Apple’s earnings soar as sales hit $3.24 billion

APPLE COMPUTER, maker of the iPod digital music player, said second-quarter earnings soared more than six-fold as the devices propelled sales and helped win new customers for more-profitable Macintosh computers.

Net income surged to $290 million, or 34 cents a share, from $46 million, or six cents, a year earlier, Cupertino, California-based Apple said in a statement yesterday. Sales rose 70% to $3.24 billion. The results topped Apple's forecast for profit of 20 cents on sales of $2.9 billion.

IPod shipments rose to 5.31 million players, and Apple sold 1.07 million Macs. Chief Executive Steve Jobs spurred consumer demand with the January release of the least-expensive Mac in the machine's 21-year history and a lower-priced iPod, a $99 version called shuffle that is helping woo first-time Mac buyers.