Apple's Huge Fourth-Quarter Earnings: 10 Implications for 2012

5. Things will only get better this year

Apple's strong showing last quarter indicates that the good times are still coming for the company. The iPad will jump-start fiscal second-quarter sales, and if Apple launches the iPhone 5 later this year, that'll help next year's fiscal first-quarter financials. There's simply no downside for Apple investors right now.

6. Everyone is playing for second

There isn't a single company in the mobile market that can even come close to matching Apple's iPhone and iPad sales. In fact, it appears that Samsung, Motorola, HTC and others are all vying for second place in the smartphone market. Amazon is hoping it can cling to that spot in the tablet market. With such strong sales, there's no stopping Apple's dominance in the mobile space.

7. Expect Macs to steal serious OS market share

Although iPhone sales broke records last quarter, Mac sales were similarly impressive. Apple sold 5.2 million Macs during the fourth quarter, jumping 26 percent over the same period last year. With another strong quarter for Mac sales in its pocket, Apple can make the argument that it can take serious OS market share from Windows in the coming quarters. It's a fascinating development, considering how far Apple has come.

8. Apple might take down PC companies

It's worth noting that Apple sold more iPads last quarter than HP sold PCs. Is there a chance that Apple's Macs and iPads could start taking down PC companies? Believe it or not, such a scenario might be possible. Companies like Dell, Acer and Lenovo are trying to find their special place in the computing market now that tablets have changed everything. But so far, they've had trouble. If Apple's PC growth continues—and most analysts believe it will—those PC makers could be in for deep trouble.

9. Tim Cook can coast

Although CEO Tim Cook is being celebrated today for leading Apple to record-breaking sales, perhaps he shouldn't quite get all the credit. The products that helped achieve such strong sales were put in place when Steve Jobs was running the show. So far, it appears Cook is simply coasting. It might take quite some time before his own strategies impact Apple's income statement.

10. The iPhone is benefiting everything

As Cook pointed out during his company's earnings call on Jan. 24, the strong iPhone sales are starting to benefit all the other products his company sells. People who buy iPhones are buying iPads and Macs, and are using iCloud. They're also spending boatloads of cash on iTunes. The iPhone is central to Apple's success—and will be for the foreseeable future.

Follow Don Reisinger on Twitter by clicking here