and potential customers believe that the relatively slower MHz rating or clock speed of the microprocessors it utilizes in its Macintosh systems compares unfavorably to those utilized by other operating systems and translates to slower overall system performance. There have been instances in recent years where the inability of the Company's suppliers to provide advanced PowerPC G4 and G3 microprocessors with higher clock speeds in sufficient quantity has had significant adverse effects on the Company's results of operations. In addition, currently IBM is the Company's sole supplier of the G5 processor used in current Power Macintosh products and Motorola is the sole supplier of the G4 processors. The inability in the future of the Company to obtain microprocessors in sufficient quantities with competitive price/performance features could have an adverse impact on the Company's results of operations and financial condition.

The Company relies on third-party music content, which may not be available to the Company on commercially reasonable terms or at all.

The Company contracts with third parties to offer their music content to customers through the Company's iTunes Music Store. The Company pays substantial fees to obtain the rights to offer to its customers this third-party music. Many of the Company's licensing arrangements with these third-party content providers are short-term in nature and do not guarantee the future renewal of these arrangements at commercially reasonable terms, if at all. Certain parties in the music industry have announced their intent to consolidate their music distribution operations, which could limit the availability and increase the fees required to offer music content to customers through the iTunes Music Store. If the Company is unable to continue to offer a wide variety of music content at reasonable prices with acceptable usage rules, or expand its geographic reach outside the United States, then sales and gross margins of the Company's iTunes Music Store as well as related hardware and peripherals, including iPods, may be adversely affected.

Third-party content providers and artists require that the Company provide certain digital rights management solutions and other security mechanisms. If the requirements from content providers or artists change, then the Company may be required to further develop or license technology to address such new rights and requirements. There is no assurance that the Company will be able to develop or license such solutions at a reasonable cost and in a timely manner, if at all, which could have a materially adverse affect on the Company's operating results and financial position.

The Company is dependent on manufacturing and logistics services provided by third parties, many of whom are located outside of the United States.

Many of the Company's products are manufactured in whole or in part by third-party manufacturers. In addition, the Company has outsourced much of its transportation and logistics management. While outsourcing arrangements may lower the fixed cost of operations, they also reduce the Company's direct control over production and distribution. It is