[than]

Apple deferred nearly a billion dollars in revenue due to the switch to free software. http://techcrunch.com/2013/10/28/apple-says-future-versions-...

[eltondegeneres]

For a moment there I thought Apple was switching to FSF-endorsed free software and I was very confused. The cost of OS X is built into the hardware so it's not like future versions will be free as in freedom or free of cost.

[than]

Right. Free as in free-with-purchase.

[MaysonL]

Or free as in free OS X upgrade for anybody who bought a Mac in the last few years...

[dingaling]

I know that accounting types like to use 'deferred', but to be clear Apple abandoned profit from software.

They did not defer it to a later date, they recategorised software development as a cost center.

[MaysonL]

And next quarter will defer almost a billion more than they did last year.