NPD: 48% of retail desktop revenue in US from Macs
updated 05:25 pm EST, Wed November 25, 2009
iMac, Windows 7 timing help Apple sales
Mac desktops represented nearly half of all desktops sold at US retail shops in October, the NPD Group said in a new study. About 47.7 percent of desktop revenue was from iMacs, Mac minis or Mac Pros, an increase from 45 percent in April and a sharp surge from just 33 percent in October 2008. Mac notebooks also saw a sequential gain from 30 percent in April to 34 percent last month, though this was a drop from 38 percent a year earlier.
Apple's newfound if relative parity in desktops is attributed both to its own timing as well as that of Microsoft. The release of the new iMacs on October 20th is likely to have given Apple a boost to its numbers, NPD industry analysis VP Stephen Baker noted. At the same time, Microsoft's own launch of Windows 7 just two days later triggered its own increase as customers waiting for the OS upgrade purchased their systems. Apple's higher notebook performance last year was helped by the launch of then-new unibody MacBooks and MacBook Pros.
Baker pointed out that Apple sales jumps aren't usually sustainable, as demand eventually cools, and that demand may have appeared higher as the economic crash in 2008 kept many from buying. However, he noted that Windows PC vendors' sales are often disconnected from new releases and that Microsoft likely saw an artificial slump from those who would have bought a PC earlier in the month without the new OS as an option.
The results are regardless a minor win for Apple as its average selling prices are still more than twice as high as for Windows-based computers. The average cost of a Mac desktop in October was $1,338, or 2.7 times the $491 for a typical Windows tower. A Mac notebook on average cost $1,410 versus $519 for common Windows pricing. Both sides saw average prices fall compared to a year ago, though this can be attributed to the economy pushing both Apple and Windows PC builders to offer better value at lower prices. [via BetaNews]
Huh?
11/25, 06:17pm reply
I thought the number was more like 5%. ???
iDaver
Grizzled Veteran
Joined: Nov 2001
Dave, that was market share.
11/25, 08:14pm reply
The 47% was revenue from sales - since Mac units are priced more than the PCs most buy (though this article is misleading - it quotes high Mac prices as averages but low PC prices as "typical" and "common" - statistically meaningless terms). This is decent news for Apple, and that 5% will likely grow if this keeps up. Even Ballmer now admits Apple is in their rear view mirror.
jpellino
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Oct 1999
48% Of Revenue Or Units Sold?
11/25, 09:19pm (1 reply) reply
Along with the thoughts that have already been expressed, there's a big difference between "48% of retail desktop revenue in US from Macs" and "Mac desktops represented nearly half of all desktops sold at US retail shops in October."
If Macs are, for example, twice the price as the average other computer, the number of Mac units sold would be close to one half of the other computer units sold in order for the Mac revenue to be close to other computer revenue.
DCJ001
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2007
48% Of Revenue Or Units Sold? (cont.)
11/25, 09:32pm (1 reply) reply
Based on the average selling prices of $491 for a Windows desktops v. $1338 for a Mac desktop, 2.725 times as many Windows desktops need to be sold to equal the revenue generated from one Mac desktop.
Average selling prices found at http://images.macrumors.com/article/2009/11/25/171150-us_asps.png
DCJ001
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2007
headline or first sentence?
11/25, 09:51pm reply
The first sentence of the article says "Mac desktops represented nearly half of all desktops sold..." so I'd say that needs to be corrected. It is misleading, even if they're talking about revenue being nearly equal, which I sincerely doubt.
iDaver
Grizzled Veteran
Joined: Nov 2001
Statistics sure can be
11/25, 11:30pm reply
misleading since they can be read so many ways. Apple surely can't be making that much revenue with the share price being what it is. It probably is just a minor bubble which will quickly pop. Sure, Apple is in Microsoft's mirrors... Those concave-type mirrors that magnify distant objects. People keep coming up with these articles that somehow make Apple seem much bigger than it actually is. Those figures sure do show a huge amount of "Apple tax." Not that I'd ever consider buying a $500 computer.
iphonerulez
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 2008
Revenue for retail
11/26, 02:02am reply
Total revenue for retail sales, local nameless system builders are not included.
Peter Bonte
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2001
it could be half the units
11/26, 04:56pm reply
look at what and when they are comparing. Last October and even Last April things were still on the down site with this near recession. Probably not that many computers sold at all. And due to higher prices probably not that many Apple's sold. Add to this that this year is the first time those mouthy geeks on the boards could buy an imac with a 'real' processor and the desktops could have an upswing.
Plus the latest Mac OSX can't be used on the computers that just went out of warranty so perhaps a number of hardware upgrades were encouraged by this.
charlituna
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Joined: Sep 2009