Just What is Too Much Cash?

There are a lot of things that having too much of, would definitely be a bad thing. Like too many Ho Hos, or too much to drink. But I can't think of a single reason why having too much cash on hand could possibly be a bad thing. Unless of course it's bulging out of my pockets and I happen to saunter into the wrong neighborhood. But besides that, I like the idea of having too much cash. I'm sorry, I just can't get the the phrase "too much cash" out of my mind. It's an oxymoron, like too much fun, or too much sex. Yet there are people out there castigating Apple for having too much cash. $18 billion dollars, to be exact.

Steve Jobs looks at it like a rainy day fund. Apple has been planning to build a much needed satellite campus. And Steve has been known to show trepidation and pause when he considers the $2 billion price tag, even though it is a mere drop in the bucket.

So, what should Apple do with $18 billion? Should they give it back to the investors, should they make some key acquisitions. Or should they just keep accumulating it for some really enterprising move?

-zach bass