However, the company's sales do appear to be slowing down, largely due to a tail-off of interest in the iMac, the very machine that has driven Apple's recovery over the past couple of years.
Howell's early season results were much as expected, but his mid - season tail-off had many wondering if the hype was deserved.
Of greater concern will be the sudden tail-off in money supply growth.
When Gloucester, one of the most community-oriented rugby clubs, stopped insisting that their players drink in the public bar, they found a significant tail-off in takings and a torrent of abuse from disgruntled supporters.
An update on second-quarter trading is due from Carphone Warehouse, where analysts are predicting a slight tail-off in the strong levels of growth seen in the first three months, and interim numbers are due from Game.
The tail-off was expected since punters get a bit edgy as to whether their gifts will be delivered in time for the big day.
The weekly John Lewis data revealed a sales tail-off towards the end of January and the official retail sales figures for January due out this Thursday are expected to show a 0.5% monthly drop.
The match distorted the normal Saturday trading pattern for city centre shopkeepers, with a busy morning's trade prior to the game but a quiet tail-off in the afternoon's business as shoppers got into party mood.
In most places outside the cities, there seems to have been a tail-off in investor activity, largely due to the slowdown in rental income.
Despite a sudden personality tail-off in his 20s after a severe fall, Wesley recovered in his 30s and composed his B flat major Symphony inspired by Haydn.
Once the PS3 is announced, Sony may also feel the PS2 will need refreshment in order to counter a potential tail-off in sales as consumers prepare to wait for the new machine.