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Apple's stronger than expected fourth-quarter results announced this week drove its market cap higher than venerable IBM's and confirmed the public has an almost insatiable appetite for products from the Californian company.

Apple has always had an uneasy relationship with the many websites devoted to covering its activities in minute detail. Sites like Apple Insider, Mac Rumours, ThinkSecret and 9 to 5 Mac help fuel the loyalty of Apple fans but that hasn't stopped the computer maker hitting them with cease and desist letters and other legal actions.

Apple Insider is one of the oldest sites covering the iPod maker, having been around since the late 1990s when only true disciples flew the Apple flag.

The upsurge in popularity of blogging and the sharp upturn in Apple's fortunes, which were only underlined this week, have breathed a new lease of life into the Insider, and it is now considered one of the most reliable sources of Apple news.

This week it highlighted some interesting facts buried in the Apple conference-call following its earnings - the most interesting of which was probably that the firm estimates that 250,000 of the 1.4 million iPhones sold to date will be unlocked to work on other phone networks.

As a blog that focuses as much on the business of Apple as its technology and services, this week's flow of information from analysts and investment houses has given Insider plenty of food for thought.

Insider doesn't shy away from the nuts and bolts of the technology, however.

An in-depth feature on the server version of Apple's new Leopard includes a highly-informative history of the server market which has relevance way beyond the Apple camp.

The site comes into its own during Stevenotes - disciple shorthand for Steve Jobs' keynote speeches at Apple events where he introduces new products.

With Apple looking set to become even more dominant right across the consumer electronics market, Apple Insider will become an even more essential read.