People seem to think Apple is a big, risk-taking company. That is true, but the risks they take are calculated ones. The switch from IBM PowerPC to Intel x86 chips was a big risk at the time -- given the possibility of alienating Apple's customer base. The risks to branch out their product line from the Macintosh to the iPod, iPhone, and AppleTV were big changes. But even though these were game-changers, they still fit within Apple's core competencies. So, while Apple takes some big risks in some areas it is also conservative in others.