apple is now doomed. The guy has no imagination. This move is so typical for a numbers guy. Steve would never have done that. At least not to this extent.

Right now Apple is simply running on inertia but once the momentum is over I expect the entire company will collapse.