Apple vies with Kindle, netbooks on Amazon's Christmas chart
updated 12:10 pm EST, Sat December 26, 2009
Most gifted on Amazon a mix of Apple and ASUS
Apple has been one of the top-selling gifts in any category for Christmas this year, according to Amazon's charts. The 8GB iPod touch and its 32GB sibling are not only the second and fourth most gifted items in Amazon's electronics section but (as of press time) in second and third place among the online retailer's bestsellers in any category. They remain eclipsed only by Amazon's own Kindle reader for the top spot in either area.
The 8GB iPod nano is the only other Apple product in the most gifted electronics, sitting at eighth place. The most prominent competitors in the category are Cisco's HD-capable Flip cameras as well as two Garmin nüvi GPS navigators.
In computers, Apple occupies fourth place with the base 13.3-inch MacBook Pro and fifth with the new white MacBook. The two are the only non-netbooks in the top 10 as the rest include the top-selling, frequent favorite ASUS Eee PC 1005HA, three other ASUS netbooks and individual netbooks from both Dell and Samsung.
Apple has historically fared well on Amazon's charts, particularly during the holidays, but this year faces the unique situation of having to compete more directly with products outside of its own usual categories. The company is helped by Amazon selling iPods and Macs below Apple's official price, but netbooks have posed a significant risk to Apple as they have dragged down average prices for notebooks as a whole and have cannibalized sales of regular systems, especially ultraportables and low-end regular notebooks.
and the sales numbers are ...?
12/26, 01:17pm (1 reply) reply
And Bezos STILL refuses to tell anyone what the Kindle's sales numbers are.
joecab
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Apr 2004
Electronista... sigh....
12/26, 04:40pm (1 reply) reply
I remember when clicking a link in a Macnn article took me to the original story. In this case, a link to the Amazon chart with the most popular items. Instead, clicking on the 8 GB iPod nano link brings you to Amazons listing for buying a nano. What kind of journalism is this really? I realize that you generate revenue by click-throughs but this is ridiculous. Do you seriously think that any reader of macnn does not know how to buy a nano?
Meovv
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jan 2006
Netbook Return Rates?
12/26, 04:42pm reply
It would be nice to see netbook return rates.
It seems that I see fewer of these things around and more 13" MacBook/MacBook Pros.
Riding on Amtrak the other day walking through 4 cars to the café, there were 3 or 4 PCs, 1 netbook and a dozen Macs. A few years ago this was NOT the case.
JeffHarris
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Oct 1999
Re: netbook return rates
12/27, 05:31pm reply
While I don't doubt netbooks have a higher return rate, I for one love mine. And I see them all the time in the subway, in cafes, etc. Windows 7 is actually not that bad anymore although since netbooks are cheaper products with cheaper components, you can expect a higher failure or defect rate.
It's a shame Apple cannot find a way to create a full, open computing device in this size and price range and instead looks to be relying on their closed app market and interface. I for one would like to be able to watch hulu, netflix, amazon on demand but it doesn't look like Apple is interested in that.
cmoney
Dedicated MacNNer
Joined: Sep 2000
Re: Re: netbook return rates12/27, 05:31pm reply
12/28, 08:00am reply
Huh? "...I for one would like to be able to watch hulu, netflix, amazon on demand but it doesn't look like Apple is interested in that..."
Can watch all of those on my Mac. Get your facts straight!
sammaffei
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Sep 2004
re: hulu
12/28, 10:59am reply
try it on an iphone or the rumored islate. if the rumors are true and it's not much more than a large screen iphone, well good luck with any of those sites or playing flash games.
cmoney
Dedicated MacNNer
Joined: Sep 2000