they could have just asked us, we could have told 'em...

This is probably my favorite headline we've ever posted.

The top company in the world is a TOY MAKER.

Thus the universe is better off as a result.  Never forget this day.

If you look at the top 3 companies (Nintendo, Google, and Apple) they all have one thing in common: a focused market and they aren't a conglomerate that branches out to many different business focuses. 

Nintendo maybe like that but Google and Apple are definitely spreading their resources.

To be 100% honest, I'm still not sure how Google makes so much money.
They don't sell anything. they just print and distribute money.
Everything they make, they give away for free.
Lots of things they make are usually simpler version of things other companies try to charge an arm and a leg for, and they execute it better for free(maybe not quite as feature rich, but it does what it needs to).

Advertising.

Look at this page. There's a link called Ads by Google. Their platform is amazing.

If you allow Google to put ads on your site, you can the generate cash from Google; the more hits, the more cash. But what's really genius is that Google will in turn send more hits your way through it's search engine. If you have a shit ton of hits, then Google bumps you up to the beloved FIRST PAGE which then allows you to get even more hits and make even more money; all of which, Google gets a massive cut of. They basically run internet advertising.

Sigh, just another day at Microsoft-Sony-Nintendo World Report?! Wait, Pro-Nintendo commentary from NWR staff? Is today opposite day or is it Armageddon?

Run for the hills!

I understand they do lots of advertising placements in the internet, but they were filthy stinking rich before that. They had a search engine and their stock went public at $400+ a share then over several years they took over advertising. But how... I just don't understand.

Next they are bringing out an OS, they already have a browser.
A cell phone, an e-mail client, word processing software, image storage software, you name it they probably have some form of it and all for FREE. They are aiming to take down the software giant MS with nothing but money from searching the internet and placing adspace on as many sites as possible. It's incredible. I want to know how it was done.

People gave them money.

Yo....the internet is way more versatile than any other form of media. If you have the best way to find information and the best way to retain revenue, your completely golden. That's why their stock is 300+. Plus, FREE isn't really free. It's all adspace.

Stogi's right.  Google's stock price is so high because they have the eyes of the world on them.  People are buying Google stock because the company has the potential to make a lot of money.  Google's current P/E ratio (the comparison of current stock price to last year's profit-per-share) is pretty bad.  But investors don't care because the potential is there for the company to absolutely blow up (in the good way) even more than they already have.  Google gives away a lot of its stuff for free because the more people look at Google the more potential they have to turn those page views into profit.

My htc phone by google wasn't free... :(