????周一，投資機構Evercore Partners的羅伯特?希拉在發給客戶的蘋果（Apple）報告中直言不諱地總結了亞馬遜（Amazon）的Kindle Fire對平板電腦市場的影響：

????亞馬遜的Kindle Fire甫一上市便銷售強勁，一如人們的預期。但Kindle Fire也從側面證實，蘋果仍保持著市場的領先地位。值得一提的是，目前看來Kindle Fire是迄今唯一可能對iPad構成真正挑戰的平板電腦，雖然亞馬遜顯然需要將售價降至成本線才能做到這一點；更別提亞馬遜的成功可能讓其他營利性Andriod平板電腦原始設備制造商的路線圖化為烏有（比如，我們預計亞馬遜2012年將獲得Android平板電腦市場50%的份額）。與此同時，蘋果仍是唯一一家能在每個涉足領域均賺取最豐厚利潤的廠商，無論是平板電腦、智能手機，還是個人電腦。（強調：這只是我們的一家之言）

????希拉（曾在證券公司Caris & Co.任職）對蘋果公司當季的業績預期包括：

????? 將蘋果2012財年第一季度營收預期從394億美元下調至391億美元；

????? 將蘋果每股收益預期從10.28美元下調至10.26美元；

????? 將當季iPad銷量預期從1,500萬臺下調至1,400萬臺，理由是明年3月iPad新版本推出前，舊款iPad銷售渠道的庫存將縮水；

????? 將Mac銷量預期從500萬臺上調至520萬臺，主要根據是MacBook Air和Pro系列銷售強勁；

????? 將毛利潤率預期上調至41.1%，原因是iPhone對公司凈利潤的貢獻上升（iPhone當季銷量估計為3,000萬部）

????In a note to clients Monday about Apple (AAPL), Evercore Partners' Robert Cihra summarizes the impact of Amazon's (AMZN) Kindle Fire on the tablet market in stark terms:

????While Amazon's Kindle Fire has come out of the gates strong, as expected, we see Apple maintaining its competitive lead, if anything accentuated by what now looks like the only tablet to so far mount any credible iPad challenge apparently needing to do so by selling at cost; not to mention Amazon's success may just vaporize other "for profit" Android tablet OEM roadmaps (e.g., we est Amazon 50% of all Android tablets in CY12). Meanwhile Apple goes on as the only vendor able to cream off the most profitable segment of each market it targets, whether tablet, smartphone or PC. (emphasis ours)

????As for Apple's prospects in the current quarter, Cihra (formerly at Caris & Co.) has

????? Trimmed his Q1 2012 Apple revenue estimate to $39.1 billion (from $39.4 billion)

????? Trimmed his EPS estimate to $10.26 from ($10.28)

????? Trimmed his iPad estimate to 14 million units (from 15 million) to account for "channel inventory reductions heading into March's iPad refresh"

????? Raised his Mac estimate to 5.2 million units (from 5.0 million) on strong sales of the MacBook Air and Pro

????? Raised his gross margin estimate to 41.1% on the rising contribution of the iPhone (estimated sales this quarter: 30 million units) to the company's bottom line.