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

[Michael Scrip]

1. Keyboard (fix this, nothing was wrong with the non-butterfly keys. If you cannot make it comparable if not better than the one being replaced, leave it be.)

2. Trackpad (nothing was wrong with the size of the track, leave it be. There is a cursor speed setting if this needs adjusting by the end-user. The present size gets in the way of productivity.)

3. Super Retina Display with minimal bezels (the Mac line is different from the iOS line, you do not have to wait for a new feature to be introduced on the iPhone first. Competitors have 4K resolution in a portable device, for a premium priced product this is a lame omission.)

4. Mag Safe (bring one of your best innovations to the laptop back, seriously what are you thinking?)

5. USB-C TB3 (two ports minimum on the MB model then 4 ports on the MBP 13” and 6-8 ports on the MBP 15” model.)

6. Dongles (include a couple to ease the transition. For the price being charged this is just being petty on Apple’s part. 3.5mm headphone dongle was included as a transitional item. Aid your loyal customers base to adjust to your vision of the future by offering some assistance.)

7. SD, HDMI, Lightening (either include USB-C on both iPhone X, iPad Pro and Mac hardware or provide a lightening port on the Mac to use the provided lightening earphones. People still require HDMI and an SD option, Apple TV is not the solution or replacement for an HDMI port.)

8. TouchBar (needs to be rethought, it’s a miniature touchscreen that is horizontal to the display, who though of this placement. A user has to reach past the TrackPad and keyboard to interact with it, at this point you might as well have had it built into the screen or below it vertically. Why no place it below the TrackPad or even the keyboard, minimizing the reach and not making it awkward for productivity.)

9. Speakers (why are these firing down onto a surface, there is not enough travel clearance compared to the iMac for any suitable sound quality. This is a simple solution that will be far superior compared to anything presently offered.)

10. SSD (the base storage needs to be increased, what is this a sub 1K laptop.)

These are ten simple shortcomings that can be addressed next year.

Great list!

It sounds like Apple should have kept the 2015 Macbook Pro and simply swapped in a fresh CPU and GPU. That would address most of the issues on your list.

But wait... then people would say "Apple doesn't innovate anymore!"



I imagine there's a dial in the Mac design office that goes between "stay the course" and "change all the things"

And lately it's been pegged on "change all the things"

 

[tech4all]

If an entire industry declines, and a company declines at a similar rate, there’s nothing to blame on the company... but you clearly want to blame Apple.

I never once blamed Apple. I simply said people are focusing on Apple, because it's an Apple site. It's as a simple as that.

 

[apolloa]

Shocked? Apple took so long to update the range and when the did, increased the prices .

Maybe , maybe just , the current offering do not represent value for money ?

I bought a 2015 refurb due to the poor value for money in the UK in the new range

Exactly, a computer STARTING at 5 grand isn’t exactly going to reverse Apples poor sales...

It is very poor value now, if I wanted a 15” Pro is be looking at £3000 nearly!
And when you look at Dell and HP etc they are no where near the size of Apple yet they changed models regularly and have double to triple the sales numbers on this report.
Apple has ignore its computers for too long and is now paying the price. Eventually upgrading them and then walking on a huge price increase is not how to sell them.

Hmm a refurb 2015 you say? What about the 2016?

 

[tech4all]

That would be true if there was a normal mix of positive and negative comments. When posters make nothing but negative comments the only reasonable conclusion is they are whiners. Or trolls.

It’s simply not normal for people who use a company’s products, that they made a conscious decision to purchase with their hard-earned money, to do nothing but bash that product. The normal course of action would have been to not buy it in the first place, considering how terrible it is.

I can't speak for everyone here, but it could be that there's a lot of people here that are simply not happy with Apple's current offering. It's not necessarily trolling or whining, it's stating their opinions. Sure there could be some "haters" on here, and they're just as annoying as those who think Apple could do no wrong.

You're right that those who buy a product, then bash them. That makes no sense. You just make them, the company such as Apple, richer.

 

[Bacillus]

I can't speak for everyone here, but it could be that there's a lot of people here that are simply not happy with Apple's current offering. It's not necessarily trolling or whining, it's stating their opinions. Sure there could be some "haters" on here, and they're just as annoying as those who think Apple could do no wrong.
You're right that those who buy a product, then bash them. That makes no sense. You just make them, the company such as Apple, richer.

Your analysis makes sense, but doesn't reach the most tangible point. I.e. that what you call haters (mostly testators of the Apple heritage) have invested soo much only to see that their investment is not being returned but spent on dysfunctional nonnovation, media/content misheap, headphone companies, crazy salaries, buildings, international travels etc.
Symptoms of ludicrous wealth that never returns to the customer.
The climax is the beancounter that decides to put an underpowered poweradapter in a flagship $1200 phone box.
This makes them mad. It's not that they hate Apple staff, but they hate Apple policy.
No other company in the world wouldn't listen if you ask them 12.500 consecutive times for a new MacMini. Arrogance is stellar.

 

[Detektiv-Pinky]

Shocked? Apple took so long to update the range and when the did, increased the prices .

Maybe , maybe just , the current offering do not represent value for money ?

I bought a 2015 refurb due to the poor value for money in the UK in the new range

Sadly there are no 2015 machines in the German section of the store.

And even if they where, chances are slight that they would have decent specs. It seems all refurb models only have 256 GB flash storage... (Maybe thats why they are there in the first place. People returning their purchase, when they realise that this is not enough for their purpose and there is no option to expand internal storage.)

 

[dampfnudel]

HP seems to be doing something right in addition to offering reasonable prices.

 

[MH01]

Sadly there are no 2015 machines in the German section of the store.

And even if they where, chances are slight that they would have decent specs. It seems all refurb models only have 256 GB flash storage... (Maybe thats why they are there in the first place. People returning their purchase, when they realise that this is not enough for their purpose and there is no option to expand internal storage.)

I was very happy to get The 2.8 , 1TB unit . Runs like a dream, I bought yet the new machine at the me to compare and saw little value in the new compromised design, the TB was pure gimmick for my needs
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Exactly, a computer STARTING at 5 grand isn’t exactly going to reverse Apples poor sales...

It is very poor value now, if I wanted a 15” Pro is be looking at £3000 nearly!
And when you look at Dell and HP etc they are no where near the size of Apple yet they changed models regularly and have double to triple the sales numbers on this report.
Apple has ignore its computers for too long and is now paying the price. Eventually upgrading them and then walking on a huge price increase is not how to sell them.

Hmm a refurb 2015 you say? What about the 2016?

I mean the 2015 design , last of it type bought in 2016 ......technically 2012 design ....

 

[Detektiv-Pinky]

I was very happy to get The 2.8 , 1TB unit . Runs like a dream, I bought yet the new machine at the me to compare and saw little value in the new compromised design, the TB was pure gimmick for my needs

I bet it does run well. I own the 2014 model with 16GB RAM and it is a very fine machine.
However, I could do with more ports on the machine (...need to run Wireshark once in a while, and while I own one of these adapters, I either don't have it with me or setting it up works not as reliably like a fixed port...).

The trouble with adapters is, that if you do not constantly need them they tend to migrate into some alternate universum. And I hate the idea of standing in a non-descript lecture hall somewhere in the country unable to hold a talk because my machine can not connect to the local AV equipment...
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/824143-somewhere-in-the-cosmos-he-said-along-with-all-the

I am not sure what I will do should this machine die. I would most probably downgrade to the Air or start running Linux.

 

[MH01]

I bet it does run well. I own the 2014 model with 16GB RAM and it is a very fine machine.
However, I could do with more ports on the machine (...need to run Wireshark once in a while, and while I own one of these adapters, I either don't have it with me or setting it up works not as reliably like a fixed port...).

I am not sure what I will do should this machine die. I would most probably downgrade to the Air or start running Linux.

The great thing about lots of apple fans wanting to jump on the newest, I actually got some great prices on TB2 hubs. Works a
Charm

My caldigit TSb2 was £50

 

[otternonsense]

What don't you like about it? The touch bar, the limited ports?

The screen contrast/black point, Touch ID and the quality of the audio DAC are the only redeeming factors. Performance is marginally better than my previous (maxed out 2015 15" MBP). Peanuts, really. Connectivity is impossible without hubs and dongles, which render some of my peripherals unusable (in fact, a power surge from a hub fried one of my external hard drives). No Magsafe and only a pathetic whimper to indicate charging. The touchbar is a silly gimmick, either left alone or causing various errors because I'm used to rest my fingers on the F-key row (and no, Apple, I don't want to activate Siri on OSX, not now and not ever). The jumbo trackpad is nonsense, and the palm rejection often fails leading to more errors when using keyboard shortcuts or random cursor placement. Battery is over in less than 3h. I've already had to return my first 2016 MBP due to constant kernel panic errors, and my second often creaks at the hinges. The keyboard took a learning curve and I have to turn my hands into claws to avoid the touchbar. I don't care about the slimmed form factor, I'd rather have ports, battery life and 32GB RAM. I use it for work, not to look upwardly mobile at Starbucks.

Need I go on?

 

[Mike MA]

Do either a redesign to the MacBook Air, update the ridiculous Face Time camera in the current MacBook or cut the price of the entry MacBook Pro without reducing its ram again and your market share will rise again. And I‘m sold by the way.

 

[Substance90]

Nothing in the current lineup makes me really want to upgrade my 2014 rMBP 13”. Especially not after taking a look at the prices. It’ll have to do for another couple of years.

Same boat. 15" 2014 MBP

 

[9081094]

As expected. A market decline yet people rag on Apple.

Lol that’s so easy. HP is doing good. You know why? They’re innovating and selling their stuff at a reasonable price. Apple just lost its mojo. With phones, computers, itv, music and services. Laziness and greed is to blame.

 

[hans1972]

No mystery here. If you jack up the prices from premium to extortionate you should expect to lose some market share.

So how do you explain IDC's number then?

 

[Seraph301083]

release reasonable desktops and you'll be up again...

 

[9081094]

I would have probably never looked to move away from a Mac if Apple would produce something in the Mac line that is a bit innovative.... and a Touchbar, animated poop emojis, and the latest hip hop band ain't it. I don't want to do my work on a big iPad, and I don't want to carry around two computers when I travel. The Surface Pro (and similar from HP, Samsung, etc.) is the perfect form factor for me and Apple makes nothing that matches. That got me looking at other stuff... I liked what I saw... I love it now that I have it... and its doubtful I'll be back. But if they change their ways I'll consider it when I need to buy something else. But that change in laptop led me to also look at something else for my phone... and my watch. This is how things slowly turn for a company... one customer at a time.

Sad but true. With so less categories to focus on, Apple could be the best in every category. Instead they focus on profits and their brand name earned from the past. Apple has lost its mojo. Laziness and greed is to blame.

 

[pratikindia]

In India, lots of people wants to buy Apple laptops. But the only laptop they can get within 100,000 INR is MacBook Air with years old chip and low res screen. If Apple can tap these emerging markets, the sales could be much higer.

 

[The Mercurian]

So how do you explain IDC's number then?

Measurement error.

 

[9081094]

In India, lots of people wants to buy Apple laptops. But the only laptop they can get within 100,000 INR is MacBook Air with years old chip and low res screen. If Apple can tap these emerging markets, the sales could be much higer.

All their current products are outdated and pale in comparison to what the competition has to offer. I wish I could ask Tim Cook what his definition of ‘the Best’ is. And I’m eager to see the numbers of emerging markets like India and China next quarters. He’s destroying the brandname at a faster pace then introducing compelling products.

 

[nexusrule]

Maybe I'm totally remembering wrong -- isn't this the first YoY decline in Mac shipments in a lonnng time?

Not to jump to conclusion -- but IF it is, then you really have to look at the price/functionality of the new MBP's and wonder, "Hmm."

Yes you are remembering wrong.
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Sorry, mr Cook couldn't be reached due to different priorities.
He's playing Mr. Niceguy in some French warehouse:
https://mobile.twitter.com/tim_cook/status/917298636173783040/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc^tfw&ref_url=file:///var/containers/Bundle/Application/499B3DCE-1D68-4B7C-A45E-0D686B97241B/iCulture.app/iPhoneTemplate.html

Actually all CEO do what Cook does. The fact that you only know what he does doesn't mean he does something wrong or weird. All CEO go and meet the companies and factories their company work with, make pictures with them etc. It's called PR.

 

[iPadified]

Yep. As others have said... these charts only talk about retail pre-built machines.

We know the home-built market is a whole other beast.

But I'd be curious to know how component sales stack up to these retail PC numbers.

According to these charts... there were 67 million computers sold last quarter that likely had an Intel processor inside. But how many processors did Intel sell directly to home-builders like me? Through Newegg, Amazon, etc? Is it 5 million? 20 million?

Or how many Ryzen processors were sold since March? Or NVidia GPUs sold in the last year?

Another discussion point: these components allow you to build amazing desktop workstations or gaming PCs.

But most computers sold today are laptops, right?

So there's clearly a disconnect between the home-built desktop CPU/GPU/motherboard market.... and the retail "mostly laptop" market. It really is two separate markets with two different use-cases.

For instance... as amazing as a Threadripper CPU is... it doesn't help someone if they need a portable laptop.

Ask yourself how many can build a system from scratch. 1 in 100 people you meet in the streets? If so, home builders would account for 670.000 processors - ie a rounding error.

 

[nexusrule]

Lol that’s so easy. HP is doing good. You know why? They’re innovating and selling their stuff at a reasonable price. Apple just lost its mojo. With phones, computers, itv, music and services. Laziness and greed is to blame.

HP is «doing well» (you should actually look at profits and not sales to see how they are doing) for the same reason Samsung does well with smartphones. You can buy an HP laptop or desktop for 300$ and they have dozens and dozens of models. Your theory also implies that not only Apple but all computer makers except HP aren't innovating and are lazy and greedy. I really wouldn't call Lenovo, Asus or Acer greedy.

As far as Apple prices go, to me it seems business as usual. Apple's computers prices always fluctuated. New models always have an above average price and then they go down with revisions. What recently happened with the TouchBar happened when they started using IPS screens and when they started using unibody shells and so on, both for laptop and desktops. The first few MacBook Airs were as much overpriced as the MacBook and even more unusable. When the first iMacs with the then new design came out, they did cost a lot more than the previous models, and the only had a new design.

While anyone is free to think that Apple's product prices are too high, it's not something new or due to Cook management. I remember the exact same criticisms 5, 10 or even 15 years ago.

 

[femike]

Apple's current mac mini is 3 years old, and they still sell it at the same price, that is just greedy and show a don't care attitude. To replace my unsupported mac mini, I bought a Dell 17in i7 laptop, put in SSD and additional RAM as my main machine for less than half the price of the smaller screen 15in macbook pro and the hardware is fine (note: Windows 10 is unusable without an SSD). MacOS is infinitely better, so I'm waiting for a reasonably priced mac.

 

[9081094]

HP is «doing well» (you should actually look at profits and not sales to see how they are doing) for the same reason Samsung does well with smartphones. You can buy an HP laptop or desktop for 300$ and they have dozens and dozens of models. Your theory also implies that not only Apple but all computer makers except HP aren't innovating and are lazy and greedy. I really wouldn't call Lenovo, Asus or Acer greedy.

As far as Apple prices go, to me it seems business as usual. Apple's computers prices always fluctuated. New models always have an above average price and then they go down with revisions. What recently happened with the TouchBar happened when they started using IPS screens and when they started using unibody shells and so on, both for laptop and desktops. The first few MacBook Airs were as much overpriced as the MacBook and even more unusable. When the first iMacs with the then new design came out, they did cost a lot more than the previous models, and the only had a new design.

While anyone is free to think that Apple's product prices are too high, it's not something new or due to Cook management. I remember the exact same criticisms 5, 10 or even 15 years ago.

At least some time ago they stood above the crowd by delivering state of the art tech and innovation. Can’t call the MacBook touchbar pro disaster state of the art or marvelous innovation. Same with the iPhone, iTV, Macs or any category they’re in at the moment.