backtop

Print E-mail del.icio.us 110 comment(s) - last by KoolAidMan1.. on Jul 7 at 1:51 AM

The new 13.3" MacBook Pro  (Source: Apple)
Mac shipments to increase in the wake of new MacBooks

Apple recently announced aluminum unibody refreshes of its 13" and 15" MacBook Pros at its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC).  The new laptops' highlights include Apple's aluminum unibody design and new high performance batteries which offer up to 7 hours of battery life on a charge, and a 5 year reported lifetime.  

Notable downsides include the hardware specs being lowered slightly in the base models and the battery no longer being user replaceable.  The base models of the 13" and 15" notebooks retail for $1,199 and $1,699 respectively, down from $1,299 and $1,999 for the previous base models.  

According to Kathryn Huberty, a financial analyst at Morgan Stanley, the new MacBook Pros have helped propel Apple sales to grow at a faster rate than PC sales.  Apple reportedly posted a 25% month-to-month increase in Mac shipments in May, while the entire market only saw modest 1 percent growth.  

Ms. Huberty cites Apple stepping up its shipping, its new models and a recovering economy as factors in the company's revived growth.  She now predicts a quarter to quarter growth rate of 12 percent, having upped her estimates from sales of 2.5 million units to sales of 2.4 million units.

The previous quarter Apple had experience an uncharacteristic drop, seeing sales dip 3 percent from the previous year.  However, it should be noted that the PC market as whole dipped 3.1 percent, so this drop was not unusual.  Apple's better-than-average turnaround has been helped greatly by offering lower base-priced systems with slightly lower hardware specs.  Apple has cut up to $850 off its older systems, which are also selling well.

There are estimated to be over a billion PCs in the wild compared to approximately 30 million Macs, giving Apple an estimated 3.5 percent marketshare.  Despite posting better growth than PC manufacturers, as a whole, Apple still trails them in quarterly shipments and was only the fourth place manufacturer in terms of unit shipments in recent market studies, with HP, Dell, and Acer accompanying the top three spots.

Comments     Threshold


This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
Credit to Apple
By retepallen on 7/3/2009 10:07:02 AM , Rating: 5
We may moan that they sell expensive product, but full credit goes to them for reducing their pricing.

Their machines may not be for me (or most people who read this site), but they do deserve a bigger market share to compete vs microsoft based PC's. Perhaps then this will drive apples pricing down further (lower % margin with higher sales to offset development costs) and bring about a large scale competitor to Windows.




RE: Credit to Apple
By koenshaku on 7/3/2009 10:11:49 AM , Rating: 2
You are right they are good at over priced products that look sleek and have a cult fellowing kudos to Apple.


RE: Credit to Apple
By icanhascpu on 7/3/09, Rating: -1
RE: Credit to Apple
By retepallen on 7/3/2009 11:47:03 AM , Rating: 2
As opposed to one being sold with Linux on.


RE: Credit to Apple
By fsardis on 7/3/2009 12:26:46 PM , Rating: 5
it is what 89% of the world uses. you know, the stuff that really works and needs no adverts to prove it.


RE: Credit to Apple
By estv93 on 7/6/2009 4:03:01 PM , Rating: 3
There are multiple types of Personal Computers , or " P.C."'s . The only ones still relevant today for home use are Apple-compatible P.C.'s and IBM-compatible based P.C.'s .
Apple did a good job of misrepresenting the P.C. term with their Mac vs. P.C. ads . I in no way hate Macs ( I actually have an old G4 still ) , but I do dislike companies that try to creatively twist wording , etc. for their own financial gain .
Apple portrays their Personal Computers as being something that is in no way like the competition , yet they use parts from the same manufacturers , some of which I could take out of my Mac and put in one of my non-Mac P.C.'s
The ads I mentioned before remind me of political smear ads . Research also shows that 90% of people who responded favorably to them were already Mac users . All they did for me was make me less likey to buy another Mac again , unless it was on sale at 80% off maybe .
Everything has a ripple effect , and you can alienate potential customers with propaganda-ish ads just as easily as attract them .


RE: Credit to Apple
By thekdub on 7/3/2009 11:26:42 AM , Rating: 5
quote:
We may moan that they sell expensive product, but full credit goes to them for reducing their pricing.

From what, ludicrously expensive to ridiculously expensive?


RE: Credit to Apple
By Laereom on 7/3/2009 1:17:25 PM , Rating: 2
It's still an improvement. Maybe they'll go from ridiculously expensive to crazily expensive next.


RE: Credit to Apple
By quiksilvr on 7/3/2009 5:12:08 PM , Rating: 1
It will go from ridiculously expensive to lightly expensive.


RE: Credit to Apple
By Spivonious on 7/6/2009 9:13:14 AM , Rating: 2
Don't know why you're rated down.

Spaceballs clearly shows that it goes from sub-light, to light, to ridiculous, to ludicrous.


RE: Credit to Apple
By inperfectdarkness on 7/3/2009 2:31:43 PM , Rating: 5
"TOO SLOW! We'll never catch them at that speed. We'll have to go directly to....LUDICROUS SPEED!!!"

/dark helmet


RE: Credit to Apple
By headbox on 7/3/09, Rating: -1
RE: Credit to Apple
By AEvangel on 7/3/2009 3:56:47 PM , Rating: 2
Actually you would see a Million Kawasaki 250z Ninja's.


RE: Credit to Apple
By justsomeone on 7/3/2009 5:03:52 PM , Rating: 4
If you want to pay someone a ridiculous price to pre-load these recording/editing programs (that are decent... not the best) then have at it. At about $80 I'd much rather use Sony Vegas which smokes iMovie. If I made seven figures I'd still do the research and pick out my own programs and build a computer myself. I make close to six now which isn't that much but plenty enough to afford a Mac if I wanted one. We're all different though, which is what makes the world go round.


RE: Credit to Apple
By someguy123 on 7/3/2009 5:18:27 PM , Rating: 3
i'd imagine that if you were making good money you'd be intelligent enough to figure out the simple task of installing software on to your computer.


RE: Credit to Apple
By TSS on 7/5/2009 12:37:58 PM , Rating: 3
logic does not equal reality.


RE: Credit to Apple
By Boze on 7/3/2009 5:21:37 PM , Rating: 5
Macs come out of the box with the best software to do that?

Well I just went over to the Apple Store and clicked on the $1799 iMac with a 24" screen.

The HD family movie software you're talking about is Final Cut Express 4... I guess. The recording music software you're talking about is Logic Express 8, I guess? Those programs are both $199. And for the photos, Aperture 2, also $199.

Well, that puts us up to $2400, but I'm okay with that. Not a big deal. If we pick up a MacBook Pro we might could shave that down to $1900 to $2000, and that fits your scenario well. You also mentioned photo books. I guess you mean a photo album or a scrap book or some such; I'm assuming you don't actually mean the average home user is making high-resolution photography books like National Geographic's "The Pictures".

And now dear viewers, its the rebuttal phase of this post:

Photography and Video Software:
Adobe Photoshop Elements & Adobe Premiere Elements - $179 from Adobe.com
Audio Software:
Adobe Audition 3 - $349

Still under the $600 price tag of the Apple software. Keep in mind there are plenty of free and lower cost applications that are likely just as good. Many Windows users swear by Audacity, and it costs... oh yeah, nothing.

Now let's get on to the hardware, which I hate debating because by now everyone knows you can get more hardware for less money on a Windows PC.

I configured a little system over at Dell just because I knew it would be quick and easy...

Intel Core i7 940 Processor
6 GB of Tri-channel DDR3 1066Mhz memory
640 GB hard disk 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s
ATI Radeon 4850 512MB
blah blah effing blah...

Preloaded with the Adobe Premiere & Photoshop Elements I mentioned, all for $2001. Add on the $349 Adobe Audition 3 and you hit the $2400 or close to.

So for the same amount of money at the end of the day, you end up with Adobe programs, a much faster processor, more memory, an upgrade to Windows 7.

You talk about people caring about price and performance, when the reality is, people really care about what makes them look "cool" and what allows them to be lazy.

This is what always has and always will separate truly exceptional people from the also-rans in life.

People wonder why So-And-So's photos look sooooo much better than theirs. Because So-And-So read the manual for his camera. Because So-And-So did some research on the best photo printer to print them out on. Because So-And-So read the manual or watched the tutorial videos for his software that he used to touch up the photographs.

People wonder why So-And-So's home movies look stunning and sound amazing. Because So-And-So did the same thing he did with the photographs. He (or she) read manuals, watched tutorials, maybe did a little research.

All the software known the mankind, and all the Apple hardware on Planet Earth will not take Joe & Jane WannabeTrendyAndDon'tGiveADamn's photos and videos look like a James Cameron movie or an Ansel Adams photograph. That only comes with a little bit of GIVE A DAMN. And I don't see how spending a price premium on hardware and software will make you give a damn.


RE: Credit to Apple
By Pirks on 7/3/09, Rating: -1
RE: Credit to Apple
By Boze on 7/3/2009 6:30:43 PM , Rating: 5
Uh... okay...

Complex user interfaces with non-intuitive controls... I can think of a few those.

Autodesk Maya Unlimited . I have sat down on a machine with this software loaded up and I thought I was preparing to fly the space shuttle. Yet its used in movie and game production with the results being some of the most amazing games and movies we've ever seen.

You've got it exactly opposite... the more complex the user interface, the more amazing your creative results can be.

Why do you think those enormous sound mixing boards are used in the most professional recording studios?

No matter what you want to do in life, you're going to get out of your tools whatever effort you put in to learn how to use them.

If you spend 10,000 hours playing a piano, practicing every day, chances are you'll end up a master pianist. If you spend 10,000 hours learning how to use Adobe Photoshop and everything it can do, chances are you'll be a master at that.

But then again, your comment is exactly what I would expect from someone who buys a Mac and most Mac users. "I want something easy that I don't have to think about, just let me mash buttons and get results, I don't have time to think. I can't think ... I can't learn. I don't have the time."


RE: Credit to Apple
By Pirks on 7/3/09, Rating: -1
RE: Credit to Apple
By someguy123 on 7/3/2009 7:01:28 PM , Rating: 3
the world has become such a sad place when people consider being a professor a poor occupation.


RE: Credit to Apple
By Pirks on 7/3/09, Rating: -1
RE: Credit to Apple
By 67STANG on 7/4/2009 4:26:52 PM , Rating: 5
Do you actually believe what you type? Crawl back under your bridge.

I'm still trying to get DT to start your posts off at a -1 rating to save us the trouble.


RE: Credit to Apple
By Pirks on 7/5/09, Rating: -1
RE: Credit to Apple
By shortylickens on 7/5/2009 12:48:48 PM , Rating: 2
You're not very intelligent. You dont use sound logic in your arguments. You get angry when people try to point out how ridiculous you sound.
Either you're a very advanced 8 year old, a typical 12 year old, or a sad 20 year old.

Its OK. We dont hate you. We see it all the time.


RE: Credit to Apple
By ImSpartacus on 7/5/2009 8:30:58 PM , Rating: 3
Pirks isn't an 8 year old, 12 year old, or twenty year old. He's the Lexus - Apple liaison.


RE: Credit to Apple
By dark matter on 7/5/2009 8:44:47 PM , Rating: 1
Really, you were there at the dawn of civilisation. There are stories that even back then the Apple was poison, but yet Adam still ate it up. Relation of yours is he?


RE: Credit to Apple
By KoolAidMan1 on 7/4/2009 1:53:49 AM , Rating: 3
quote:
You've got it exactly opposite... the more complex the user interface, the more amazing your creative results can be.


You are confusing a deep application with a needlessly complex UI. The complaint that power users have with user interfaces isn't that they are complex, it is that they are not intuitive and (important!) do not behave consistently.

An application may have superficial complexity (ie - Maya) but that is only because you are unfamiliar with the software or its functions. It looks complex to you because you don't understand it. Be sure though that the interface has consistent behaviors and paradigms for the experienced user.

This is different from the complaint you will hear from some people about Windows (especially Vista), which is that the UI unnecessarily obfuscates functions through a system that is more complex than it should be. Something simple like changing user permissions for a file that takes only two steps in OS X literally takes five to six steps in Vista, and that's only if you know EXACTLY which tabs and submenus to go to.

Compare Saved Searches in Vista with Smart Folders in OS X, same thing, Windows has an implementation that makes no sense and ends up being significantly less robust and powerful than Smart Folders are. I can assign nearly 100 parameters to a Smart Folder, easily . Saved Search is like a toy that didn't come with an instruction manual and ends up not working properly once you've finally figured it out.

I like Vista because it is rock stable and doesn't rot, for a place to house applications its great, but the job MS did on its UI is ridiculous. I'm thrilled that they streamlined and cleaned it up bigtime with Windows 7.

Anyway, Maya is a complex piece of software but it doesn't unnecessarily hide functions behind redundant or unnecessary layers of UI that don't need to be there. Same with something like Final Cut Studio or Motion (or Office 2007 for Windows for that matter).

You are confusing superficial complexity with usability. A deep application like Maya or Photoshop will have many many many functions, absolutely, but that doesn't automatically mean that they have inefficient user interfaces. They have to be efficient if artists are going to do any work on them, especially on a deadline.


RE: Credit to Apple
By gescom on 7/5/2009 7:27:56 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
An application may have superficial complexity (ie - Maya) but that is only because you are unfamiliar with the software or its functions. It looks complex to you because you don't understand it. Be sure though that the interface has consistent behaviors and paradigms for the experienced user.

quote:
Anyway, Maya is a complex piece of software but it doesn't unnecessarily hide functions behind redundant or unnecessary layers of UI that don't need to be there. Same with something like Final Cut Studio or Motion (or Office 2007 for Windows for that matter).


Exactly, after using Maya since the very beginning in 1998 and TDI Explore years before, I think you really need a few months before Maya's GUI become less scary and after 2-3 years you don't really think about it any more.
In fact I'd say when you get used to it, it's just like painting on a big canvas - purely fun, spending much time on creativity without thinking about how-to functionality. Fortunately Maya's GUI can be then completely clean of icons, lines,... Anyway, TDI Explore's GUI on Irix was (with its minimalism) still an orgasm comparing to Maya's - I had the feeling that a Monitor Panel was a three-dimensional hole. Space, Love and a Magnet :). On the other side that interface was simply "locked".
Personally I think the importance of GUI is relevant as far as I'm able to manipulate with it according to my needs and wishes, on both levels - complexity and simplicity.


RE: Credit to Apple
By KoolAidMan1 on 7/4/2009 1:36:21 AM , Rating: 1
He is actually talking about the iLife applications. iMovie HD and Garage Band both come included with the machine. Both are excellent and simple to use applications for their respective purposes.

Second, price out a Dell XPS One against a 24" iMac (we are comparing all-in-ones, after all). For $1500, the iMac has a faster CPU (2.66ghz C2D versus a 2.2ghz C2Q, and yes, I prefer two faster cores over four slower ones, same reason I bought an E8400 for gaming instead of a Q6600 for my PC), a much faster GPU (nvidia 9400M versus Intel integrated), double the hard drive capacity (640GB versus 320GB), and DDR3 instead of DDR2.

On top of that it has the same H-IPS panel used in the $1100 NEC 2490WUXi, IMHO the absolute best 24" display out there. The XPS One uses an inferior, cheaper MVA panel.

The 20" iMac, no comparison, baseline model is $150 cheaper than the 20" XPS One all while having faster specs all the way around.

If you are going to make a comparison then you should make it apples-to-apples, no pun intended. It is difficult to make a direct comparison with an iMac since it is an all-in-one, a form factor that has immediate effect on cost. Its almost like comparing a standard desktop against a notebook. Even Dell, the Walmart of computing, has less value in their XPS One compared to the iMac. The iMac's H-IPS panel alone makes it an amazing value (I myself have that NEC display hooked up to my PC), and the fact that there's a fast and silent computer built into it IMHO makes it very attractive.

So yeah, to say that Apple makes a poorly valued all-in-one is kind of crazy. For the kind of computer they offer it is a tremendous deal.


RE: Credit to Apple
By KoolAidMan1 on 7/4/2009 2:03:24 AM , Rating: 2
He also mentioned creating photo books, etc, so I should have mentioned iPhoto alongside iMovie HD and Garage Band. It is also included in the box, and another great application for editing photos, creating slide shows, and of course creating photo books, calendars, whatever. If I'm in a pinch I actually use the color adjustment tools in iPhoto instead of going all hardcore into Adobe Lightroom, its gotten really good ever since they added so much more control in iPhoto 08.

Either way, it negates your argument on adding software; what's included with every Mac is very robust while being easy to use. And if you want professional level apps then there's always Final Cut Studio (which I use), Logic, Photoshop, whatever.


RE: Credit to Apple
By Vivi22 on 7/6/2009 7:35:57 AM , Rating: 2
The guy's argument was that Macs are the best out of the box for those uses though. And while it may be true that they come with programs for those functions while PC's typically don't making them the best "out of the box" by default, with a little extra time on the users part and less money then the price difference between a comparable spec Mac and PC you can have comparable programs, or even professional grade stuff that does the job far better. And all without paying a premium for the same hardware, and programs you may never use (I'll never have any use for photo or movie software for instance so why would I want to be charged for it by Apple?).


RE: Credit to Apple
By KoolAidMan1 on 7/7/2009 1:17:58 AM , Rating: 2
He also priced a standard ATX motherboard based PC with no display (and will very likely end up being a crummy TN or MVA display based on what sells big) against an all-in-one with a top of the line IPS display. Can you get a PC for cheaper? Absolutely, but it isn't a direct comparison either since we're discussing an all-in-one; its like pricing out a standard desktop against a notebook. It doesn't make much sense to me since an all-in-one will always cost more than a normal box since everything in it is custom design and uses mostly notebook parts.

Again, go by the direct comparison I made with the Dell XPS One versus the iMac, the better deal couldn't be clearer. The iMac is either the same price as or cheaper than the Dell with faster parts and better components.

The only thing I can knock Apple with is that they do not sell consumer grade machines with PCI-E expansion, and the Mac Mini is garbage. Anything below the 20" iMac is IMO not worth getting.

You are talking about "a little extra time on the users part", well, that's kind of the appeal of Macs for consumers, yeah? Everyone I know that has "switched" over the last three years loves the fact that everything just works easily and intuitively out of the box. No muss, no fuss, just flip it on and go, everything is there and works. I used to be Mr. Tech Support for my mom's XP machine until I got her an iMac three years ago. Jump ahead three years and it hums along like brand new, a far cry from having to reformat and reinstall her XP machine every year because it chugged because of OS rot or some random piece of malware. Time is money, yeah?

Apple's accelerating sales figures, in the middle of the worse global recession in decades no less, speaks a lot about how important this is for people. Its a huge plus for Microsoft too, they see how people have been responding to the whole "digital lifestyle" thing that Apple has pushed since 2002 and they're making huge leaps there with Vista and Windows 7. Competition is good!


RE: Credit to Apple
By wallijonn on 7/6/2009 10:33:15 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
You talk about people caring about price and performance, when the reality is, people really care about what makes them look "cool" and what allows them to be lazy.


I can't believe that you actually said that. Software is hard enough to use, why not make it easy to use? Are you saying that everyone should take a $300 school course to be able to use their software?

Just as you decry the cost(s) of Apple products I get the feeling that no one (PC) wants to buy their software, that they'd rather get it for free. Now, I wouldn't pay $400 every few years for another version of MSOffice but I would be willing to pay $100 for Word Perfect (I just think it's a better product.) The same goes for the higher priced photo software - professionals are willing to pay top dollar for all the features, Joe 6 pack usually isn't.

As an ex-PC gamer I always thought that gaming drove PC sales and advancement. Not once did I think that I would look cool schlepping a tower to play. But the Mac looking "cool"? No, that's for the iPhone crowd. And I don't own a cell. Now the pendulum is starting to swing the other way - big laptop screens may be going out of fashion due to small laptops starting to break the $300 barrier. What people may be desiring is wireless video. That'll take a little while...

An aside: the MS advert where the kid looks at a Sony laptop and says, "Blu-ray"... Right... "cool".

In these economic times, looking "cool" by buying expensive toys is more likely to make one be labeled as a fool.


RE: Credit to Apple
By KoolAidMan1 on 7/7/2009 1:35:10 AM , Rating: 2
Spot on


RE: Credit to Apple
By chick0n on 7/3/09, Rating: -1
RE: Credit to Apple
By shortylickens on 7/5/2009 12:45:48 PM , Rating: 1
Or I could pay 300 dollars and spend one afternoon on the web getting better software for free and have a system much nicer than your "OUT OF THE BOX" setup.


RE: Credit to Apple
By nayy on 7/3/2009 12:57:35 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Perhaps then this will drive apples pricing down further (lower % margin with higher sales to offset development costs) and bring about a large scale competitor to Windows.


That's interesting, I think the ipod/iphone has made apple realize that there is more money in the scale that in big margins.
But they know that there are people that are willing to pay a lot for exclusivity, if indeed Macs go from high end to upper mid segment (in terms of price, not talking about specs) I wouldn't be surprised if apple created a new more luxurious sub brand like other have done(XPS, VOODOO, Alienware, etc)


RE: Credit to Apple
By GodisanAtheist on 7/3/2009 2:35:02 PM , Rating: 2
The new iPleb. Computers for the unwashed masses.


RE: Credit to Apple
By Boze on 7/3/2009 5:33:56 PM , Rating: 1
Yeah, you could call it:

iDouchebag, the computer for the truly clueless and uninformed. iDouchebag comes complete with iOpinion. Fed straight from a probe in Steve Jobs' brain, iOpinion will tell how you to think, act, eat, and dress (black turtlenecks and blue jeans, throw out all the rest of your clothes).

iDouchebag will make you lash out at family members anytime they tell a secret which you've shared in confidence. iDouchebag will also prevent you from living in those dreadful Southern states, as it only operates at temperatures of 94 degrees F and lower. For simplicity, iDouchebag comes only in one model and price; $YouCan'tAffordIt,PoorFilthyMan,GetAwayFromMe,You'r ePollutingMyAirWithYourPoorPersonBreath dollars.

We at Apple look forward to your orders, but act quickly as the iDouchebag enjoys limited availability to ensure only the trendiest and most exclusive have access to this product. In fact, don't even bother, Apple will send out invitations to you. Check your iMailbox. If you didn't get one, you're obviously a lame loser who actually thinks about things and questions what you're told.

When you receive your iDouchebag Purchase Invitation Code in the mail, you can go to http://www.iwantanidouchebag.com and place your order. Your order will be fulfilled at our leisure and hand-delivered by an Apple employee who is cooler than you.


RE: Credit to Apple
By Neil Anderson on 7/3/2009 1:27:52 PM , Rating: 2
The new Macs are also supposedly greener. Less hazardous material. Less packaging. Longer lasting batteries. If it's true the new batteries last five years, I'd say most folks would never have to buy another battery for that laptop. That's a lot of batteries saved from going into the landfill.


RE: Credit to Apple
By omnicronx on 7/3/2009 2:44:11 PM , Rating: 1
quote:
Perhaps then this will drive apples pricing down further (lower % margin with higher sales to offset development costs) and bring about a large scale competitor to Windows.
That's laughable, anyone who thinks Apple will lower their pricing should they gain considerable marketshare is kidding themselves. If you have not noticed, its not about sales with Apple but margins. The ipod market is the perfect example, if they did lower the price they could probably achieve 90%+ of the mp3 market, but its more lucrative for them to keep the price the same with a 65-70% share. There is no reason to think they would do any different with their computers. The iPhone is in the same boat, they could easily push close to twice as many phones if it were sold for half the price.


RE: Credit to Apple
By Pirks on 7/3/09, Rating: 0
RE: Credit to Apple
By DigitalFreak on 7/3/2009 4:04:47 PM , Rating: 4
Damn, I thought you died in a Macbook fire or something.


RE: Credit to Apple
By Pirks on 7/3/09, Rating: -1
RE: Credit to Apple
By DigitalFreak on 7/3/2009 6:38:49 PM , Rating: 4
Ok, I change thought to hoped. New gag.


RE: Credit to Apple
By Pirks on 7/3/09, Rating: -1
RE: Credit to Apple
By just4U on 7/3/2009 8:35:59 PM , Rating: 2
Dropping prices to affordabilty for mac's would create a supply problem for Apple wouldn't it? Maybe even a support issue to if they can't handle the overload from increased sales.

Maximized profits seem to be what their all about in regards to the Mac. Volume pricing opens alot of doors but also opens up a can of worms as well.


RE: Credit to Apple
By Pirks on 7/3/09, Rating: 0
RE: Credit to Apple
By just4U on 7/4/2009 1:13:01 AM , Rating: 1
I would imagine that's because those products are meant for that sort of scale production. They are small electronic's after all. Computers are a slightly different breed.

Ofcourse there is that whole can of worms I hinted at. Apple, amongst their users is considered to be reliable, secure, and more of a top shelf sort of computer.

I think most of us know that Apple computers and the OS they use are no better then other systems out there (and in some instances far worse) but they don't command the market share of windows based PC's. So you hear less about hardware problems, security issues, software issues etc. By going main stream for the masses that will change and they will lose some face with their current customer base.


RE: Credit to Apple
By Pirks on 7/4/09, Rating: -1
RE: Credit to Apple
By just4U on 7/4/2009 8:26:58 AM , Rating: 1
Compared to how many billions of phones?


RE: Credit to Apple
By Pirks on 7/4/09, Rating: -1
RE: Credit to Apple
By just4U on 7/4/2009 12:09:38 PM , Rating: 2
I just don't see Apple going all out in this area any time soon. It has to be worth it for them and they have a good thing going (from a company standpoint)

There isn't alot of profit margin for most OEM's on a per pc basis and Apple like them or not is able to sell at a premium. I don't see them making a major move for more market share unless they can keep those profits up. Just doesn't seem worth it when you consider the problems that will likely come with the increased production.

That's not to say it wouldn't be good for all of us. It put's pressure on Microsoft, and on the oem's to step it up but that's neither here nor there, atleast not right now.


RE: Credit to Apple
By weskurtz0081 on 7/6/2009 9:18:28 AM , Rating: 1
I can tell you why they dropped the prices on the original iPhone. When it first came out, it had an initial period of time where sales were pretty good, then they tanked and Apple risked not hitting targets. So, they dropped the price while still maintaining extremely high margins, and they have remained at that level pretty much ever since (incidentally, the price drop increased sales substantially).

They dropped the prices on the iPhone because they were forced to due to lackluster sales after initial release buzz died down.


RE: Credit to Apple
By hiscross on 7/3/2009 4:50:31 PM , Rating: 2
What?! Apple tracks sails hourly. They always trying to keep their prices withing range of the PC, but risk building a cheap (netbook) product. Their use of smart and green packing to save on packing and shipping cost. I just purchased a MBP and the packing alone saved me a couple of hundred dollars. Apple products are about the highest quality at the price point they feel keep quality high. Apple has learned that volume and low margins often means low quality.


RE: Credit to Apple
By cfaalm on 7/6/2009 5:28:42 AM , Rating: 2
However, the basic MacBook still lacks features like eSATA, HDMI out, FireWire (yes it was cancelled since it was packed in aluminum, except for the Pro) and it could definately do with a couple more USB-ports. IMHO it is still overpriced. I can get a more than decent notebook for less, featuring all of the above.


Percentages...
By StevoLincolnite on 7/3/2009 11:17:37 AM , Rating: 5
It's nice having "Percentages" to shine a positive light on things, however the Mac has a smaller market share, any growth they receive would probably be seen as big one when the only numbers you show are percentages, for instance an extra 5 million PC's shipped would be considered "Small growth" in the PC sector, yet that number would be comparatively large in the Mac world, show some solid numbers please!

And also why don't we see news about PC makers like Acer, Asus, MSI, Dell who show positive growth?




RE: Percentages...
By ZachDontScare on 7/3/2009 2:09:46 PM , Rating: 3
Thats a good point - this is 'apples' to oranges in a sense because its comparing a single vendor to an entire market. How's Apple's increase in sales compare to, say, ASUS?


RE: Percentages...
By BZDTemp on 7/3/2009 2:10:24 PM , Rating: 1
25% extra is 25% extra an since the whole business only grew 1% I'd say that is a big difference. And since the article is about growing it matters where you come from.

As for the lack of articles on Acer, Asus... is it hard to imagine no one had anything close to a 25% growth. Still there has been articles and it is only days ago that there was an article on Acer growing faster than Dell and so on - just use the search function in the upper right corner.


RE: Percentages...
By omnicronx on 7/3/2009 3:20:53 PM , Rating: 2
Apples to Oranges. You cannot compare an entire market in which products are released year around to a single entity that just released a new product line. 25% month over month when everyone is not buying Apple computers because they are waiting for the new product to be released makes this number much less impressive. This is why you should never take month/month results seriously when a new product is released. The 12% quarterly increase pretty much shows that sales leading up to June were not nearly as good. Expect a big month/month drop in July, my guess is they will be brought back to reality at around 3-4%, which is still nice, but they are still a long ways away from large continued gains in share.


RE: Percentages...
By Hyperion1400 on 7/3/2009 7:18:29 PM , Rating: 2
Not to mention the fact that Maine just bought 64,000 of the damned things!

Kinda makes me wish I was a few years younger and lived in Maine. If the teacher handed me one of those things I would turn around and drop it in the trash, and such would be the sum of my protests.


RE: Percentages...
By BZDTemp on 7/4/2009 9:14:25 AM , Rating: 2
With a company like Dell seeing something in the 0.1% range increase then I'd say 12% is pretty nice. Besides it is not like Apple released some magic new stuff they just upped the specs a bit which is pretty routine in this business.

Anyway I do not get you. It sounds to me like you, and others, want Apple to fail which seem really short sighted. Regardless if you like Apple or not surely we can agree that competition is good. MS competitors gaining market share is just about the only thing that keeps MS on it's toes so even if you're into Windows what is good for Apple is good for you.

Once again the whole Fanboy thing seems to take over in any debate on the net. Instead of respecting and cheering on good products a lot of people have this automatic "Anything I have not bought is crap" reaction. I like my Mac a lot but I also like my PC just as I like my PS3, my 360 and think my friends Wii is cool. I like Coke and dislike Pepsi but I get that some people have different taste so my taste does not make me wish bad for Pepsi.


RE: Percentages...
By KoolAidMan1 on 7/5/2009 2:22:40 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Once again the whole Fanboy thing seems to take over in any debate on the net. Instead of respecting and cheering on good products a lot of people have this automatic "Anything I have not bought is crap" reaction. I like my Mac a lot but I also like my PC just as I like my PS3, my 360 and think my friends Wii is cool. I like Coke and dislike Pepsi but I get that some people have different taste so my taste does not make me wish bad for Pepsi.


Best thing I've read here.


RE: Percentages...
By dark matter on 7/3/2009 2:16:59 PM , Rating: 2
Spot on.

Say I sold blue widgets and my competitor sold red widgets.
Now I can claim I had a 1000% increase in sales last year compared to my competitors 1%. Sounds amazing doesn't it. You would think I was wiping the floor with my competitor.

Until you get the full picture.

2 years ago I sold 10 blue widgets and they sold 10000 red widgets

last year I sold 100 blue widgets and they sold 10100 red widgets.

Their 1% increase equals my total sales for the whole year, and this is including my 1000% increase.

Not so good then huh.


RE: Percentages...
By GeorgeH on 7/3/2009 3:18:03 PM , Rating: 5
Agreed, 100%. ;)

Gartner's numbers for US sales, 1Q09 (thousands of units):
PC's: 14,141
Macs: 1,135

Using 1% and 25%, the increases are:
PC's: 141
Macs: 284

Of course, those percent increases are month-to-month, not quarter increases. Guess-trapolating a modest 2% with the given 12%, the quarter increases are:
PC's: 282
Macs: 147

So, thanks to this article, I now know that Macs have greater growth, lesser growth, or equal growth relative to PC's depending upon what guess I make. Valuable knowledge, that's for sure.


RE: Percentages...
By Maxima2k2se on 7/3/2009 2:18:38 PM , Rating: 2
Because Mick is a tree-hugging hippie apple fanboi? Have not been a long time DT reader but this is the impression I get from his articles.


RE: Percentages...
By omnicronx on 7/3/2009 3:28:34 PM , Rating: 2
http://www.dailytech.com/Apples+iPhone+Executes+SM...

http://www.dailytech.com/Like+a+Vampire+Sunlight+C...

Yep because these are pro Apple articles! I have been a DT reader for a while I see countless posts like these in which I can only come to the conclusion that people see an anti Mick post and join the bandwagon for attention. Getting news from different angles is not a bad thing, if you want one sided news please move on out to one of these sites:

Foxnews.com
Cbsnews.com
abcnews.com

All of which are trying to push their own agenda.


RE: Percentages...
By borismkv on 7/3/2009 4:03:19 PM , Rating: 2
You forgot MSNBC.com...or do you agree with that one?


RE: Percentages...
By Boze on 7/3/2009 5:48:07 PM , Rating: 2
Jason Mick has posted some articles that I would consider very critical of Apple.

In my opinion, Jason is out for hits. He titles his articles in such a way that will garner instant attention.

For instance, if he was a reporter for natural disasters, and there was a flood that caused loss of life, he would title the article, " MASSIVE FLOOD RESULTS IN 33% LOSS OF LIFE IN REMOTE VILLAGE! " Then later in the article you'd find out the village had three occupants and one died.

If you read this Jason, I'm not trying to pick on you, per se; a certain amount of sensationalism is a good thing for people to pay attention to a news story they might otherwise overlook, but at the same time, its probably not the height of journalistic integrity to use that approach on every article you write.

Now the tree-hugger part, I can't really debate. He's extremely biased towards pro-AGW articles, but then again, Michael Asher was (and now Michael Andrews is) extremely biased towards anti-AGW articles. So bias is something that most all DailyTech writers can be accused of, except perhaps Brandon Hill... I rarely see overt or even subtle bias in his articles.

I'd rather everyone at DailyTech keep their opinions to themselves and give me "just the facts, please". I'll formulate my own opinions, and if I wanted someone else's... well, actually, I'll never want someone else's.


So much Mac jealousy out there...
By christianecon on 7/3/2009 10:48:15 PM , Rating: 1
..so much jealousy over the little old 3.5% Mac. You people should actually try one, in real life.




RE: So much Mac jealousy out there...
By KoolAidMan1 on 7/4/09, Rating: -1
RE: So much Mac jealousy out there...
By Boze on 7/4/2009 3:24:41 PM , Rating: 2
If the panel is what's important to you, then why not just buy a HP LP2475W for $600, which uses the same H-IPS panel you're so entranced by. I know its more dramatic to list an NEC monitor for $1100 because it makes a better case for you, but there's plenty of other vendors making monitors based on H-IPS, and they're a lot less than $1100.


By KoolAidMan1 on 7/4/2009 6:08:54 PM , Rating: 2
I just did research on the HP. It is an S-IPS, not H-IPS, but its mostly irrelevant since the difference between that and an H-IPS is negligible for most people compared to the leap from a TN or MVA to any type of IPS. The main difference with H-IPS is a filter that allows for more accurate color reproduction over a wider viewing angle. Either way, that is a very attractively priced IPS display. The only other 24" H-IPS displays I know of aside from the NEC are the new LED backlit Apple displays, and those are hundreds cheaper than the NEC with sound and webcam built in.

Seeing how cheap HP's S-IPS is now, it sense as to why the 24" iMac has been starting at $1500 (cheaper than when I bought mine, and certainly cheaper than the NEC).

Either way, I still don't see how your argument refutes mine. What is Dell's excuse for having an all-in-one with a slower CPU, a significantly slower GPU, half the hard drive storage space, and an MVA panel for the same price as the iMac? Why is Dell's 20" XPS One $150 more than the 20" iMac with lower specs all the way around the board? I thought your argument was that Apple makes overpriced computers.


RE: So much Mac jealousy out there...
By KoolAidMan1 on 7/4/2009 6:19:33 PM , Rating: 2
Interesting post I read when doing a quick search on the HP display: http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1...

Apparantly there is a bigger difference than I would have suspected based on the fact that it is S-IPS panel and not H-IPS. Either way, the NEC is hands down the best 24" display I've ever gotten my hands on, no question. The fact that you get a display that is marginally worse in a $1500 iMac (I have them side by side and I can barely tell the difference) is pretty awesome.

It isn't about me making a better case based on the fact that the NEC is an $1100 monitor, it is to make a direct comparison since both displays use the same source for panels. You can always go with a cheaper display, absolutely, but again, the iMac still wins in value there since you are getting so much for your money compared to other all-in-ones.


RE: So much Mac jealousy out there...
By mmnno on 7/5/2009 5:31:15 AM , Rating: 2
If you were to dig deeper:
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?p=1032993801&h...

You would find that the HP is actually H-IPS, and besides gamut and anti-glare its performance is identical to the 24" iMac (also the new 24" ACD).

Neither the iMac or the HP come close to the NEC 2490. As you said, it is the best 24" LCD display, and only another A-TW IPS panel can match it. The panel in the iMac is significantly worse, unless you simply never look at a dark image. All four displays are certainly worth their price tags, though.


RE: So much Mac jealousy out there...
By KoolAidMan1 on 7/5/2009 2:20:39 PM , Rating: 2
Very interesting re: the magnified look at the HP. The "sparkly" effect described in the other article linked that hints that the HP may be S-IPS also has me wondering, but like I said, its mostly irrelevant to me since any IPS display is worth having over a TN, PVA, or MVA panel. The differences once you get to that level of display are small compared to everything else you get with the leap from another panel type.

quote:
Neither the iMac or the HP come close to the NEC 2490. As you said, it is the best 24" LCD display, and only another A-TW IPS panel can match it. The panel in the iMac is significantly worse, unless you simply never look at a dark image. All four displays are certainly worth their price tags, though.


I cannot speak for the HP compared to the NEC, but I do have a 24" iMac and the NEC sitting side by side. The NEC has two inputs so its does double duty as the main display for my PC and the secondary display for my iMac (handy for Final Cut Pro). I can say without reservation that the difference in quality between the two is mostly minimal. I don't have any bright sources opposite my displays so I do not have any reflection issues with the glossy iMac display, but if I did then that would be a major strike since the NEC is matte and the iMac isn't. Out of the box there is a slight color difference between the two (the NEC renders colors cooler than the iMac), but with a little calibration you can get them to match up. Black reproduction is the main advantage that the NEC has, but again, its awfully close. I don't want to downplay how good the NEC is, I just want to say that in many ways the other H-IPS displays out there are very close, the rest is if you can justify spending the cash on the NEC. Otherwise the differences are brightness (the NEC can be as bright as the sun if you'd like), and slightly different look when viewed off angle, which isn't a factor for me since I view both displays dead on.

I'd now be interested to see how the HP stacks up against the NEC. If its as close as the iMac is to it then I really don't see much of a need to spend that much on the NEC (I got mine at the end of 2007, no other standalone LCDs were anywhere close at the time) unless you were an image professional (and I've seen my share of those doing editing work on an MVA panel Dell, gag). What a great deal!

Either way, my main argument on the value of the iMac relative to other all-in-ones like the Dell XPS One still stands: faster CPU, faster GPU, double the HD storage, and one of the absolute best LCD displays on the market, all for the same price.


By KoolAidMan1 on 7/5/2009 2:27:29 PM , Rating: 2
Hmm, the HP seems a bit iffy now. Reading further on in the HardOCP thread there are quite a few people that have had problems with it. The last several pages are nothing but complaints. Here is the last post:
quote:
I've had 3 HP LP2475w's from HP UK and all of them have had different faults, either bugs in firmware (GIG045) or a green/pink tint, most disappointing to say the least! With getting the 3rd faulty one I got a refund and bought a NEC 24WMGX3, which is a better all round screen than the LP2475w...


That's enough to keep me going with NEC or Apple displays for the time being. Its the same reason I didn't get the DoubleSight IPS display. Excellent price but they're problematic as hell.


RE: So much Mac jealousy out there...
By mmnno on 7/5/2009 4:06:58 PM , Rating: 2
The sparkly effect is just the kind of anti-glare coating they use. As a rule of thumb, NEC just does it better than everyone else.

Regarding all-in-ones, there's no doubt that Dell's XPS line offers some of the worst value in home computing. All-in-ones aren't all that popular on the PC side, and probably because PC manufacturers have had such trouble making a decent standalone system. Few people want to trust them with that kind of solution.


By KoolAidMan1 on 7/5/2009 8:15:17 PM , Rating: 2
I see. Either way, I find it hard to do a direct component to value comparison between a standard headless desktop and an all-in-one. It makes as much sense to me as comparing a standard desktop with a laptop. All-in-ones have their own specific design, cooling, and engineering requirements. The motherboards and everything are custom in order to conform to such a specific enclosure. Its more expensive and design intensive than just slapping standard parts into an ATX case with a company logo stamped on it. The components themselves are also more expensive notebook parts (the hard drive is the only standard desktop part in the iMac, everything else are notebook parts), so again I have a hard time making a direct comparison between a standard desktop and an AIO.

FWIW, I do believe that there are advantages to an AIO design. If I wasn't so into Valve's and Relic's games (and didn't enjoy building my own PCs ;) ) I would probably have dropped my PC at this point and just be using the iMac. I had a G4 tower for my old Final Cut Pro rig and I have to say that I'm much happier running an iMac instead. It takes up much less space, is dead silent, has an amazing display built in, and its fast. I'm very happy with how well Final Cut Studio runs on it. I have no need for a Mac Pro and its i7 Xeons, a Core 2 Duo is plenty enough power for my purposes.

Lots of people on the PC-only side have a hard time wrapping their heads around why an AIO design is desirable, but considering how fast they are these days, how good the displays are, and how little room they take up compared to a separate tower and display (which is almost always an inferior TN or MVA), IMO they are great for most people out there. I love that they take up no room and are quiet. I wish I could get the same power out of my PC (E8400 with GTX 285 and 8800GT) in something that took up so little space, but for GPUs of that power you need a dedicated card, mobile GPUs just won't cut it.

IMO the big drawback in Apple's desktop lineup are no consumer level Core 2 or i7 920 machines with PCI-E expansion, for that you need super-expensive Xeons. It sucks but there's not much you can do about that. Fortunately the iMac is a fast machine at a very good value, especially compared to other AIO machines out there (by companies like Dell that are supposed to be cheaper than "expensive" Apple, no less). I'm perfectly happy running both side by side.


By KoolAidMan1 on 7/7/2009 1:40:13 AM , Rating: 2
I do find it interesting that you glossed over things like the Dell XPS One and the Adamo offering far less machine for more money than their Apple counterparts and instead grasped for straws on one thing, the NEC display, that doesn't really help your argument either since we're still talking about a cheap MVA panel in the XPS One. Cute.


obligatory...
By icanhascpu on 7/3/2009 10:22:29 AM , Rating: 2
Obligatory, omgawd Macs are so expencive! I kan get the same on PC 4 less!

Obligatory, Steve Jobs is uptight and I dont like him! The jerk stole my liver.

Obligatory, quick run someone put the coolaid in the water supply!

Obligatory, iPhones overheat while under the summer sun! HA take THAT!

Obligatory, An Apple a day keeps your money away.

Obligatory, obligatories.




RE: obligatory...
By mfed3 on 7/3/09, Rating: -1
RE: obligatory...
By artemicion on 7/3/2009 12:17:06 PM , Rating: 2
Tough to look in the mirror, huh?

I liked the post. Very efficient. Now I'll never have to read any of the DT comments from an Apple article.


RE: obligatory...
By themaster08 on 7/3/2009 12:28:44 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Now I'll never have to read any of the DT comments from an Apple article.

But the arguments in Apple articles are by far the most entertaining.


RE: obligatory...
By Laereom on 7/3/2009 1:20:36 PM , Rating: 2
If being 'interesting' consists of 3-5 people consistently stating what is obvious to reasonable people, with one person who doesn't know jack about anything outside an apple advertisement repeatedly attempting to make them look like idiots, but only succeeding in making himself look like an idiot, I agree with the entirety of your post.


Win7
By sinful on 7/3/2009 1:26:31 PM , Rating: 5
I'd expect sales of PC's to pick up considerably when Win7 is released... The majority of people don't upgrade their OS, they just buy a new PC.

Thus, PC sales will surge and Mac sales will plummet again.

Yawn.




No one OS to bind them all
By stefn on 7/3/2009 1:09:29 PM , Rating: 2
We all benefit from more OS competition. All monocultures are virus prone.




RE: No one OS to bind them all
By Boze on 7/3/2009 5:55:39 PM , Rating: 2
You're actually on the cusp of blowing open the whole reason the PC versus Mac userbase of this site is so passionate.

Its not OS competition that's occuring. The guts of both Windows machines and Apple machines are the same now. Western Digital, Hitachi, Samsung hard disks, ATI / Nvidia vidoe cards, Intel processors... its the fact that Microsoft has enough balls to say, "Hey, we'll our OS run on every possible configuration you can slap together, and we'll make it run fast, stable, and almost always without compliant."

Meanwhile, Apple says, "Our products are superior and our OS is untouchable in terms of speed, stablity, safety." Which of course, it isn't... its still prone to viruses, it'll still crash, and it can still suffer from poor performance.

The real beef the PC guys have is that Apple makes ridiculous claims while supporting a tiny amount of hardware. I think a lot of Windows users would have more respect for Apple if they packaged up OS X, made it run on any configuration of hardware, and tried to make the same claims Microsoft makes. They wouldn't be able to, of course... because Microsoft has had decades to ensure Windows runs on damn near everything. Apple would be starting from scratch, and then people would see just how "amazing" OS X really is... until of course it wouldn't install their non-standard printer, they couldn't use a certain USB TV tuner, and it wouldn't install a piece of software.


Mac vs. PC
By AndMatt on 7/3/2009 2:12:16 PM , Rating: 2
My question is why does everyone on this board feel it is their job to belittle Apple products and prop up PCs? Does it really matter to you whether or not someone buys a mac or a PC? I don't give a damn what people spend their discretionary income on! Mac, PC... Who gives a f***.




RE: Mac vs. PC
By aftlizard on 7/3/2009 3:44:41 PM , Rating: 2
Yes. It matters, that is why we comment. Duh.


Conflict of interests
By crystal clear on 7/4/2009 4:32:09 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
According to Kathryn Huberty, a financial analyst at Morgan Stanley, the new MacBook Pros have helped propel Apple sales to grow at a faster rate than PC sales.


Just quoting somebody xyz doesnt mean you got to believe him or her or the author of this article.

Apple could be a Morgan Stanley client, so keep the client happy ....ask the analyst (an employee of the firm) to write a good report.

If Apple is not a client then they want Apple to be one...




RE: Conflict of interests
By crystal clear on 7/4/2009 4:53:36 AM , Rating: 2
Also analyst can be wrong like always....

They are like fortune tellers gazing at a crystal ball, telling you all the good things you would like to hear ....even though you will not believe it...just makes you feel good.

"Keep the client happy" is the word of the day for them.


sales & percentages
By mjros61 on 7/4/2009 12:05:06 PM , Rating: 2
Apple forces new sales by abandoning previous tech and upgrading Mac's is not as easy as Windows machines.When you have say, 5% of a market- growth is easier.I am fighting a lost battle here- Mac's ARE PERSONAL COMPUTERS, I.E. PC'S, so let's call a shovel a shovel.




RE: sales & percentages
By honestIT on 7/5/09, Rating: 0
RE: sales & percentages
By KoolAidMan1 on 7/7/2009 1:51:16 AM , Rating: 2
Pretty much, this is why the argument for cheap Dells, Gateways, and HP desktops don't hold water for me at all. It is why I will continue to build my own Windows PCs myself. If I decided to go with a big box PC company making a machine at the specs I wanted (ie - high end gaming specs) it would cost more than I could justify spending considering what I would get in return from the manufacturer (Dell's consumer customer support is a joke now, etc).


By bplewis24 on 7/3/2009 10:27:50 AM , Rating: 3
quote:
According to Kathryn Huberty, a financial analyst at Morgan Stanley, the new MacBook Pros have helped propel Apple sales to grow at a faster rate than PC sales.


There's a shocker!

In other news, Wedbush Morgan analysts are suggesting that Blu-ray is growing at a faster rate than DVD. But wait, it still has a share that is orders of magnitude less than DVD.

Brandon




By DarkElfa on 7/3/2009 3:49:32 PM , Rating: 3
They charge so much because it keeps their fanbase happy. If they were to lower their prices and allow everyone to own one, then they would lose their chick/cool/elite niche and alienate the Apple owners who buy their products because they want to appear more hop than everyone else which is almost all of their fanbase. These guys love to show off their Apple products and rub the fact that they have one in everyone's face around them. IOW, they hop up the prices to keep the rabble out and maintain their elite status. They do it to preserve their image and give their products the appearance of being better than the competition while in truth, under the brushed aluminum and cheesy white plastic, its the same damned hardware in your PC running on the same hacked version of Unix they've been continually rehacking for over 2 decades, just like Windows. In truth, they are no better than Windows PC's, they are just the flip side of the coin with prices artificially inflated pricing and slick wrappers which they utilize to maintain the appearance of being better than the rest. After all, if everyone owned them, then they would be the PC's, wouldn't they? The bottom line is that Apple's bread and butter is appearing that they can only be owned by the hip and rich who are dumb enough to fall for their super duper propaganda and they would never endanger that position by allowing their stuff to be the mainstream item own-able by everyone.




Backup
By holyjunk on 7/6/2009 9:38:00 AM , Rating: 3
Explain to me how Time Machine is any better than Windows backup except for being all pretty to look at? Windows backup does exactly what it is supposed to do. Backup.




By fsardis on 7/3/2009 10:11:47 AM , Rating: 1
the adverts are working but i am willing to bet that most users will go back to windows when the life of the mac expires 3 years down the line.

it is also worth nothing that apple sales are driven by 2 types of people. the fanboys that would buy the product anyway no matter the status of the economy or their financial status and secondly, the wealthy average person who has enough money to spend on a computer anyway and has fallen for the adverts.

the latter is the one who will go back to windows asap when they realise the adverts are not truthful, the former will remain but as usual it will never be more than 3% of the market. taking into account that apple is quite laxed in their definition of sales, i do not really believe they are growing as much as they claim. considering there are still about 1.5 million first gen iphones that never reached consumers and are still in warehouses i would say something similar is happening with their computers.




By Boze on 7/3/2009 5:59:03 PM , Rating: 2
I'm not disputing what you're saying fsardis, but can you provide to me a link or some other proof that one and a half million iPhones are still in warehouses somewhere?

That seems like an awful lot of hardware for Apple to just piss down the drain when they could just say, "Hey AT&T, sell these for $49 with a 2 year contract." Or maybe Apple's hoarding them for when the iPhone contract is up with AT&T, they'll give 'em all to Verizon?


Isn't there
By aftlizard on 7/3/2009 11:17:09 AM , Rating: 2
usually an uptick in sales just before and after WWDC? IIRC a lot of Macs get discounted at this time to make room for the new models. Also I laughed at the recovering economy part.




stupid propaganda
By invidious on 7/3/2009 12:19:23 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Apple reportedly posted a 25% month-to-month increase in Mac shipments in May, while the entire market only saw modest 1 percent growth.


So when they release a new product their short term sales go up. Who would have thought.




Some times less is more
By nayy on 7/3/2009 12:42:52 PM , Rating: 2
Lowering the price should definitely help apple expand their sales and market share, I still don't find their systems attractive in terms of value but I'm sure that a lot of people that want to be "cool" will be appealed by the reduced luxury tax.

Unfortunately I don't think that the same concept applies to unit sales growth or to proof reading for that matter.

quote:
She now predicts a quarter to quarter growth rate of 12 percent, having upped her estimates from sales of 2.5 million units to sales of 2.4 million units.




By SilthDraeth on 7/4/2009 10:59:48 AM , Rating: 2
I don't remember the exact quote, but it was in reference to the psp gaining market share... It went something like this:

"When you have nearly 100% of the market share already, you certainly can't gain any more."

Pretty much in Nintendo's case, they weren't losing any sales per say, but market share only due to the fact that another device was being counted and had to be accounted for.

Same for PCs, I doubt there are any less PC owners, perhaps even more than before with $300 dollar full PCs being sold at Wal-Mart. And most people buying MACs already either own a PC, or wouldn't of owned one anyways.




When Pigs...
By PoohPall on 7/5/2009 11:52:51 AM , Rating: 2
Yes right - the Earth is also flat and Iran has a democratic goverment.

Excellent article. :-p




"A lot of people pay zero for the cellphone ... That's what it's worth." -- Apple Chief Operating Officer Timothy Cook

DailyTech Poll
Which web browser do you use on your primary personal machine? 






44 Comments









botimage
Copyright 2009 DailyTech LLC. - RSS Feed | Advertise | About Us | Ethics | FAQ | Terms, Conditions & Privacy Information | Kristopher Kubicki