Apple's Mac Shipments Down in Q3 2017 Amid Continuing PC Market Decline

[lowendlinux]

I find the 7% of worldwide shipments impressive. Considering that their average sales price is probably around $1,400. If they went by average sales price of over $1,000 they'd probably account for at least 80% of world. Likely over 90% at the $2,000 mark. Premium computers is where the profit is at.

Apple knows they could gobble up market share by releasing a $700 mini or Macbook. At that price it could still have excellent components and build quality. But it would kill the uber profitable high end models. Since Apple is about building high quality software and experience not marketshare. I'm not bothered.

If someone wants a cheap Mac. They could always build a hackintosh. Apple's been pretty good about this. They could make this very difficult but they leave it pretty easy for an enthusiast to do. My guess is the average hackintosher also owns an iPhone/iPad, uses iTunes and iCloud and eventually buys a Mac.

In the consumer space I'd agree that Apple absolutely dominates the over 1K market in PC's but HP and Dells bread and butter is in enterprise where a good majority of portables are also above 1k. I don't like these stats to compare Mac v PC because these companies customers and markets are different that creates a lot of "what about's"

 

[the Rebel]

Amid an ongoing decline in worldwide PC shipments, Apple's Mac shipments also experienced a decline in the third quarter of 2017 according to new PC shipping estimates shared this afternoon by Gartner. In Q3 2017, Apple shipped an estimated 4.6 million Macs worldwide, down from 4.89 million in the year-ago quarter, marking a 5.6 percent decline in growth.

Apple's market share for the quarter comes in at 6.9 percent, down from 7 percent in the third quarter of 2016. Apple was ranked the number five worldwide PC vendor after HP, Lenovo, Dell, and Asus. Apple was also the number five worldwide PC vendor in 3Q 2016, but the company has dropped from number four since Q2 2017.

Gartner's Preliminary Worldwide PC Vendor Unit Shipment Estimates for 3Q17 (Thousands of Units)​

Aside from HP, all PC vendors saw a drop in shipments. HP shipped an estimated 14.6 million PCs during the quarter for 4.4 growth and 21.8 percent market share, while Lenovo shipped an estimated 14.4 million PCs for 21.4 percent market share. Dell shipped an estimated 10 million PCs for 15.2 percent market share, while Asus shipped 4.9 million PCs for 7.7 percent market share. Acer trailed after Apple with 4.3 million PCs shipped and 6.5 percent market share.

According to Gartner, ongoing DRAM shortages worsened during the third quarter of 2017, impacting sales and leading to an overall PC shipment decline of 3.6 percent. Worldwide PC shipments totaled 67 million across vendors, down from 69.5 million in Q3 2016, marking 12 consecutive quarters of declining PC shipments.Apple's U.S. numbers mirror its worldwide numbers. In the United States, Apple shipped an estimated 1.9 million Macs, a 7.6 percent decline from the 2 million shipped in Q3 2016.

Gartner's Preliminary U.S. Vendor Unit Shipment Estimates for 3Q17 (Thousands of Units)​

U.S. PC shipments totaled 14.7 million units during the quarter, down from 16.4 million for an overall decline of 10.3 percent. Apple was ranked the number three PC vendor in the United States with 12.8 percent market share. HP and Dell both beat out Apple with shipments of 4.7 and 3.8 million PCs, respectively.

Apple's Market Share Trend: 1Q06-3Q17 (Gartner)​

IDC also released its own shipment estimates this afternoon, noting a smaller 0.5 percent decline in overall worldwide PC shipments. IDC's worldwide shipping estimates are quite a bit different than Gartner's this quarter, with IDC estimating worldwide Mac shipments of 4.9 million, up slightly from 4.89 million in the year-ago quarter for a growth increase of 0.3 percent.

IDC ranks Apple as the number four PC vendor, above ASUS and below HP, Lenovo, and Dell. IDC and Gartner's data often varies due to the different ways each firm makes its shipment calculations.

It's important to note that data from Gartner and IDC is preliminary and the numbers can shift, sometimes dramatically and sometimes less so. Last year, for example, Gartner estimated shipments of 4.95 million Macs, but the actual number was 4.89 million.

Apple last refreshed its Mac notebook and iMac lineup in June of 2017, and the company has plans to release a new iMac Pro in December, which could lead to an uptick in shipments if it proves popular with pro users.

Article Link: Apple's Mac Shipments Down in Q3 2017 Amid Continuing PC Market Decline

[doublepost=1507828234][/doublepost]A 15" MacBook Air would sell well as long as it has the same ports as the current 13" MacBook Air.

Adding a USB-C port would be nice, but going exclusively USB-C is a turn-off.

 

[Jack Burton]

Yep. I was ready to buy a new Mac Pro, then they dropped the trashcan. So I went to EBay and bought a couple of used Mac Pro towers - 12/24 cores, 64 GB ram, multiple TB drives, multiple gfx cards. They did themselves right out of my sales, at least, by abandoning a proper tower design and trying to inflict a desktop full of wall-warts and desk-tumors on me. The computer's hardware belongs in the computer. Drives, graphics cards, memory, etc. Not hanging at the end of a wire where someone can just walk off with it or knock it on the floor.

I'm perfectly ready to buy a good tower from them. The question is, are they really ready to make one? Just admitting the trashcan was "thermally limited" doesn't really tell me what I want to know.

I especially didn't like how the Apple enthusiast press they brought to their Mac Pro non-announcement later explained the PCI/GPU market to people incorrectly. John Gruber, who I either love or hate depending on what he's talking about, went on and on about how the GPU market moved to one powerful GPU, thus two GPUs from apple were a bad idea and the industry didn't go down that path.

He really didn't know what he was talking about. I also got the idea that Apple didn't, either. There are plenty of times when a single GPU is what is needed, but more and more work loads are using multi-PCI solutions for computing and dedicated PCI devices like PCI storage, GPU rendering, the Red Rocket X, etc.

 

[LorenK]

What I didn't read is how big the overall computing device market is. I have to imagine that the proliferation of computing devices, pads, phones and now watches, is impacting the overall computer sales. If I can use my phone for emails, do I need a new computer? If I can watch a show on my iPad, do I need a new computer. Or better, if I can make music and movies on my iPad, do I need a MacBook?

Also, How is cloud computing affecting sales? My company is moving to Office365, which means we are not going to be getting upgraded computers, because the ones we have won't need the same kind of computing power.

Finally, except for processing 4k video files, what software out there in a home or business space needs processors as fast as what is being produced? I think that reality is not much, so companies and individuals are delaying upgrading their computers until there is something more compelling that really needs the processing power. While Apple is EOLing its older products with new OS, the computers still operate effectively for much of their use. When the economy is shaky, consumers and companies ask the question do I really need to update and the answer seems to be no.

Seems like the computer industry is fully mature and before purchasing a new one, consumers are asking the question, can I afford it and is it any better than the one I already own. It's interesting that computer companies have been looking at automobile software, since they've got their consumers behaving just like car buyers now--new or used, or can I do without for a bit more. At the prices Apple charges, no surprise there.

 

[Ener Ji]

Whatever happened to e-GPU support? Didn't Apple mention support for this was coming with High Sierra or did I imagine this?

I believe they said official support would come in 'Spring 2018'. Presumably, by way of a point release to High Sierra.

In the meantime, if I'm not mistaken, I believe there is experimental support right now while they work out the kinks.

 

[ISU Clones]

Wondering why you continue to publish these preliminary Mac estimates. They are nothing more than guesses. And more often than not, they are off by ridiculous amounts ... like they were last quarter. Ignore these garbage estimates, and publish something when real numbers are available.