Apple Financial Call Hilights

[MacRumors]

Hilights from Apple's Conference Call today:

- 771,000 CPUs shipped during the quarter (down from a year ago) with higher average revenue per system sold.
- iBooks and Powerbooks sold very well with portable products being 46% of all Mac sold. The desktop products down, especially the iMac.
- PowerMac G4 sales are soft, but G5 response has been strong.
- 304,000 iPods (Record Breaking Quarter)
- 6,500,000 songs sold in iTunes Music Store.
- 50% of customers buying Mac systems at Apple Stores did not currently own a Mac

Based on Q/A session:

- In this first quarter of the iTunes Music Store, they've come close to breaking even, and sold 6,500,000 songs thusfar.
- Would not give the breakdown of iTunes music earnings due to competitive reasons.
- Would not specify the breakdown of 12", 15", 17" PowerBooks for competitive reasons.
- PowerMac G5 shipping still expected to begin in August.
- Windows iTunes still on track for release by end-of-year

(For more in-depth details, MacMinute (http://www.macminute.com/2003/07/16/conferencecall) and MacCentral (http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/2003/07/16/q3live/) have further breakdowns of product numbers.)

[5thorseman]

Looks like iTunes music store sales are slowing down, hopefully our wonderful computer company will get past those European licensing laws so that us British folk can get stuck in!

//5th

[jimjiminyjim]

It does not surprise me that the iMac is down - if you have cash, you'd buy a powermac, if you don't, you'd buy an e-mac (as I did)

[Dahl]

They really think the G5's will ship in August ? I have now asked more than one place and they all say September. But I hope Apple can prove them wrong.

[jimjiminyjim]

Total number of CPU's down for the quarter, but higher revenue per machine sold. The prices went down, apple earned more money per machine! Sweet! If they can earn more per machine and drop the price again, I won't complain (and neither will I be surprised)

[billyboy]

No wonder Apple arent the stock market´s darlings. As a Mac user and potential ongoing customer I have every confidence in Apple coming up trumps with ipods, iTMS and G5 Powermacs for Christmas, but with all the evasive answers and no comments at this conference, I imagine it must be kind of hard for the analysts to get too enthused about the next quarter.

[Freg3000]

The two big problems I see is the slowing iMac sales and the slowing iTMS sales. Apple can fix the mix store sales if they expand the store internationally and to Windows users soon. That is easy. For the iMac.....they need good sales. When PC users think MAC (yes, they think Mac in capitals) they think of the flat-panel iMac. Apple needs to bring the iMac above the eMac spec wise, as it currently is not. There is a lot of room now for the iMac, as there is no more PowerMac ceiling. Hopefully we'll see much faster iMacs soon. I don't believe a redesign is needed.

[beg_ne]

Originally posted by Dahl
They really think the G5's will ship in August ? I have now asked more than one place and they all say September. But I hope Apple can prove them wrong.

Hopefully, Apple sure seems to think so.
I just checked my Apple Store order and the ship date has been updated to:

On or before
08/29/2003

Whereas it used to be:

On or before
09/02/2003

[daveL]

Originally posted by Dahl
They really think the G5's will ship in August ? I have now asked more than one place and they all say September. But I hope Apple can prove them wrong.
"They" is Apple. I'm not sure what you're saying. My experience with purchasing from Apple is that they give you worst case, on your doorstep dates. If other info seen here on MacRumors holds true, the single CPU models will go out the first part of August and the duals will follow around the third week of August. Given that a lot of folks giving the "on or before September 2" feedback are getting duals, it seems to add up, for me at least.

[simX]

Originally posted by 5thorseman
Looks like iTunes music store sales are slowing down, hopefully our wonderful computer company will get past those European licensing laws so that us British folk can get stuck in!

//5th

Could you explain to me how you came to the conclusion that iTunes music store sales are slowing down?

The music store was introduced this fiscal quarter on April 28. The quarter ended June 28. That's exactly 2 months, which means they sold 2,500,000 songs per month. Since June 28, they've sold 1,500,000 songs. It's just about smack in the middle of the month, which means they're on track for 3,000,000 songs for July. If you're conservative, you'd say they're probably going to hit even and stay at about 2,500,000 songs this month.

It doesn't seem to me like sales are slowing down.

[EDIT: Sorry, it didn't say in the MacRumors' highlights the number of songs sold in this last fiscal quarter. For that info, refer to this story (http://www.macminute.com/2003/07/16/conferencecall) at MacMinute.]

[MrMacMan]

Cool now that they have broken even lets see a profit!!

:)

[mymemory]

iTMS will go down just because once you furfill your library with the songs you are allways looking for there is not more reson to spend money in the srevice, may be just 5 songs per months or so.

For example, you go to a music store and get 4 CDs at once but you do not go every week and get 4 CDs every time you go, so, the iTMS will normailize eventually, that doesn't mean the system is not popular any more, it mean the public got what they were looking for and once the got it that was it.

[raschild]

My question is how much new music is being added to the iTMS library from week to week? Given the limited audience (Mac users), how long will sales stay where they are right now? I would think a consistent supply of new music and adding the MS community will make a nice cashcow for Apple.

[simX]

Originally posted by mymemory
iTMS will go down just because once you furfill your library with the songs you are allways looking for there is not more reson to spend money in the srevice, may be just 5 songs per months or so.

For example, you go to a music store and get 4 CDs at once but you do not go every week and get 4 CDs every time you go, so, the iTMS will normailize eventually, that doesn't mean the system is not popular any more, it mean the public got what they were looking for and once the got it that was it.

But like I said, the numbers have shown that that's not the case, so far, anyway.

I think one thing that you're forgetting, though, is that Apple is adding new tracks to the iTMS weekly. With the couple million potential customers, there's got to be a healthy return on that. I mean, if just 1% of the potential customers (let's say a conservative 1 million) of the iTMS buy just 1 new track each week, that's an extra 10,000 songs each week, and that's a pretty conservative estimate.

[fred]

Originally posted by Macrumors
Hilights from Apple's Conference Call today:

-Based on Q/A session:

- In this first quarter of the iTunes Music Store, they've come close to breaking even, and sold 6,500,000 songs thusfar.

What precisely do they mean by broken even ? Does it mean they've recouped their initial capital outlay to build and promote the service ? I always thought that Apple would make about 10% per song so perhaps they are referring to the capital and start-up costs

[grapeice]

Well, at least Apple is making a profit. I think they are taking risks, which means added costs, and it really looks like their risks are and will pay off.

By the way, is "hilights" spelled incorrectly on purpose? :)

hilights -> highlights

[morgan-e]

Originally posted by raschild
My question is how much new music is being added to the iTMS library from week to week? Given the limited audience (Mac users), how long will sales stay where they are right now? I would think a consistent supply of new music and adding the MS community will make a nice cashcow for Apple.

although i can't bring up exact figures, if you sign up at the store (not necessarily purchasing anything) you can, as i've done, chose to recieve a weekly email as to what's been added. it's entirely fluid, and i don't see that "people have gotten what they want, and won't come back." although it's specifically the different, it's still fundamentally a music store so people will keep coming back when they want music! being at break even when its library still hasn't been completed is an awesome sign. if you've used it, you'd know that the immediacy factor is enough reason (well, probably the only reason) to come back.

[Dahl]

Originally posted by beg_ne
Hopefully, Apple sure seems to think so.
I just checked my Apple Store order and the ship date has been updated to:

On or before
08/29/2003

Whereas it used to be:

On or before
09/02/2003
That's nice.
I'm glad to see Apple is trying to get them out as soon as possible. I guess after waiting for a new machine for so long, the waiting time is killing me, but I'm ok with waiting just a little bit more.
I just went to the new Apple store in Santa Monica, CA and it would have been nice if the new machines were screaming at you from the windows. :)

[DakotaGuy]

I notice the iMac and eMac are grouped together for sales. It would be interesting to see the breakout on the numbers by model.

[copperpipe]

I would bet that the eMac sales blew away the iMac sales, because - get this - the extra cash for a rotatng screen is a luxury of the rich, and in these times, luxurious expenses like that are rare. I was bummed about the new iMac, because the purpose of it changed when the new ones came out. I always thought the purpose of the iMac was to have a friendly Apple computer that was priced for the masses and could do all the basics of computing. The original iMac is just that, your best buddy. But now we have this very fancy computer that is beautiful, and cool, but something I have a hard time justifying my money on. And the eMac isn't nearly as friendly and cool as the original iMac. Personally, I wish they'd kept the ol' iMac and priced her at around $600 with a sweet little 800 mz G3. She'd be getting a lot of switchers is my bet. End rant.

[alandail]

iTMS sales have plenty of ways to grow and not shrink

- the store gets new users everytime someone buys a mac, instals iTunes 4, etc.
- the store gets new demand from users every time a mac user buys an iPod.
- the store adds new music every week

there was an initial surge the first week or so the store opened, then it leveled off to about 500k songs/week. I expect that number to gradually grow.

And then there will be major surges over the next year.

- when it's available to international users
- when the windows iTunes ships

The biggest challenge they have to solve is getting more music up there. There are unexplained gaps where many albums are only partial albums. When you go to buy an album on Amazon, you don't have that problem - the iTMS needs to eliminate that problem too.

[Brother Mugga]

Hang on...

Did I just read that 50% of sales went to new Mac users?


Why is nobody going 'Bloody Hell!'

Am I missing something?


Brother Mugga

PS: You can add two more to that total as of tomorrow; sucked in a couple more to the luverlyy world of iMac.

And I'll be 'switching' to a G5 in the New Year.

I know I've said this before.

I just like saying it.

Is that wrong...?

[NavyIntel007]

I find the iTMS sales to be great. Think about it this way... In three months, would the CD store that just opened in the mall break even? In a bad economy?

Quite a few stores started selling inventory online during the late 90's at the boom of our economy. They were losing money for years and finally broke even. How long did it take Amazon.com to break even?

I mean we're talking three months on a limited user base (it'd be nice to know the total number of subscribers).

Another statistic that no one has commented on... 50% of mac buyers do not currently own a mac. That is a pretty good statistic. That's 385,500 new mac users in this quarter alone. People are being exposed to the Apple Stores, the ipod, the iTMS, the G5 and the loads of press Apple has been getting in the paper lately. I may be overly optimistic, but I'd say this number could double for next quarter.

[foofan]

At first it does sound dissappointing that iMac sales are sluggish, especially since they introduced it to the public in grand fashion compared to the eMac, but I really feel that the eMac is what they should have promoted more to the PC users. I think Apple was too much in love with that flat-panel design.

Personally, I 'm already on my 2nd eMac and I think they are awesome! I recently upgraded to the 1ghz model. It has everything the iMac has except a flat panel. Why would I want to spend hundreds of dollars more just to be able to swing the screen on a metal arm?

I think th iMac got trapped between the eMac and powermac, but now that the G5 exists they can bump up the speed of the g4 iMac as much as they want and it will never conflict with a g5. Let's hope they come out with something like a 1.6ghz G4 iMac for people who want a little more than the eMac, but don't want to invest in a G5.

[QuiteSure]

Well, I did a terrible thing. I bought a Dell Dimension 2400 for my secretary. Base price $399, added 512 mb ram, updated to XP Professional (so I can run Microsoft Remote Desktop Client) and small business Office.

The good news: the computer works and the Remote Desktop Client product is great; I can now run Windows apps on my OSX desktop.

The bad news: I have this sinking feeling that I should have gotten an eMac. Although the Dimension "boasts" a 2.4 ghz processor, it runs considerably slower than my DP 867 G4. I think in the long run I'll be OK with my Dell purchase because now I can add some windows only software to my law firm (unfortunately, there's lots), but I may have stayed with a mac if there was only a $600 headless G4 box out there.

:confused:

Is there no chance we'll see such a beast anytime soon?

[Brother Mugga]

Quitesure said:

but I may have stayed with a mac if there was only a $600 headless G4 box out there.


Rumors about it surfaced (again) about a month ago, but nothing since.

I've said this before; I really think Apple are missing a trick here. They'd have got your money, my money (and that of quite a few of my friends) if a £400 'cube' put in an appearance.

Just keep sending emails to Apple about it until they take out a restraining order (which, come to think of it, you'd be ideally placed to contest! Er, and on that theme, I don't suppose you'd be interested in sorting out some of my....er...my 'paperwork' would you......?).

Brother Mugga

[JtheLemur]

Beg_ne - YOU SUCK. :D My BTO Dual 2GHz G5 is still On or Before 9/2. Arghy.

[merges]

According to the conference call, at least as I heard it, the 50% of Mac users statistic is something like:

In the last (unspecified), 50% of folks who purchased a Mac at an *Apple retail store* did not already own a Mac.

So, numbers might be a bit hard to come by. I'm also curious how many of these purchasers have at one time owned a Mac.

[Baja2k]

5 minutes ago or so I saw a commercial for the new G5 on the History Channel. I guess I'm suprised because they say that it still won't ship for more than a month. Has anyone else seen any commercials for it prior to today. I wasn't paying real close attention until I realized it was an Apple add. But it showed some guy that was blown through several walls of his house. As the camera goes back through the holes in the walls it focuses in on the new G5. Something like "Introducing the world's fastest personal computer" was part of the spokesperson's tag line. I don't remember exactly what he said because I was kinda shocked to see it. I don't get to watch alot of TV so maybe I'm late to the party on this one. Or maybe the commercial's coincide with the Financials report this afternoon.

BTW: My order has also changed to 8/29

Regards,

[Flowbee]

Originally posted by raschild
My question is how much new music is being added to the iTMS library from week to week?

On the main page of the iTMS, you can select "just added' (near the top of the left colum) to see a week-by-week display of everything that's been added to the store (for the past 4 weeks). This feature was added a few weeks after the store went online.

[Brother Mugga]

Originally posted by Baja2k
5 minutes ago or so I saw a commercial for the new G5 on the History Channel. I guess I'm suprised because they say that it still won't ship for more than a month. Has anyone else seen any commercials for it prior to today. I wasn't paying real close attention until I realized it was an Apple add. But it showed some guy that was blown through several walls of his house. As the camera goes back through the holes in the walls it focuses in on the new G5. Something like "Introducing the world's fastest personal computer" was part of the spokesperson's tag line. I don't remember exactly what he said because I was kinda shocked to see it. I don't get to watch alot of TV so maybe I'm late to the party on this one. Or maybe the commercial's coincide with the Financials report this afternoon.

BTW: My order has also changed to 8/29

Regards,


You can see it again here:

http://homepage.mac.com/freg3000/iMovieTheater36.html

and here:

http://www.funmac.com/G5.mov

(although I had problems with this link).

Cheers

Brother Mugga

[merges]

You can also watch the new Power Mac G5 ad on Apple's website at:

http://www.apple.com/hardware/ads/g5/

[DGFan]

Originally posted by mymemory
iTMS will go down just because once you furfill your library with the songs you are allways looking for there is not more reson to spend money in the srevice, may be just 5 songs per months or so.

For example, you go to a music store and get 4 CDs at once but you do not go every week and get 4 CDs every time you go, so, the iTMS will normailize eventually, that doesn't mean the system is not popular any more, it mean the public got what they were looking for and once the got it that was it.

I have literally hundreds of songs left to buy. I am very slowly going through my 'collection' and buying legal copies of the ones I listen to the most. That will take a while.

[simX]

Originally posted by merges
According to the conference call, at least as I heard it, the 50% of Mac users statistic is something like:

In the last (unspecified), 50% of folks who purchased a Mac at an *Apple retail store* did not already own a Mac.

So, numbers might be a bit hard to come by. I'm also curious how many of these purchasers have at one time owned a Mac.

Yes, you're absolutely right. The main MacRumors story is incorrect -- it's 50% of people who bought a Mac at an Apple retail store, as you said.

[Waluigi]

Originally posted by simX
Yes, you're absolutely right. The main MacRumors story is incorrect -- it's 50% of people who bought a Mac at an Apple retail store, as you said.

What about switchers like me, who ordered my Apple in the Apple store, but instead of going through their system, I had to buy it online (in the store though with the sales man walking me through every step) in order to get my educational discount. Would I count as a in store or online customer?


--Waluigi

[asim]

was that 771k machines or cpus? it seems they have a bunch of dual-processor machines which could mean that this number represents far fewer machines sold

afc

[CybrCyfr]

"- 50% of customers buying Mac systems did not currently own a Mac"

That is very good news right? What did it look like in prior quarters since the switch campaign began?

[rjwill246]

Originally posted by Brother Mugga
Hang on...

Did I just read that 50% of sales went to new Mac users?


Why is nobody going 'Bloody Hell!'

Am I missing something?

Nope. You got it right.We should be shouting from the rooftops. People often miss the point, even when it's bloody obvious. Apple is doing extraordinarily well given, the change to OS X, the slump in G4 sales, the introduction of iPods, iTunes Music Store, and all the i**** things. On the iTunes Music Store: the user base is small and yet it has done superbly. When our Windoze brothers can partake of this 'communion' it will go through the roof. The fact that Apple is taking so long on its release means that it will work smoothly and stun our separated Windoze brethren, who might then be tempted to convert!

[arn]

Sorry... Clarification:

the 50% stat was at Apple stores

arn

[Dahl]

Originally posted by Brother Mugga
Hang on...

Did I just read that 50% of sales went to new Mac users?


Why is nobody going 'Bloody Hell!'

Am I missing something?


Brother Mugga

PS: You can add two more to that total as of tomorrow; sucked in a couple more to the luverlyy world of iMac.

And I'll be 'switching' to a G5 in the New Year.

I know I've said this before.

I just like saying it.

Is that wrong...?
Welcome to the sunny side :)
The 50% new users is impressive and it must have an impact worth tracking ?

[Toe]

Almost half of CPU sales were portable...

Does it yet sound like there is some sort of demand for an ultra-portable?

Why carry a cellphone and a laptop (and maybe an iPod and maybe a PDA)? Why not one small device that takes care of most everything? And that runs OS X?

Or does nobody yet see the demand, even though so many are buying portables now?

[Jerry Spoon]

Originally posted by Toe
Almost half of CPU sales were portable...

Does it yet sound like there is some sort of demand for an ultra-portable?

Why carry a cellphone and a laptop (and maybe an iPod and maybe a PDA)? Why not one small device that takes care of most everything? And that runs OS X?

Or does nobody yet see the demand, even though so many are buying portables now?
How does a table request make it's way into so many threads:D
p.s. I want one too!

[Toe]

Originally posted by Jerry Spoon
How does a tablet request make it's way into so many threads:D Because it's so got-dang overdue!

[Docrjm]

Originally posted by Toe
Because it's so got-dang overdue!
:D Is it table or tablet?

Of course we could expect Apple to produce a bleeding edge table, with slots for Docking all the latest gear. Only one powerpoint needed. That would power up all else. Of course being Apple it might even be fuel celled!

:D :D :D

[tduality]

[i]

Another statistic that no one has commented on... 50% of mac buyers do not currently own a mac. That is a pretty good statistic. That's 385,500 new mac users in this quarter alone. People are being exposed to the Apple Stores, the ipod, the iTMS, the G5 and the loads of press Apple has been getting in the paper lately. I may be overly optimistic, but I'd say this number could double for next quarter.

Maccentral says '50% of the customers...'

That would count also iPod buyers. Hence the number of new mac users might be lower.

[Trimix]

Originally posted by Brother Mugga
Hang on...
Did I just read that 50% of sales went to new Mac users?
Why is nobody going 'Bloody Hell!'
Am I missing something?
Brother Mugga

I was wondering too - that is fantastic - why are there no comments on this ?

[littlerich]

My 30GB iPod arrived today! I must have been one of those 304,000 :D This is the nicest piece of equipment I have seen. Especially with a new iTrip arriving soon it should be sweet!

[Lanbrown]

Originally posted by Freg3000
The two big problems I see is the slowing iMac sales and the slowing iTMS sales. Apple can fix the mix store sales if they expand the store internationally and to Windows users soon. That is easy. For the iMac.....they need good sales. When PC users think MAC (yes, they think Mac in capitals) they think of the flat-panel iMac. Apple needs to bring the iMac above the eMac spec wise, as it currently is not. There is a lot of room now for the iMac, as there is no more PowerMac ceiling. Hopefully we'll see much faster iMacs soon. I don't believe a redesign is needed.

I have though the same thing and would have thought the iMac would have been updated by now. I guess they are waiting for the 7457 and then they will update the iMac. I wouldn't be surprised if the PowerMac G4 and the iMac will have the same clock speed. There is no reason to position the PM G4 above the iMac. The eMac will probably get a 7457 as well, but not as fast or stay at 1GHz but have the 7457.

I do think the iMac will get a slight redesign though. It will look the same, but the memory will be different as the 7457 has a faster bus. Maybe they could even bring the iMac out of the 1GB barrier they have on it. Memory modules are increasing; Apple should update the iMac. They could also update the GPU as well, Nvidia and ATI both have newer ones out that either costs the same or less and provide more performance. They could add S-ATA to the machine as well.

[copperpipe]

I completely agree that Apple needs to bring the cube back in the form of a cheap headless Mac for the masses. That I think, would be HUGE. I would have bought one a few weeks ago, but instead I've rationalized that my old original iMac can hang on for another year probably.

As far as a tablet, what the heck are they used for? I have no desire for one whatsoever...

[Macmaniac]

The iMac really needs a speed boost. A rencent MacAddict Artilce confrims that the eMac beat the iMac in every photoshop tese, and it achieved a higher FPS in Quake testing. Oddly enough the iMac has a 64mb vid card while the eMac has a 32mb vid card go figure that out!!
The eMac is truley the better value.

[arn]

Originally posted by tduality
Maccentral says '50% of the customers...'

That would count also iPod buyers. Hence the number of new mac users might be lower.

The exact quote is:

"Based on our most recent wave of customer research, about 50% of customers buying Mac systems at our stores did not currently own a Mac."

so does NOT include iPod sales.

[AidenShaw]

(Headline, business section, San Jose Mercury News 17 July 2003)

http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/business/6322053.htm

Few customers switching from Windows

A YEAR AFTER ADS BEGAN AIRING, APPLE HASN'T GAINED MARKET SHARE

By Jon Fortt
Mercury News

It has been a year, and the masses aren't switching to Macs.

Last summer, Apple Computer began airing the TV commercials that were supposed to chip away at Microsoft's empire and sell more of its underdog Mac computers. There was the girl who switched to a Mac after her Windows computer ate her homework, the daughter who used her Apple laptop to rescue digital photos on Christmas.

With a year's worth of sales numbers under their belts, three major market research firms show roughly the same thing -- Cupertino-based Apple is holding its ground, but the only PC company attracting a lot of switchers is Dell Computer.


There's a table (not in the online version) that quotes Gartner figures of Apple at 2.1% worldwide marketshare (Q1'03) and 3.9% US consumer marketshare (Q3'03).

[WishIWasntHere]

Originally posted by merges
. . .In the last (unspecified), 50% of folks who purchased a Mac at an *Apple retail store* did not already own a Mac.

So, numbers might be a bit hard to come by. I'm also curious how many of these purchasers have at one time owned a Mac.

I "switched" to a 17" 1GHz iMac several months ago. This was purchased at an Apple store and I never recall anyone asking me if I already owned a Mac. So how do they get these numbers? I owned the very first Macintosh in 1984 for a short time but I would consider myself a switcher since I've been using a PC since the late 80's.

The iMac was actually purchased for my wife who had been using a nearly obsolete Wintel 233 MHz box. I'm still using a Wintel 450 MHz noname box I pieced together in 1999 and waiting patiently for the ideal PowerBook to come along. Meanwhile, I use my wife's iMac whenever she isn't. I love it! :D

[Frobozz]

Originally posted by morgan-e
although i can't bring up exact figures, if you sign up at the store (not necessarily purchasing anything) you can, as i've done, chose to recieve a weekly email as to what's been added. it's entirely fluid, and i don't see that "people have gotten what they want, and won't come back." although it's specifically the different, it's still fundamentally a music store so people will keep coming back when they want music! being at break even when its library still hasn't been completed is an awesome sign. if you've used it, you'd know that the immediacy factor is enough reason (well, probably the only reason) to come back.

I agree with you.

To say that people will no longer buy albums because they've bought all the ones they want is ignoring new music or tastes. That's like saying that once I've bought 10 CD's of music at the local store, I've lost interest and will no longer find new artists or new songs. In other words, the previous poster (to which you are responding) is ignoring this.

Of course my theory is predicated on the iTMS adding more music on a regular basis and expanding their selection... but I also believe this is a given.

[Frobozz]

Originally posted by rjwill246
Nope. You got it right.We should be shouting from the rooftops. People often miss the point, even when it's bloody obvious. Apple is doing extraordinarily well given, the change to OS X, the slump in G4 sales, the introduction of iPods, iTunes Music Store, and all the i**** things. On the iTunes Music Store: the user base is small and yet it has done superbly. When our Windoze brothers can partake of this 'communion' it will go through the roof. The fact that Apple is taking so long on its release means that it will work smoothly and stun our separated Windoze brethren, who might then be tempted to convert!

Giddyup. My shares bought at 16.82 last June are starting to pay off... and they will continue to do so until at least next march IMHO.

[Frobozz]

There's a table (not in the online version) that quotes Gartner figures of Apple at 2.1% worldwide marketshare (Q1'03) and 3.9% US consumer marketshare (Q3'03). [/B]

Yes, of new sales, not ownership or machines in use today.

[QuiteSure]

Originally posted by Frobozz
To say that people will no longer buy albums because they've bought all the ones they want is ignoring new music or tastes. That's like saying that once I've bought 10 CD's of music at the local store, I've lost interest and will no longer find new artists or new songs.

Also, the option to purchase singles leads to new consumer buying habits. Since I have stopped buying albums I now sample songs from all different artists that I have previously never been exposed to. I can buy 1 or 2 songs at a time and after I've grown used to those songs, expand my repertoire the following week. Sampling music on the iTMS has become a very enjoyable activity for me, at very little expense. I tend to buy 3 or so new songs a week. So instead of being exposed to one new artist per month I get exposure to up to 10-15!

BTW, this is another thing that Apple should be pushing: spending your time listening to new music, not just downloading the songs or artists you already know. The thrill of discovering new music and new artists is universal amongst music lovers, and never has the opportunity been better than at the iTMS.

[Groovsonic]

Originally posted by Waluigi
What about switchers like me, who ordered my Apple in the Apple store, but instead of going through their system, I had to buy it online (in the store though with the sales man walking me through every step) in order to get my educational discount. Would I count as a in store or online customer?


--Waluigi

Wha wha what?

Completely offtopic, I know...

You mean I can't go into an apple store and use my educational discount to buy my iBook on saturday? I have to order it? Huh? Does that mean I wouldn't be able to take it home that day? Please, someone let me know.
Heck, I'll probably just order it online if that is the case, I just wanted to get it a the shiny new apple store downtown chicago...

[PowerBook User]

Originally posted by foofan
At first it does sound dissappointing that iMac sales are sluggish, especially since they introduced it to the public in grand fashion compared to the eMac, but I really feel that the eMac is what they should have promoted more to the PC users. I think Apple was too much in love with that flat-panel design.

Personally, I 'm already on my 2nd eMac and I think they are awesome! I recently upgraded to the 1ghz model. It has everything the iMac has except a flat panel. Why would I want to spend hundreds of dollars more just to be able to swing the screen on a metal arm?

I think th iMac got trapped between the eMac and powermac, but now that the G5 exists they can bump up the speed of the g4 iMac as much as they want and it will never conflict with a g5. Let's hope they come out with something like a 1.6ghz G4 iMac for people who want a little more than the eMac, but don't want to invest in a G5.
I couldn't agree more. It seems like one of the only things different right now on the iMac is the flat panel display. I think the eMac is a great value. I hope they speed up the iMacs quickly, like to a 1.25 GHz G4.

[PowerBook User]

Originally posted by Frobozz
Yes, of new sales, not ownership or machines in use today.
Does anyone know the percent of Macs currently in use?

[Computer_Phreak]

Originally posted by PowerBook User
Does anyone know the percent of Macs currently in use?

somewhere around 10% i believe

[Waluigi]

Originally posted by Groovsonic
Wha wha what?

Completely offtopic, I know...

You mean I can't go into an apple store and use my educational discount to buy my iBook on saturday? I have to order it? Huh? Does that mean I wouldn't be able to take it home that day? Please, someone let me know.
Heck, I'll probably just order it online if that is the case, I just wanted to get it a the shiny new apple store downtown chicago...

Sorry if it was offtopic. Since the G5 was not in stock at the store, they wouldn't honor the educational discount, until they had it in stock. They should have your iBook in stock, and you should be able to get your discount through the store.

--Waluigi

[Groovsonic]

Originally posted by Waluigi
Sorry if it was offtopic. Since the G5 was not in stock at the store, they wouldn't honor the educational discount, until they had it in stock. They should have your iBook in stock, and you should be able to get your discount through the store.

--Waluigi

Thank you. I was freaking out.

Hehe