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

Michael Scrip said:
I wasn't even thinking about all that.

I was simply considering how people say the new Apple laptops are terrible... and that most Macs sold are laptops.

Therefore... most people who buy Macs are buying terrible computers.

Or are they? Maybe "dongle-gate" isn't as bad as we think... 😛

(my comment was mainly a jab at the "fewer ports at a higher price" notion... I was just being silly)
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Nobody said they're terrible, just worse than the previous gen. Which they are. They simply do less. But way more people do buy terrible computers from HP.
 
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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.
 
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Scottsoapbox said:
Well for a while it was 'Apple isn't losing sales as fast as everyone else', now they are below the average so I can't wait to hear the latest excuse.

Perhaps: the old macs are so good people never need to buy another one? 🙄
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Well, they are. They're still perfectly reasonable to use for school/work. Dunno why anyone would need the new ones.
 
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Apple needs to start iterating it's Mac designs again. We get updates on most other Apple products every 12-18 months where computers go 2-3 years (or more). Aside from making them VERY overpriced at the end of a product cycle, it means that the designs are never refined or tweaked like they were in earlier years.
 
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Bollockser said:
Apple for the love of god, update the damn Mac Mini and Mac Pro.
>1000 days each without an update this is absolute dereliction of duty.
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The mini is dead.

The writing was on the wall in 2014 when they literally used left over MacBook Air parts to downgrade the mini from the previous Gen instead of trying actually upgrade it.
 
gnomeisland said:
Apple needs to start iterating it's Mac designs again. We get updates on most other Apple products every 12-18 months where computers go 2-3 years (or more). Aside from making them VERY overpriced at the end of a product cycle, it means that the designs are never refined or tweaked like they were in earlier years.
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Don't even mention this (until Joni retires)
MacBook thickness might get into negative territory - meaning no more ports or even that they cease to exist...
However, following the iDevice trends would essentially mean keeping the same form factor for 4/5 years (which indeed seems to be the current MacBook novolution - so we seem on track...)
 
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I would just say straight out the current lineup is bad value for money. They aren’t bad computers by any means but they are simply priced at a level where they start at the point many - even previous Mac buyers - are reaching their upper limit on price tolerance. There will be some people who will buy them for doing a specific work task, so can justify the expense as necessary, but for most consumers, why would you pay £1.5k for a glorified ultrabook? No higher wattage chip, nice but by no means exceptional display, a basic 256gb of storage, just two ports that require adapters to work with any existing accessories and one of which is used up when charging - then by the time you start changing some of that, you’re suddenly at nearing £2k.
 
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Bacillus said:
"It took some courage but we increased prices. So we earn more. Case closed"
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I don’t think many realize this is exactly what happened last quarter.


Apple announced in their earnings call record revenues on Mac hardware.

Yet all the numbers showed decrease volume. This evidences that it was pricing alone that kept the numbers high, with profit being a fixed cost factoring into the price of the new hardware.

That’s not something to take lightly as it can potentially backfire massively if customers start feeling taxe. Apple have gone down this route before with Apple computers. Will cook be able to avoid consumer sentiment possibly turning sour?
 
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I bought my parents their first Mac laptop this year - the only model that made sense for them was the 13” MacBook Air. It’s still the best option for so many users. It makes me think the nontb MacBook Pro 13 they announced is really strange in contrast to the MacBook 12”. Would it have been better to announce a 14” MacBook? I wonder if Apple will ever do this. MacBook Air is like the old pre-Retina 13” MacBook that lingered for years. Once it goes, I wonder if there will be some kind of line reshuffle? I guess the 12” MacBook is supposed to fill the shoes of both the 11” and 13” MacBook Air. The MacBook really needs a price drop to make sense. For that price anyone might as well buy the 13” nontb MBP.
 
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davedude said:
Is anyone really surprised? The "new" MacBook Pros are a disappointment. I think Apple knew this so they raised prices in order to boast margins.
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You’re reading more into this report than is there because of your negative bias. The entire PC market is declining because the average consumer doesn’t need them anymore. Most people can accomplish what need with their phone or tablet. Of course there will always be a need for PCs but we just need fewer of them these days.
 
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If Apple updated them more regularly they wouldn't be in a slump. Also the prices should come down, you can get a seriously good 15" laptop for $1000 now but from Apple you're looking at $2,399 for a 15" starting price. It's just too much when the other guys systems are just as good.
 
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LordVic said:
I don’t think many realize this is exactly what happened last quarter. Apple announced in their earnings call record revenues on Mac hardware.
Yet all the numbers showed decrease volume. This evidences that it was pricing alone that kept the numbers high, with profit being a fixed cost factoring into the price of the new hardware.
That’s not something to take lightly as it can potentially backfire massively if customers start feeling taxe. Apple have gone down this route before with Apple computers. Will cook be able to avoid consumer sentiment possibly turning sour?
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Cook downgraded that issue by declaring the "end of the PC"-era.
Which essentially means they're not interested in the Mac business anymore from a financial perspective - which sadly is their only perspective.
Thereby betraying both Steve's and us customers' principles for money.
They keep the Mac alive because it's a tool to get the AppStore filled. Period.
(Oh.. and FCPX is kept alive to keep the most bothersome media devs off Eddy Cue's tail)
 
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No of Macs sold in the US is increasing YOY but.....worldwide it is stagnant for 4 yrs now.


That is the problem. It does not align with the no of IOS devices sold.
Apple is not creating new Mac users. The ecosystem is incomplete , the link is fragile.

Likewise the Apple TV.


Apple get your head in the game , Release a new Mac Mini....
 
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They should try lowering the price to something reasonable, and also increase the power of the hardware so hackintoshes don't easily beat them (like mine). Also quit glueing everything to the motherboard.
 
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Michael Scrip said:
Sure... my main machine is a custom-built Windows workstation. 🙂

I guess I'm asking for the Gartner and IDC numbers from some time ago. It's those numbers that are used to determine this decline.

They may not be accurate... but at least they'd be measuring the same things (whatever they are)

I agree with you... we will never know the true numbers of the whole "PC market" due to home-built machines.

But every few months we get these reports from analysts. I want those historical numbers.
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Quarterly. We get 'em quarterly.
Aggregated. 🙂
 
lkrupp said:
You’re reading more into this report than is there because of your negative bias. The entire PC market is declining because the average consumer doesn’t need them anymore. Most people can accomplish what need with their phone or tablet. Of course there will always be a need for PCs but we just need fewer of them these days.
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The PC market has been in decline for a good while. That doesn’t make the new MacBook “Pro”s are any less disappointing. And I’m speaking as an owner of a beefed up 15” MBP for design work. That thing is a pain in the rear, and I can not recommend it to anyone in good conscience, unless they’re locked into using Sketch and FCPX.
 
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I want to get a macbook pro 2017 but am waiting for the price to drop a bit..hoping that on Black Friday the prices will go down and will purchase one..never owned a apple laptop(Or desktop) before
 
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