Apple Sales Strong for Holiday

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

Forbes reports (http://www.forbes.com/markets/emergingmarkets/2005/12/22/apple-ipod-earnings-1222markets02.html) on Piper Jaffray analyst research on Apple's sales strength this holiday season.

While retailers are said to have noted that some customers are awaiting the release of the announced Intel-based Macs, that "resellers that are seeing this trend say that it is limited to only a handful of customers."

Meanwhile, iMac sales are stronger than expected and Apple has managed to keep reasonable stock of the iPod at hand for retailers.

All eyes point to Macworld San Francisco (http://guides.macrumors.com/Macworld_San_Francisco) for potential updates. The keynote address will be given by Steve Jobs on Tuesday, January 10, 2006 at 9:00 a.m PST.

[~Shard~]

Great to see, especially with the shortage of iPods! I'm glad Apple hasn't been hurt too much by the lack of shuffles and nanos. Hopefully this means the halo effect has taken effect, and these good sales numbers are thanks to PC iPod users making the switch!

[supergod]

I'm assuming that these are mostly first time mac buyers, right? Is someone familiar with the system actually going to shell out money now for a pre-intel mac?

[iHateWindows]

Woah... 0 positives and 0 negatives.

[miketcool]

I can safely say, Merry Christmas everyone! Enjoy your maxed out credit cards, yay apple!

[~Shard~]

I'm assuming that these are mostly first time mac buyers, right? Is someone familiar with the system actually going to shell out money now for a pre-intel mac?

They might if they are apprehensive about buying a Rev A Intel-Mac and would rather buy something proven which they know will work. Also, Pro users would no doubt want to stick with PPC machines since their professional apps may not be ported yet to x86, and/or they don't want to take a chance with Rosetta, etc. :cool:

Woah... 0 positives and 0 negatives.

Woah... pointless post... :p ;)

[SiliconAddict]

"resellers that are seeing this trend say that it is limited to only a handful of customers."

Of course its limited. For the most part the only people who know about the transition are geeks, nerds, Mac fans, and professionals who are looking to upgrades. The average consumer is going to be oblivious.


PS - DON'T CELEBRATE ANYTHING. SCREW EVERYONE.
:mad:

There. Everyone fracking happy now? I’m not a god damn religious scholar. I don’t know anything about other religious holidays. I shouldn’t need to. I Googled the ones I remembered. Screw everyone. Bloody spelling Nazis.
I should have just said merry Christmas and left it at that. But NOOOO I had to go and try to do something respectful of some of the other holidays out there. Screw everything! http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/images/smiles/frusty.gifhttp://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/images/smiles/twak.gif

[Some_Big_Spoon]

I've done my part. I usually buy 2 Apple computers a year, and a new ipod every year, bunch of software, etc.

Hope I get the speed I need come the switch.

[Dr. Dastardly]

Was anyone really suprised by this.;)

But the whole waiting for intel really shows you how much those so called experts really know. I'm willing to bet that 99% of people who are purchasing doesn't even know about the transition. Heck they probably don't even know what kind of proc is in them now. :p

[~Shard~]

But the whole waiting for intel really shows you how much those so called experts really know. I'm willing to bet that 99% of people who are purchasing doesn't even know about the transition. Heck they probably don't even know what kind of proc is in them now. :p

Quite true. A recent example that comes to mind was on a recent episode of "Mad Money" when someone was asking Jim Cramer about servers, processors, Apple, etc. and jim was spewing gibberish about Intel processors, how Apple "wasn't compatible" and all that. Not expecting him to be an expert of course, but I bet you a great deal of people are indeed like this.

[EricNau]

I expected Apple sales to be strong this christmas. This is always a good thing to hear.
And I'll help Apple out, I'm buying an iPod with my christmas money. :)

Merry Christmas!

[buryyourbrideau]

* waits furiously for January 10th :)

if the new ibooks are introduced. COUNT ME IN!

[sw1tcher]

I'm not surprised. I was at the Apple store a couple days ago and the store was jam packed. Practically everyone was there buying an iPod or some type of accessory for it. Didn't see too many people buying Macs. But of those that were buying Macs, it was mostly the iMac.

Maybe it's time to pick up some more Apple stock.

[EricNau]

Maybe it's time to pick up some more Apple stock.
I was thinking the same thing.

[BlueRevolution]

where do they hear such outlandish rumours... :rolleyes:

[JGowan]

PS - Merry Christmas/Chanuka/Kwanza/Ramadan/[insert other here]

FYI: "Kwanzaa" for most of the 18 million people celebrating what you're most likely referring to is spelled with two A's, not one. Not trying to be a spelling alert nerd, but it is a Proper noun and I thought you'd like to get it right if you happen to make out cards or something.

You misspelled "Chanukah", too.

[EricNau]

FYI: "Kwanzaa" for most of the 18 million people celebrating what you're most likely referring to is spelled with two A's, not one. Not trying to be a spelling alert nerd, but it is a Proper noun and I thought you'd like to get it right if you happen to make out cards or something.

You misspelled "Chanukah", too.
It's the thought that counts. :)

[SiliconAddict]

You misspelled "Chanukah", too.

That's not what wikipedia told me. Its a supposedly acceptable alternative.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chanukah

And up til now no one has complained about it.

[EricNau]

That's not what wikipedia told me. Its a supposedly acceptable alternative.
You spelled it correctly.
JGowan was probably thinking of the other spelling, "Hanukkah."

[ColdFlame87]

I'm not surprised. I was at the Apple store a couple days ago and the store was jam packed. Practically everyone was there buying an iPod or some type of accessory for it. Didn't see too many people buying Macs. But of those that were buying Macs, it was mostly the iMac.

Maybe it's time to pick up some more Apple stock.

Same here, the apple store at my local mall had a line streching outside the store itself, i had to wait 45 minutes to pick up a replacement ipod suprisingly they had a lot to go around even though about 80 percent of the people in line wanted one. Although somebody did walk out with a quad powermac and a TWO 30 in ACD!!! somebody is going to be happy for christmas! :D

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!!

[BlueRevolution]

Same here, the apple store at my local mall had a line streching outside the store itself, i had to wait 45 minutes to pick up a replacement ipod suprisingly they had a lot to go around even though about 80 percent of the people in line wanted one. Although somebody did walk out with a quad powermac and a TWO 30 in ACD!!! somebody is going to be happy for christmas! :D

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!!

anybody I might know? :D

[JoeG4]

What tha? No "Merry Christmas from Macrumors" page? Not even so much as a snow-drenched logo? Wow. Some festive site :|

It's like a few comics that didn't even slightly acknowledge it. I'm kinda appalled, but I'll just say Merry Christmas to all here at MacRumors! :D

(Happy Holidays! )

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

How did this turn into a thread about alternative spellings on different modern versions og the good old Yule (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yule) celebration...? :rolleyes: :p

Anyway, as an attempt on getting it (slightly back on topic): It's nice to see Apple doing well (especially for us that was Mac users during those grim late 1990s).

My girfriend and I actually, in our own small way even contributed to Apple's good holiday result by ordering presents to each other from Apple Store. Ok, so we didn't actually order any Apple products, but it still increses Apples turnover (;)). I got a LaCie double layer DVD burner (http://store.apple.com/Apple/WebObjects/ukstore?productLearnMore=TF126), and I got her a carrier bag for her new iBook. :)

So, to bring it back off topic: Have a continued "god jul (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jul#Etymology)", as we say in Norwegian... :)

[ryannel2003]

I'm so happy that Apple has been doing good this holiday season. 2005 has been one helluva year for Apple! :) I'm so glad I got a iPod w/ Video for Christmas! So freakin awesome!! :D

[d_and_n5000]

I'm so happy that Apple has been doing good this holiday season. 2005 has been one helluva year for Apple! :) I'm so glad I got a iPod w/ Video for Christmas! So freakin awesome!! :D


You took the words right from my mouth, only i got a nano.:D

[dernhelm]

So all, this whole things comes down to one questions for me, why is MacWorld in Jan? Seems to me that some of the holiday purchasing will turn (even quicker than it normally does) into one gi-normous bout of buyers remorse when some of these switchers find out that their brand new computers will be seen as instantly outdated by the second week of January.

I understand that Apple likes to wait for MacWorld to introduce new products, but it seems like January is the worst of all times to do that.

[odedia]

So all, this whole things comes down to one questions for me, why is MacWorld in Jan? Seems to me that some of the holiday purchasing will turn (even quicker than it normally does) into one gi-normous bout of buyers remorse when some of these switchers find out that their brand new computers will be seen as instantly outdated by the second week of January.

I understand that Apple likes to wait for MacWorld to introduce new products, but it seems like January is the worst of all times to do that.

Which is why I strongly doubt any updates to the iMac in macworld. Mac Mini has been around for a while now, and the same for the iBook. People who bought these products knew they are not buying newly designed items. They probably know they're towards the end of their life span. iMac however, had a major face lift just a few weeks ago.

The powerbook, however is a mixed bag. It was updated not too long ago, but it was a modest update to say the least, with barely any speed improvements. It needs a refresh more than the rest combined.

Then again, after the iPod video introductions - 5 weeks after the iPod nano introduction, you'll never know with Apple.

Oded S.

[hubristol]

I'm assuming that these are mostly first time mac buyers, right? Is someone familiar with the system actually going to shell out money now for a pre-intel mac?

I am, as someone who is familiar with the system. I'd be damned to see the iMac upgraded to intel in January and the iBook and Mac Mini hold no interest for me. I think a lot of people who are familiar with the system are choosing to hold off because they don't want a somewhat buggy Rev A model and/or the current PPC models work just fine for them.

[ksz]

PS - Merry Christmas/Chanuka/Kwanza/Ramadan/[insert other here]
Sorry to point out another correction! As I recall, Muslims celebrate "Eid" (pronounced 'eed' with a soft 'd') twice a year, one of which comes after the end of Ramadan. Ramadan itself is not a time of celebration, it's a time of fasting and reflecting upon the needs of the not-so-fortunate.

We are one of those who 'knowingly' purchased a PPC-based 20-in iMac for Christmas. Despite the looming switchover, the current iMac is a very good machine and it's inexpensive enough to be replaced within 2 years if need be.

[maya]

I can safely say, Merry Christmas everyone! Enjoy your maxed out credit cards, yay apple!

Merry Christmas indeed, considering I do not have a maxed credit card(s). :eek: ;) :D

So all, this whole things comes down to one questions for me, why is MacWorld in Jan? Seems to me that some of the holiday purchasing will turn (even quicker than it normally does) into one gi-normous bout of buyers remorse when some of these switchers find out that their brand new computers will be seen as instantly outdated by the second week of January.

I understand that Apple likes to wait for MacWorld to introduce new products, but it seems like January is the worst of all times to do that.

MacWorld SF, does not really mean that Apple will always update hardware. There is that remote chance that they will introduce something new or update something that require an update for a long time coming. Plus you have to remember that it will take weeks if not months depends on what hardware is released along with availability issues.

The iMac G5 line that was mentioned in this article along with the iPod line will not see an update so soon in January as it was indeed updated for the holiday season. :)

People who are waiting are those who are waiting for an iBook, PowerBook and or Mac Mini. ;) :)

We are one of those who 'knowingly' purchased a PPC-based 20-in iMac for Christmas. Despite the looming switchover, the current iMac is a very good machine and it's inexpensive enough to be replaced within 2 years if need be.

There might me one more update for the iMac G5 come 2006, as at that point it would have reached rev D. Usually and I say usually in a loose term that after 4 revs it jumps to another chip or a dual processor configuration.

If you have noticed the iMac G5 has been update about every 6 months and making the jump from PPC to x86 might bring some issues that people are not accustom to expect from the iMac line.

Remember the iMac is what started it all, if you cripple the line it does not reflect good upon the company. :)

I am, as someone who is familiar with the system. I'd be damned to see the iMac upgraded to intel in January and the iBook and Mac Mini hold no interest for me. I think a lot of people who are familiar with the system are choosing to hold off because they don't want a somewhat buggy Rev A model and/or the current PPC models work just fine for them.


It's the software lineup, since there are already few titles compared to the wintel world for applications and when launched there will be even fewer for an x86 Mac.

Peoples business runs on key applications and without those, there is no tempting reason to buy leading edge hardware if they software will not run on it.

Bill: is that one of the new Intel Mac's you have there.

Steve: yeah it is, it does all this neat stuff and I am glad I am one of the first to have it. All those other PPC users out there don't know what they are missing.

Bill: will your business software run on that Intel Mac.

Steve: aah....NO..but who cares its the latest thing in Mac hardware and on the bleeding edge as far as Mac OS 10.4 (x86) and the Mac community care about.

Bill: so what are you going to do to run your business if your new Intel Mac will not run the current business tools you have,

Steve: aah.did you hear me.....it the "NEW INTEL MAC" who cares if it runs my business software.

Bill: you just don't get it do you, Steve. :rolleyes:

-------------------------------


I have to say this, in the past Bill Gates was right in his comments. Steve Jobs was wrong and he has learned that lesson since then. Steve Jobs is playing not hard however "smart ball." He introduced the iMac to re-market Apple to give them enough press that is positive rather than all the historic negatives under some other CEO.

With that he introduced the G4 Cube, which was a great machine however it was a little too early and expensive. (re-designed into the Mac Mini for far less).

Steve Jobs then introduces the iPod, keeps it a Mac only hardware. Good move since he wanted to test it out without investing too much into a flop if it did turn into one. Later introduced it to the x86 Wintel market as a testing ground to see how well it would do, and well it did very well (However no x86 software to manage those tunes for the iPod that existed at that time, which was created by Apple).

Apple introduces iTunes for Windows, to get the word out that you no longer has to own a Mac to acquire a partial experience of what the Mac has to offer. iTunes for Windows was very popular since it offered a glimmer of what the Mac and its applications behaved like.

Apple then introduces iTMS, for Mac and Windows. Integrated into iTunes that is already popular with the Windows crowd and will not harm them as it will be a tester, if you like it great if you do not, not big deal. You gained something for nothing. Which WIndows user could resist.

And from there we have the T.V. shows..........its all following the same path, my friends........Steve Jobs has learned and he is telling Bill Gates that Yes you were right to a certain point and I was wrong to a certain point. However that being said there is a way to convert people to the Macintosh ideology.

Steve Jobs, I have to commend that this business plan is one of the most brilliant in years. :)

[zedwards]

I stayed away from the mobs in the Apple store this December. It was the only store on Michigan Ave. that had a crowd.

[AP_piano295]

I stayed away from the mobs in the Apple store this December. It was the only store on Michigan Ave. that had a crowd.

just went strait for those ipod vending machines eh

[maya]

just went strait for those ipod vending machines eh

Not sure if the vending machines at the AirPorts even have the new models yet. :(

[beverson]

If my inability to access http://register.apple.com (almost noon, CST, Christmas day) is any indication, Apple had fantastic holiday sales. I've tried to register my new shuffle periodically all morning, and no dice.

[Ollie Lee]

FYI: "Kwanzaa" for most of the 18 million people celebrating what you're most likely referring to is spelled with two A's, not one.

The 'misspelled' Kwanza does have two As in it, I think YOU meant it has two As at the end (three in total). And on the subject of spelling (or more precisely, punctuation) 'two A's' is incorrect, since A is not possessive, but rather, plural. You should have writeen 'two As'.

:p

[CubaTBird]

Of course its limited. For the most part the only people who know about the transition are geeks, nerds, Mac fans, and professionals who are looking to upgrades. The average consumer is going to be oblivious.


PS - Merry Christmas/Chanuka/Kwanza/Ramadan/[insert other here]

erm.. ramadan ended like two months ago

[Espnetboy3]

Why are people so happy that someone else is a millionaire and making alot of money. Sure i love apple and stuff but lets be real here, are we really that happy? I couldnt care less. Id rather them not be as popular becuase sooner or later viruses will start to be created and prices will jsut get rediculous again.

[amateurmacfreak]

I'm assuming that these are mostly first time mac buyers, right? Is someone familiar with the system actually going to shell out money now for a pre-intel mac?

Um... am I really, really stupid for buying an iMac G5 for Christmas?? I haven't opened it yet so... I could still take it back. Seriously, I feel so stupid now... was that a super dumb thing to do? Should I take it back?

Of course its limited. For the most part the only people who know about the transition are geeks, nerds, Mac fans, and professionals who are looking to upgrades. The average consumer is going to be oblivious.


PS - Merry Christmas/Chanuka/Kwanza/Ramadan/[insert other here]

Yeah... I saved my friend's dad from buying an iBook! They didn't even know about the possible Intel for iBook in January. And his son (my friend), who was helping him to pick it out, didn't know, and he's even a computer nerd (needless to say on Windows, but saving for a Mac)! Ah, they listen to me because I told them about the iPod w/ video coming out the next day the night before. Which they had no clue about. :cool: :p
The only thing is if they don't come out w/ Intel iBooks (which is really expected, right?) I'm screwed. Or if the programs he needs suck on Rosetta. :(

I'm so happy that Apple has been doing good this holiday season. 2005 has been one helluva year for Apple! :) I'm so glad I got a iPod w/ Video for Christmas! So freakin awesome!! :D
Well, if we're doing English corrections on this thread, APPLE HAS BEEN DOING WELL THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!! :D ok. not funny. but 2005 has been one awesome year! here's to a more awesome 2006! *raises invisible champagne glass into the air with other mac geeks across the land*
Happy Holidays everyone!:)

[beverson]

Why are people so happy that someone else is a millionaire and making alot of money. Sure i love apple and stuff but lets be real here, are we really that happy? I couldnt care less. Id rather them not be as popular becuase sooner or later viruses will start to be created and prices will jsut get rediculous again.

I'm not really happy/unhappy that someone else is making lots of money. Good for them, but I really don't care. What I care about is that Apple making more money should mean more and better products from Apple down the road — and maybe cheaper products too (though I'm not holding my breath on that one). I don't have faith in many corporations, but Apple's attention to design, detail, and the user experience leads me to believe that the people there will do even cooler things the more market share increases. Just look at the (net) improvements in the iPod over the last 5 years.

Also, the longer I use OS X (full-time since mid-10.1), the more I'm convinced that the small-market-share-keeps-malware-away is a load of crap. Windows is Swiss cheese, OS X isn't. That's all there is to it. Apple is now a high-profile company, so much so now that you'd think they'd be on someone's radar. Not to say we will never have any viruses/worms on OS X — it's probably inevitable regardless of market share. But I would bet hard cash that any exploit that is actually exploited will not have the same impact as, I dunno, take your pick of any of the dozens (hundreds?) of Windows exploits.

And why will prices get ridiculous "again?"

[amjbrown]

It's virtually impossible to register a product on the Apple site at 20:50 GMT 25th December!!

Loving my 6th iPod - 5th generation with video.

[Norse Son]

They might if they are apprehensive about buying a Rev A Intel-Mac and would rather buy something proven which they know will work. Also, Pro users would no doubt want to stick with PPC machines since their professional apps may not be ported yet to x86, and/or they don't want to take a chance with Rosetta, etc. :cool:

Well, not neccesarily true. Remember, Apple's had MacOS X on Intel since Rhapsody-days. That means it had to be on "Test Mules" locked away in the deepest recesses of Cupertino since at least 2000. And the mules likely ran most flavors of Intel's (and, no doubt, AMD's) CPUs, chipsets and motherboards. Also, they've had "engineering samples" of Yonah since (most likely) before the WWDC announcement... And have (likely) added Conroe, Merom and Woodcrest examples by now.

There are always "hardware hiccups" with a new design, but I doubt it will be due to the change in processor architectures. If anything, Apple has had "road tests" already with PCI-Express x16, DDR2, S-ATA (1, but now S-ATA 150 is here), and such thanks to the recent upgrades to the iMac G5 (w/ Front Row & iSight) and the PowerMac G5 (with dual dual-core PPC970MPs)... The tricky parts will be bolting Yonah & the Napa (Centrino) Platform into MacOS X.

So, I'm not afraid of the transition or rev-A hardware. The only thing that scares me is if this "poppycock" nonsense of Apple releasing iBooks with the Yonah dual-core and Napa's bells & whistles while letting the PowerBook fester in its grave until Merom ships around September... Yonah looks to be more expensive than the G4, so where is the logic in an iBook transition at MWSF!?!

As for the mini - don't get me started! If you throw a dual-core Yonah in there, with its 667MHz frontside bus, DDR2 DRAM (which it will support), PCI-Exp x16 GPUs (again, Napa-supported), then add DVR functionality (which means the 2.5" ATA HDs would need to be replaced by 3.5" S-ATAs)... Now you've got a machine that is twice the size and (easily) twice the price of todays Mac mini... That's not the reason & allure for the mini...

Therefore, if anything, Apple "may" keep the mini as-is until the single-core Yonah ships around May, but... BUT... they will "unofficially-expand" the line to include all those features, in a similarly-styled case, but with a different name... Perhaps the "Home Media Server _______" - the Brits will love it, calling it the HMS Apple... Now, if it would just float, and come with a sail-antenna for WiFi...

Um... am I really, really stupid for buying an iMac G5 for Christmas?? I haven't opened it yet so... I could still take it back. Seriously, I feel so stupid now... was that a super dumb thing to do? Should I take it back?

Are you being tongue-in-cheek, or are you seriously doubting your iMac G5 purchase?

Look at it this way: Apple hasn't "trumpeted" this point, but the iMac has had a 64bit cpu for the past 15+ months... Even if Yonah is a dual-core, would they really "backpedal" like that to a 32bit cpu? Also, the 20" iMac already has a faster frontside bus (700MHz) than Yonah's 667MHz bus. And it has gigabit ethernet, PCI-Exp x16 graphics and DDR2 DRAM...

That's why I think the iMac will stick with PPC until Merom, the 64bit, dual-core "successor" to Yonah ships around September. By that time 802.11n (is that WiMax?) will be more mainstream, and more studios & networks will have gotten on board with iTMS' video downloads, so we may see higher bit rates and feature films... Until then, Apple can squeeze another 100-300MHz out of the present PPC970FX, bump up the hard drive and gpu, etc. to keep the iMac competitive.

[steve_hill4]

Originally Posted by Norse SonOriginally Posted by amateurmacfreak
Um... am I really, really stupid for buying an iMac G5 for Christmas?? I haven't opened it yet so... I could still take it back. Seriously, I feel so stupid now... was that a super dumb thing to do? Should I take it back?

Are you being tongue-in-cheek, or are you seriously doubting your iMac G5 purchase?

Look at it this way: Apple hasn't "trumpeted" this point, but the iMac has had a 64bit cpu for the past 15+ months... Even if Yonah is a dual-core, would they really "backpedal" like that to a 32bit cpu? Also, the 20" iMac already has a faster frontside bus (700MHz) than Yonah's 667MHz bus. And it has gigabit ethernet, PCI-Exp x16 graphics and DDR2 DRAM...

That's why I think the iMac will stick with PPC until Merom, the 64bit, dual-core "successor" to Yonah ships around September. By that time 802.11n (is that WiMax?) will be more mainstream, and more studios & networks will have gotten on board with iTMS' video downloads, so we may see higher bit rates and feature films... Until then, Apple can squeeze another 100-300MHz out of the present PPC970FX, bump up the hard drive and gpu, etc. to keep the iMac competitive.
I agree, and it raises a good point for those thinking Apple will announce an intel iMac in a couple of weeks, will they be willing to allow a 32-bit iMac, or will they hold out on this range and wait for the 64-bit dual core processors? I think the latter is more likely.

[amateurmacfreak]

Are you being tongue-in-cheek, or are you seriously doubting your iMac G5 purchase?

Look at it this way: Apple hasn't "trumpeted" this point, but the iMac has had a 64bit cpu for the past 15+ months... Even if Yonah is a dual-core, would they really "backpedal" like that to a 32bit cpu? Also, the 20" iMac already has a faster frontside bus (700MHz) than Yonah's 667MHz bus. And it has gigabit ethernet, PCI-Exp x16 graphics and DDR2 DRAM...

That's why I think the iMac will stick with PPC until Merom, the 64bit, dual-core "successor" to Yonah ships around September. By that time 802.11n (is that WiMax?) will be more mainstream, and more studios & networks will have gotten on board with iTMS' video downloads, so we may see higher bit rates and feature films... Until then, Apple can squeeze another 100-300MHz out of the present PPC970FX, bump up the hard drive and gpu, etc. to keep the iMac competitive.

Haha, thanks. I just realized how funny and whiny my first post was. And I wasn't deliberately trying to be tounge-in-cheek although it sort of happened subconciously tounge-in-cheekly (agh, I'm trying to make an adverb), if that makes any sense at all. I guess I'm just scared something awful is going to happen to me like it did to my friend with the iPod w/ video being released 16 days after an iPod photo purchase. But on a much larger scale. With an iMac. :( :p Ok, anyways, I'm happy. I like the iMac G5. :D

[manu chao]

Just to add my voice to the chorus, on Friday I overheard a shop assistant in an Apple store in Switzerland saying that iPod nanos were sold out in the whole of Europe. Instead he was trying to sell a customer a voucher for an iPod nano plus an accessory to put something physical under the Christmass tree.

[generik]

That's why I think the iMac will stick with PPC until Merom, the 64bit, dual-core "successor" to Yonah ships around September. By that time 802.11n (is that WiMax?) will be more mainstream, and more studios & networks will have gotten on board with iTMS' video downloads, so we may see higher bit rates and feature films... Until then, Apple can squeeze another 100-300MHz out of the present PPC970FX, bump up the hard drive and gpu, etc. to keep the iMac competitive.

A dual core consumer line iMac? Just wait till you see the PowerMacs! :D

[hubristol]

I understand how it makes sense to wait to purchase something if it's about to be upgraded, but I think some of the posts I read on here (and other gadget forums) sort of make me laugh when I see how paranoid and afraid some people get about their technology becoming *gasp* not so cutting edge after a few months pass. :rolleyes:

[California]

All I know is that this year, I have purchased 18 Macs and 2 iPods, and I inadvertently become my friends' IT person. It's been an Apple of a year for me.

[Fiveos22]

The analyst said iPod inventory levels at Apple specialist stores are averaging between "the full-stock supply we have seen at Apple retail stores and spotty selection at 'big box' third-party retailers."

Some specialist stores "are seeing evidence" that customers are holding off on buying new computers until the launch of Macintoshes based on Intel

I don't read Forbes often, but this article seems suspiciously to say nothing. Absolutely nothing. I would hope that this is not one of the standard shorts that they print. *licks finger* Would you like me to give you a weather report?

* waits furiously for January 10th :)

if the new ibooks are introduced. COUNT ME IN!

I'm waiting for January 10th too, that's when I will find out if I got in to a certain Chicago medical school.

[Heart Break Kid]

All I know is that this year, I have purchased 18 Macs and 2 iPods, and I inadvertently become my friends' IT person. It's been an Apple of a year for me.

As a hindu, I would like to induct you as one of the many Gods we pray to. You will be called "California - God of Consuming Apple Products"

Jai Hind

[MacEffects]

This is good to hear! Does anyone know the current numbers on the Mac Mini units sold for Q4 & Q3 05? Please let me know.

[p0intblank]

This is excellent news for Apple. With the Intel switch possibly less than a month away, I have to say that I am surprised that Macs are selling this well. But hey, being wrong is sometimes a good thing. :)

[foniks2020]

BUT... I have no machine to drive it..... I have a 500 Ti Powerbook that is still the best PB ever made.. 4-5 ours battery, runs all my apps like a champ w/ 1G RAM and with OS speed up over the last 4/5 years is still a very snappy machine (though the 8MB video card will never be Extreme or give me dashboard liquidy effects)... so my question is... what should I get to drive this beast!

BTW my wife scrimped and saved (foregoing Golden Spoon Yogurt and new clothes!!!!) to get this for me... she's the best ;-)))))))

Should I wait for a new Intel DT Mac or go with a current G5 system or maybe a refurbed/refreshed/older model....

I'm quite happy with something like the 2ghz iMac I have at work and in any case I'd like something like it for performance.

Does anyone have a setup they are really happy with that might be cheaper than buying a new system?????

[m-dogg]

Hmmmmmm.....

January 10th.

MWSF Keynote. My birthday.

Coincidence?

[~Shard~]

This is excellent news for Apple. With the Intel switch possibly less than a month away, I have to say that I am surprised that Macs are selling this well. But hey, being wrong is sometimes a good thing. :)

I think this is probably due to the fact that some of the people know about the switch and are perhaps leery about buying a Rev A Intel Mac (or they are Pro users who need to stay on PPC for now), and that the other people have no clue the Intel transition is coming and are just buying obliviously - perhaps they already think Macs have "Intel Inside". ;)

Hmmmmmm.....

January 10th.

MWSF Keynote. My birthday.

Coincidence?

My birthday is January 11th, so I think between the 2 of us, this can be no coincidence. ;) :D

[ZorPrime]

All I know is that this year, I have purchased 18 Macs and 2 iPods, and I inadvertently become my friends' IT person. It's been an Apple of a year for me.

Thanks for keeping Apple in business. :eek: ;)

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/biztech/12/26/apple.whats.next.ap/index.html

[pubwvj]

I'm assuming that these are mostly first time mac buyers, right? Is someone familiar with the system actually going to shell out money now for a pre-intel mac?

We just bought a PowerBook 15", an iMac and an iBook because we want PPC for its support of Classic applications and I do not want to have a Rev. A MacIntel with all the problems it will have. We have real work to get done and don't feel like playing guinea pig. Better the devil I know... :)

Frankly, if MacIntels aren't going to support Classic applications then I'm not interested in them. We have too much in house data and their related applications that only run under Classic. Classic works wonderfully on PPC MacOS X 10.3 and 10.4 so we'll just stick with that. If Apple wants our hardware sales they'll need to continue supporting Classic. There are a lot of businesse owners that I have talked with who feel the same way. Dropping support for Classic is going to cost Apple hardware and software sales.

[Demoman]

Maybe I am not too bright, but tomorrow I am taking delivery of a 2nd PowerMac. I have a 2x2.0 and have just been waiting for the dualie to be released. I could have bought it sooner, but the 7800 upgrade slowed the delivery. I also bought 4 iPods as gifts (and received a Nano in return).

I have no hesitation in buying the the PPC. I am mainly doing amature video production and am satisfied with my present PowerMac. I just needed to add some more horsepower for rendering/compressing with the H.264. Some folk seem to be worried about protecting their investment due to the imminent arrival of the Intel boxes. Well, if it makes sense to them, then it is the right choice.

I also have a Powerbook 1.5. For upgrading it, I AM going to wait for Intel offerings to come out. My current machine works fine for what I am doing and I feel in no hurry to upgrade. When I do, the new machine will have to have significant performance improvement.

Also, the last of my family members just converted to Apple this week. My dad got an iMac 20" for Christmas. We have not seen him since.

[lucidfuel]

We just bought a PowerBook 15", an iMac and an iBook because we want PPC for its support of Classic applications and I do not want to have a Rev. A MacIntel with all the problems it will have. We have real work to get done and don't feel like playing guinea pig. Better the devil I know... :)

Frankly, if MacIntels aren't going to support Classic applications then I'm not interested in them. We have too much in house data and their related applications that only run under Classic. Classic works wonderfully on PPC MacOS X 10.3 and 10.4 so we'll just stick with that. If Apple wants our hardware sales they'll need to continue supporting Classic. There are a lot of businesse owners that I have talked with who feel the same way. Dropping support for Classic is going to cost Apple hardware and software sales.


i'm sorry, but i have a hard time believing that OTHER business cant upgrade.

It's been YEARS... YEARS since osX has come out and there have been 4 versions of osX that has come out. There are next to no classic apps that i know of that cant be opened by the osX app.

why cant just people let classic die!

what appz are you using?

[steve_hill4]

Just to add my voice to the chorus, on Friday I overheard a shop assistant in an Apple store in Switzerland saying that iPod nanos were sold out in the whole of Europe. Instead he was trying to sell a customer a voucher for an iPod nano plus an accessory to put something physical under the Christmass tree.
We were pretty well stocked up on iPod nanos this season, although we had very few 4GB flavours. We had only white 2GB nanos for most of the last week before Christmas, selling the last one of those Thursday evening. Luckily, we got 135 black 2GB nanos in shortly after opening on Friday, so despite the limited choice customers had, they were pretty big sellers, (by the end of Christmas Eve, I think we had only got a few dozen left, not bad for just over a days trade).

In totoal, I would say that between mid-November and Christmas Eve, we were out of stock of all iPod nanos for a total of no more than 10 days. Not bad, and the main reason we bucked the trend so much in the retail sector, (which is in a small decline in the UK, whereas our stores are all slightly up and our department of our store was consistantly up 25-50% every day through the above period). Thanks for the help Apple.:)

We just bought a PowerBook 15", an iMac and an iBook because we want PPC for its support of Classic applications and I do not want to have a Rev. A MacIntel with all the problems it will have. We have real work to get done and don't feel like playing guinea pig. Better the devil I know... :)

Frankly, if MacIntels aren't going to support Classic applications then I'm not interested in them. We have too much in house data and their related applications that only run under Classic. Classic works wonderfully on PPC MacOS X 10.3 and 10.4 so we'll just stick with that. If Apple wants our hardware sales they'll need to continue supporting Classic. There are a lot of businesse owners that I have talked with who feel the same way. Dropping support for Classic is going to cost Apple hardware and software sales.
That's what happens in computing though, will Microsoft still support Windows 3.1 or 95 apps in Vista? I doubt it somehow.

I know this isn't a fair comparison, but times move on. While it would be nice for Apple to support Classic or for more software running under OSX to allow opening files originally saved under classic apps, that are now no longer available/supported, we must move on overall. We can't support an older Operating Environment because there are an ever decreasing minority who need classic. If you still have hardware to run the apps, you can always buy more time for the transition.

I of course in no way intend to offend any Classic users, just pointing out the harsh reality of Mac OS.

[mmzplanet]

Haha, thanks. I just realized how funny and whiny my first post was. And I wasn't deliberately trying to be tounge-in-cheek although it sort of happened subconciously tounge-in-cheekly (agh, I'm trying to make an adverb), if that makes any sense at all. I guess I'm just scared something awful is going to happen to me like it did to my friend with the iPod w/ video being released 16 days after an iPod photo purchase. But on a much larger scale. With an iMac. :( :p Ok, anyways, I'm happy. I like the iMac G5. :D

I am in the same situation :) I am nervous about getting a iMac and have it outdate in January. I'm tempted to wait till after MWSF just to see. You never know. But I have already sold my old Mac Mini online so I am Mac-less for now :( I may just get the G5 anyways... I usually get a new Mac once a year anyways. Plus its not like there will be tons of native software for x86 right away.

But I will be helping apple look good for the 1Q of 06.... new iPod and new iMac :) I cannot wait.

[m-dogg]

Um... am I really, really stupid for buying an iMac G5 for Christmas?? I haven't opened it yet so... I could still take it back. Seriously, I feel so stupid now... was that a super dumb thing to do? Should I take it back?

No, not at all. I just got a new iMac too. Open it up and enjoy!

[Amdahl]

So what's the deal... No Christmas mentions on Apple's website, and now Mac rumors is reporting strong sales for 'Holiday' -- as a proper noun.

So, just what exactly is 'Holiday?' Or did you accidentally misspell Christmas?

[EricNau]

So what's the deal... No Christmas mentions on Apple's website, and now Mac rumors is reporting strong sales for 'Holiday' -- as a proper noun.

So, just what exactly is 'Holiday?' Or did you accidentally misspell Christmas?
So we should exclude Jewish people?
This is truly the "Holiday" season, because more than one Holiday is taking place around this time.

(BTW: this is coming from a Christian.)

EDIT: I forgot New Year's.

[amateurmacfreak]

I am in the same situation :) I am nervous about getting a iMac and have it outdate in January. I'm tempted to wait till after MWSF just to see. You never know. But I have already sold my old Mac Mini online so I am Mac-less for now :( I may just get the G5 anyways... I usually get a new Mac once a year anyways. Plus its not like there will be tons of native software for x86 right away.

But I will be helping apple look good for the 1Q of 06.... new iPod and new iMac :) I cannot wait.

I'm on my iMac G5. Loving it soo much. :D I don't know, I'm just so into it right now, but I'd go ahead and get it, because I think iMac updates would be very, very unlikely at MWSF, and it's just too sad to be Mac-less.:( :) I think iMacs(maybe Powermacs) are the best to buy right now pre-Intel. They're great computers, and it's looking like they're the ones least due for an update... I bought this iMac knowing it will probably be my last PPC purchase ever, and I'm happy with that. It's a good goodbye. :)

No, not at all. I just got a new iMac too. Open it up and enjoy!
Haha, thanks, have done! Totally loving this computer! :)

[PCMacUser]

So we should exclude Jewish people?
This is truly the "Holiday" season, because more than one Holiday is taking place around this time.

(BTW: this is coming from a Christian.)

EDIT: I forgot New Year's.
You slightly missed the point! He was trying to point out that they are using "Holiday" as a proper noun. For example, "What are you doing for Holiday?", or "I want a new red bicycle for Holiday".

[EricNau]

You slightly missed the point! He was trying to point out that they are using "Holiday" as a proper noun. For example, "What are you doing for Holiday?", or "I want a new red bicycle for Holiday".
Did he also notice that both "Sales" and "Strong" were also capitalized? It's a title.

In the original post, they said
http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

Forbes reports (http://www.forbes.com/markets/emergingmarkets/2005/12/22/apple-ipod-earnings-1222markets02.html) on Piper Jaffray analyst research on Apple's sales strength this holiday season.
...


Never did MR use "holiday" as a proper noun.

[steve_hill4]

So we should exclude Jewish people?
This is truly the "Holiday" season, because more than one Holiday is taking place around this time.

(BTW: this is coming from a Christian.)

EDIT: I forgot New Year's.
I think part of the rant you refer to is about the usage of "Apple Sales Strong for Holiday" rather than "the Holiday [season]". I do however agree that we often overlook other religions in the West during times like these. A lot of Muslims and Hindus I work alongside won't/didn't celebrate Christmas, yet were still forced to have the 25th and 26th off, but work during their holy times, (they don't have to, but rather than cashing in these two days, they are forced to take them and potentially lose money at another time).

In saying that though, Christmas in the West is becoming more of a general family time for giving. I know many people of non-Christian faiths who were giving presents to their children. I am an ex-Catholic, current Athiest, but I still use Christmas as a time for family and giving.

Apple could start to target other holidays perhaps, but we know Christmas is the biggest for gift-giving and at the times of other festivals, stocks are generally good. They just seem to be lower at this time of year.

[LaMerVipere]

While I plead guilty to picking myself up a black 60GB iPod w/video a couple weeks before X-MAS, I resisted the urge to get a Mac this holiday! But if an Intel PowerBook were to arrive in a couple weeks...I might not be able to resist any longer. :)

[steve_hill4]

Why I plead guilty to picking myself up a black 60GB iPod w/video a couple weeks before X-MAS, I resisted the urge to get a Mac this holiday! But if an Intel PowerBook were to arrive in a couple weeks...I might not be able to resist any longer. :)
Yep, I am buying a fair few things in the next couple of days/weeks, but my late Christmas present to myself will be a new 15" intel PowerBook. Just how late a gift will it be though.....

[MacEffects]

So, does anyone no how many Mac Mini Units were sold Q3 & Currently Q4 (05)? Or how much money was gained for Apple by the Mac Mini???

Anyone:confused:

PS: I have checked with no avail Apple.com/investor

[Amdahl]

So we should exclude Jewish people?
This is truly the "Holiday" season, because more than one Holiday is taking place around this time.

(BTW: this is coming from a Christian.)

EDIT: I forgot New Year's.
They are already excluded. Hanukkah isn't even one of the top 7 Jewish feasts.

Hanukkah is only dragged along for the ride in countries where they need something to package with Christmas.

Did he also notice that both "Sales" and "Strong" were also capitalized? It's a title.

In the original post, they said


Never did MR use "holiday" as a proper noun.
It is used as a singular noun, apparently in an attempt to create a new atheistic event known as 'Holiday.' If MR was trying to play along with the P.C.-police, it would have said 'holidays,' capitalized or not.

A lot of Muslims and Hindus I work alongside won't/didn't celebrate Christmas, yet were still forced to have the 25th and 26th off, but work during their holy times, (they don't have to, but rather than cashing in these two days, they are forced to take them and potentially lose money at another time).Guess they should have read the disclaimer on those INS documents before they left their homelands: Warning: Now entering Christian nation.

In saying that though, Christmas in the West is becoming more of a general family time for giving. I know many people of non-Christian faiths who were giving presents to their children. I am an ex-Catholic, current Athiest, but I still use Christmas as a time for family and giving.Wow, how original! I wonder if that might catch on?

Apple could start to target other holidays perhaps, but we know Christmas is the biggest for gift-giving and at the times of other festivals, stocks are generally good.96% of Americans report they celebrate Christmas. If Apple wants to diss those people and target the other 4%.. well, that would be very Apple of them.

[~Shard~]

In saying that though, Christmas in the West is becoming more of a general family time for giving. I know many people of non-Christian faiths who were giving presents to their children. I am an ex-Catholic, current Athiest, but I still use Christmas as a time for family and giving.

This has been going on for a long time. I know countless people who are not Christian, yet still celebrate Christmas - they don't even think about it, really. It is truly a time for giving, thanks and love, so it is not simply a religious thing anymore, even though that was obviously the root a long time ago.

Anyway, OT, sorry...

[Amdahl]

This has been going on for a long time. I know countless people who are not Christian, yet still celebrate Christmas - they don't even think about it, really. It is truly a time for giving, thanks and love, so it is not simply a religious thing anymore, even though that was obviously the root a long time ago.Next thing you know, you'll be having Easter Egg hunts in the Spring, dressing up as little demons & monsters on All Souls Eve, thanking God for another good year in November, and wondering how it came to be that your calendar revolves around Christian religious festivals. Lord save us!

[~Shard~]

Next thing you know, you'll be having Easter Egg hunts in the Spring, dressing up as little demons & monsters on All Souls Eve, thanking God for another good year in November, and wondering how it came to be that your calendar revolves around Christian religious festivals. Lord save us!

Just as long as we don't forget the true meaning of Christmas - the birth of Santa. :cool:

Yep, I think it's great that all these holidays are more "universal" and celebrated by everyone, regardless of their religious background - that's the way it should be.

Anyway, enough of this talk, or else this thread will quickly get relegated to a more suitable Forum. ;) Back on topic regarding Apple sales, I think it's great to see the numbers so strong, especially with MWSF coming up. I realize not everyone even knows about MWSF, let along that new products will be released at that time, but I think that people either don't care, are unaware, or they realize that many new products are released after Christmas in every industry, and that this isn't just an Apple thing. Why do you think they have all these Boxing Day blow-outs and whatnot? To get rid of old stock to bring in new stuff! Regardless, as I said, it's great for Apple, and I think 2006 will be even better. :cool:

[technicolor]

FYI: "Kwanzaa" for most of the 18 million people celebrating what you're most likely referring to is spelled with two A's, not one. Not trying to be a spelling alert nerd, but it is a Proper noun and I thought you'd like to get it right if you happen to make out cards or something.

You misspelled "Chanukah", too.
And Ramadan has been over.

Sorry to point out another correction! As I recall, Muslims celebrate "Eid" (pronounced 'eed' with a soft 'd') twice a year, one of which comes after the end of Ramadan. Ramadan itself is not a time of celebration, it's a time of fasting and reflecting upon the needs of the not-so-fortunate.
That is correct, and the other Eid is after Hajj.

Guess they should have read the disclaimer on those INS documents before they left their homelands: Warning: Now entering Christian nation.

.
What a stupid thing to say. As if ppl who worship in other religions are exclusively immigrants.
I am a proud muslim and us born american citizen, and so are my parents, and their parents too. WTF are you talking about?:mad: :mad: :mad:

And just so you know Black Americans---yes AMERICANS make up the largest percentage of the Muslim population in the United States.

Get your facts straight.

ETA: I have edited my post to remove namecalling which I have been informed thru a friendly pm that it is against the rules.

[Amdahl]

Just as long as we don't forget the true meaning of Christmas - the birth of Santa. :cool:
... Back on topic regarding Apple sales, I think it's great to see the numbers so strong, especially with MWSF coming up. Hmm.. Maybe that explains Apple's un-Christmas attitude. Steve doesn't like the competition to his RDF.

[LaMerVipere]

This has been going on for a long time. I know countless people who are not Christian, yet still celebrate Christmas - they don't even think about it, really. It is truly a time for giving, thanks and love, so it is not simply a religious thing anymore, even though that was obviously the root a long time ago.

Anyway, OT, sorry...

Good point. I'm not religious but I still "celebrate" Christmas and give all the people I care about "Christmas" presents. :rolleyes:

And I also expect "Christmas" gifts from certain people. :p

[EricNau]

Just as long as we don't forget the true meaning of Christmas - the birth of Santa. :cool:

Yep, I think it's great that all these holidays are more "universal" and celebrated by everyone, regardless of their religious background - that's the way it should be.

...

I'm sorry but if someone doesn't believe in Jesus Christ, then that someone has no business celebrating Christmas.

[~Shard~]

I'm sorry but if someone doesn't believe in Jesus Christ, then that someone has no business celebrating Christmas.

That makes about as much sense as saying that people who don't live in the East should not be celebrating Easter. :p :cool:

[EricNau]

Next thing you know, you'll be having Easter Egg hunts in the Spring, dressing up as little demons & monsters on All Souls Eve, thanking God for another good year in November, and wondering how it came to be that your calendar revolves around Christian religious festivals. Lord save us!
All souls day is November 2nd. All Saints day is Nov. 1st. So Halloween would be "All Saints Eve."

That makes about as much sense as saying that people who don't live in the East should not be celebrating Easter. :p :cool:
touché

[~Shard~]

All souls day is November 2nd. All Saints day is Nov. 1st. So Halloween would be "All Saints Eve."

You're correct, although I don't know if that name would catch on as much. Perhaps for certain music fans? ;) Regardless, nice one. :D

[Amdahl]

That makes about as much sense as saying that people who don't live in the East should not be celebrating Easter. :p :cool:Incorrect. 'Easter' does not have anything to do with east. Christmas directly relates to Christ.

dictionary.com
originally a Saxon word (Eostre), denoting a goddess of the Saxons, in honour of
whom sacrifices were offered about the time of the Passover. Hence the name came
to be given to the festival of the Resurrection of Christ, which occured at the
time of the Passover. In the early English versions this word was frequently
used as the translation of the Greek pascha (the Passover).

All souls day is November 2nd. All Saints day is Nov. 1st. So Halloween would be "All Saints Eve."Yep, you are correct. I had them reversed.

The name Hallowe'en is apparently derivative of Allhallows Eve.

[~Shard~]

Incorrect. 'Easter' does not have anything to do with east. Christmas directly relates to Christ.

dictionary.com

Perhaps while you're at dictionary.com, you might want to check this definition (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=sense%20of%20humor) out as well. :p :cool:

[EricNau]

Yep, you are correct. I had them reversed.

The name Hallowe'en is apparently derivative of Allhallows Eve.
Yes, Halloween comes from "All Hollows Eve." And 'All Hallows Day' is the same as 'All Saints Day', for those who might be wondering.

[Amdahl]

Perhaps while you're at dictionary.com, you might want to check this definition (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=sense%20of%20humor) out as well. :p :cool:Here, let me make it funny for you:

That makes about as much sense as saying that people who don't speak Mexican should not be celebrating cinco de mayo.

[~Shard~]

Here, let me make it funny for you:

Actually, just taking things so seriously is funny enough for me, thanks for the laughs. :)