Apple has had quite an impressive past few years.  Even as the overall US economy has slowed, Apple keeps delivering hit after hit (MobileMe notwithstanding).  Today's news is that Apple's market cap has passed Google's, the  Internet titan that emerged in the late 90s and grabbed up the majority of the search and related Internet ad market.  Apple, this year, has also passed IBM (only to get passed back by Big Blue), Citigroup, and HP.

The big target out there off of Apple's bow is Microsoft, valued currently at over a quarter of a trillion dollars and a 60% premium over Apple's  value.  However, with Vista floundering and a blown deal for Yahoo! we'd say it isn't impossible that Apple could catch its long time rival in the next few years.

It will be interesting to watch...