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Apple's October Mac Sales Lining Up for Record 5 Million+ Units in Quarter

AidenShaw said:
I recently bought one to update my HTPC. It's a Gateway (but I'm sure you have the same unwarranted disdain for Gateway as for eMachines).

For $499 I got:
  • Core i5-2300 (quad core 2.8 GHz)
  • 6 GiB RAM
  • Intel HD graphics
  • DVD-RW
  • 1.5 TB SATA drive
  • Gigabit ethernet
  • 802.11n WiFi built in
  • Win7 x64 Home Premium
  • 10 USB 2.0 ports
  • 2nd optical bay
  • 2nd and 3rd HDD bays
  • PCIe slots

I added a fanless 1 GiB GeForce 500 x16 PCIe card for an additional $30 and a BD-RE for $60. (The Intel HD actually had no problems driving the XBR at Full 1080p over HDMI, but the GeForce 500 has much better CUDA and rendering acceleration for other tasks.)

What's the closest from Apple?

For $599:
  • Core i3 (dual core 2.3 GHz)
  • 2 GiB RAM
  • Intel HD
  • TBolt port
  • 4 USB
  • SDXC slot
  • no optical drive
  • no internal expansion

Much less system for the same price - that's the Apple tax.
Click to expand...

The PC strategy: stuck on spec comparisons and volume-pushing on price.

No wonder the PC market is in the dumps.

And yet . . .

https://www.macrumors.com/2011/09/2...isfaction-survey-for-eighth-consecutive-time/

asci_2011_pc_survey.jpg


Nothing beats the synergy between hardware and software on a vertically-integrated platform.
 
I know what you mean about the Windows pc market being in the dumps. Apple sells far more computers than all other companies combined. Microsoft has sold a paltry 450,000,000 copies of Window 7 in 2 years. I think what LTD really fears is Windows 8 and what may happen to the tablet market when a tablet that isn't as slow as molasses is released.
 
*LTD* said:
The PC strategy: stuck on spec comparisons and volume-pushing on price.

(blah blah blah)
Click to expand...

My goodness - that was a horrible noise as the goalposts were ripped out of the ground and moved.

I thought the question was "what does the consumer get with a $400 PC?".
 
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Boo-ray

Blu-ray, so what, big deal. 3-D?, come on, really? One thing I realized a long time ago is if it isn't on my Mac, it isn't likely that big of a deal nor a computing standard. Stuff like this is a fringe product. Apple admittedly isn't always first to implement a new technology, but it isn't because they can't.
 
Mad-B-One said:
What is so bad about Windows? It runs on Macs and all their brothers since years. Just use a boot menu. I like the versatility of Windows computers. The only program running crappy right now is iTunes. Really. It sucks. Can't playback a video without hanging. Maybe its the air sync of 3 devices? Dunno. It's not the load for sure. Only uses 32bit and one of 6 cores. Ram is there, too.
I definitely would have a Hackintosh but I use a Phenom II and that doesn't mix with the kernel. There is just one thing I cannot get on a Mac: Games I want. I can play WoT, the new Assassin's Creed coming out tomorrow, etc. Mac users can't. Believe me - if I would have the games I want on a Mac, I would not have bought my desktop powerhouse AMD 6core / Radeon HD 6790. And for the ones being afraid of viruses: Don't visit pr0n! :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

It's amazing iTunes runs crappy for you even with a system like that. I have dual-core (3.2Ghz) Win7 system with 2GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD drive & iTunes on my machine runs as smooth as butter - like a dream. I hear so many complaints from Windows users about iTunes, I'm curious to know why.
 
AidenShaw said:
I thought you uber-fans had the mantra that "there is no Apple tax"?

Do you like paying more for a system with a half-eaten Apple logo, even though it's made from the same components and comes out of the same factories as the Dells, HPs, Lenovos and the others?




Can you prove that? Apple isn't very open with their finances, and OSX systems are a minority and declining share of the business. Apple makes a lot of money on the Itoys, for sure. (And to be fair, few other companies *only* make PCs, so the earnings are mixed with servers, printers, motherboards, televisions,....)




Wow, they broke 10%.

Will you be quoting the same misleading statistics that include large screen crippled phones as PCs when that is announced?
Click to expand...

"Can you prove that? Apple isn't very open with their finances, and OSX systems are a minority and declining share of the business."

That's incorrect. Apple is very open with their finances. Any public traded corporation has to make available annual reports. You can go on Asymco.com, which is a great website dedicated to analyzing Apple's financial performance. If you check out analyses done by Gartner, IDC or NDP, for notebooks sold through retail and costing over $1000, Apple owns over 70% of the profits of that segment. They own the over $1000 market for PC's.

Just recently there was data showcasing that Apple only has 5% marketshare of the entire cell phone market worldwide yet makes 52% of the total profits. You can google it & find it.

But like I said before, you have to be forthcoming with your financials as a corporation. It's a legal requirement.
 
Icaras said:
You have heard of Thunderbolt/MDP to HDMI, right?

And why couldn't a 13" MBP be designed for a large screen? Apple clearly shows the MBA driving the Thunderbolt Display on their site, a display exceeding 1080p, so I don't quite understand your concern about a 13" MBP not being designed to drive a large screen.

I think you underestimate the lower end MacBook models.
Click to expand...
That wasn't my point. My point is that I don't think there is a high demand among owners of 13" notebook computers to be able to play Blu-Ray movies on the 13" screen OR connect it up to a large screen TV/audio system. If it was that important to you play Blu-Ray on a big screen TV, you'd already have a device that did it. The % of 13" MBP pro owners who would use their notebook computer as a primary Blu-Ray device has got to be extremely miniscule. Yes, a few hardcore geeks would want it. But that doesn't make for a compelling business decision by Apple, who #1 wants to promote online downloads and #2 designs their products to for the needs/wants of the masses, not the few. Add on the licensing cost (which they would have to pay to Sony), and there is very little reason for Apple to even consider Blu-Ray. MBA's are rapidly gaining on MBP's sales figures so that's also quite revealing in general about the trends in usage of optical drives of any kind.

Plus, Blu-Ray itself is not that wildly popular as a format. Even though DVD sales have plunged, they STILL outnumber Blu-Ray sales. Almost definitely because of the price difference. Any HD movie off of iTunes will have better video and audio than DVD's. So do the math. If YOU ran Apple, do you think it would be smart to add Blu-Ray into MBP's?
 
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Glideslope said:
Blue Ray? Stream HD Baby. Disks are dying. :apple:
Click to expand...

Disks are dying, Microsoft said so half a decade ago during their limp HDDVD experiment.

I'm starting a religion.
We know that food will soon no longer be necessary (nutrient pills or something)
So: NOBODY EATS

See, the layover might be a stupid problem.

OCZ's Octane 1TB 2.5" SSD also proves that moving part fail drives are dead.

Streaming is cool, but the cellular oligopofu#k of super limited data plans + tethering/ outrageous hotspot charges are sh$%ing all over the face of the streaming revolution.

So, until the FTC comes down on them hard (for charging retarded prices just because they're used to mass rape profiteering)... or until 1TB SSDs cost $50 we need blu-ray

Blu-ray just needs to come down in price, or include a product license - from which you can upgrade to all other future versions of the content you purchased... Kinda like itunes.

Imagine how much money Lucas would have if he didn't double dip Star Wars (vhs), wait... triple (dvd), quad (re-release), 5 (blu-ray), 6 (theatricle 3d), 7 (3d blu-ray), 8.... re-re-re-re-re- 23... George is using the Force alright, i just wish it wasn't on everyone's a$#.


Wait, what is this forum about?
Mac sales?
I wonder how many of those were Mac Pro's...
3?
So...old.
No option for people who need expandability.

Pretty soon this dude may be getting a dell, as much as i hate Windows.
The lack of graphics cards (for 3d work)
Final Cut X's anti-vation. ($950 FCP owner :(
All my other software is dual platform...

Apple's losing the "pro" incentive to stick with their computers.
and it's a damn pity that they better rectify, QUICK.
 
AidenShaw said:
I recently bought one to update my HTPC. It's a Gateway (but I'm sure you have the same unwarranted disdain for Gateway as for eMachines).

For $499 I got:
  • Core i5-2300 (quad core 2.8 GHz)
  • 6 GiB RAM
  • Intel HD graphics
  • DVD-RW
  • 1.5 TB SATA drive
  • Gigabit ethernet
  • 802.11n WiFi built in
  • Win7 x64 Home Premium
  • 10 USB 2.0 ports
  • 2nd optical bay
  • 2nd and 3rd HDD bays
  • PCIe slots

I added a fanless 1 GiB GeForce 500 x16 PCIe card for an additional $30 and a BD-RE for $60. (The Intel HD actually had no problems driving the XBR at Full 1080p over HDMI, but the GeForce 500 has much better CUDA and rendering acceleration for other tasks.)

What's the closest from Apple?

For $599:
  • Core i3 (dual core 2.3 GHz)
  • 2 GiB RAM
  • 500 GB laptop hard drive
  • Intel HD
  • TBolt port
  • 4 USB
  • SDXC slot
  • no optical drive
  • no internal expansion

Much less system for the same price (including the discrete PCIe graphics and Blu-ray Disc drive I added) - that's the Apple tax at work.

Ask yourself what the consumer is actually getting....
Click to expand...

2 optical drives is awesome for those times when you need to watch two movies at once.

Perhaps the "apple tax" isn't about what you get so much as what you don't.

You compare your gateway (size of a small boat)
to a mac mini (size of a small sandwich)

The real "tax" is in the accessories.
And the ram/hard drive upgrades where apple hopes you're just dumb and lazy enough to have them install it.
Increases their profit margin at no penalty to intelligent consumers who do the upgrades themselves.

That's exactly why all the people shouting for apple to have "at least 8gb of ram" and "at least an ssd boot drive" need to shut their face.
 
smulji said:
That's incorrect. Apple is very open with their finances. Any public traded corporation has to make available annual reports. You can go on Asymco.com, which is a great website dedicated to analyzing Apple's financial performance. If you check out analyses done by Gartner, IDC or NDP,...
Click to expand...

How many Mac Pros sold last quarter? Mini-Macs? Imacs?

Apple isn't open about that...which is why you have all these analysts trying to estimate.


Fandongo said:
2 optical drives is awesome for those times when you need to watch two movies at once.
Click to expand...

It is handy for converting two DVDs to .ISO files at once for the library, or to use as a bay for a 3TB HDD for storing those ISOs....


Fandongo said:
You compare your gateway (size of a small boat)
to a mac mini (size of a small sandwich)
Click to expand...

Such exaggeration - the Gateway fits easily inside my component cabinet (it's about the same size as the AV receiver), and the mini is a very large sandwich (a Ziploc sandwich bag is 6" square, not 8" square).

And while the mini starts small, how often do you see "just a mini" - usually they end up surrounded by a mess of cables and external drives needed to make them more useful. The Gateway fits everything inside.
 
Fandongo said:
2 optical drives is awesome for those times when you need to watch two movies at once.

Perhaps the "apple tax" isn't about what you get so much as what you don't.

You compare your gateway (size of a small boat)
to a mac mini (size of a small sandwich)

The real "tax" is in the accessories.
And the ram/hard drive upgrades where apple hopes you're just dumb and lazy enough to have them install it.
Increases their profit margin at no penalty to intelligent consumers who do the upgrades themselves.

That's exactly why all the people shouting for apple to have "at least 8gb of ram" and "at least an ssd boot drive" need to shut their face.
Click to expand...

No need to convince the millions of people that are converting to Mac each quarter. They realized Microsoft had pulled the wool over their eyes all these years by selling them "third-rate products" and now they are willing to pay the extra money for quality products like Macs and iOS devices.
 
AidenShaw said:
Such exaggeration - the Gateway fits easily inside my component cabinet (it's about the same size as the AV receiver), and the mini is a very large sandwich (a Ziploc sandwich bag is 6" square, not 8" square).

And while the mini starts small, how often do you see "just a mini" - usually they end up surrounded by a mess of cables and external drives needed to make them more useful. The Gateway fits everything inside.
Click to expand...

A sandwich from Quiznos won't fit in a sandwich bag either.
Ignoring the fact that many sandwiches are also significantly taller than a Mini.
and Ignoring the sick fact that you know the exact dimensions of Ziploc bags off the cuff...

This is a small boat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXcaFC1vF0Q
So i guess the Gateway is more like a medium boat.
Or perhaps a large squirrel yacht.

No, i get it.

my 2009 MBP is a ridiculous squid of peripherals.
of course, if the thunderbolt hubs come out (and i upgrade) everything could be tucked neatly under the desk with one cable.

But there's a lot of "average user" talk in the world.
Which is dumb.
Average smartphone users 200mb/month.
I use 2gigs just updating my damn apps (10 gigs w/netflixing)

Average computer users don't need quad/hex/16 cores.
Average users should have my C2D.
Average users don't really have peripherals (except screen, keyboard, mouse)

I think apple loses a lot of buyers not having a slightly smaller, cheaper, thunderbolt Mac Pro.

Then again, the 2.2-2.5Ghz Quad MBP is sweeping the rug and taking plenty of prosumers with it.

I won't upgrade till i can raid 0 2x sata III drives in quad MBPs.
Guess i'm on the Ivy Bridge waiting train.
Going nowhere fast.
 
Someone forgot the "Apple Tax."

To shed some light on the Mac's continued sales growth, let's examine how one of the first of the new Wintel ultraportables stacks up versus its intended target, the MacBook Air (MBA):

Samsung Series 9 Ultraportable

Pros
  • dedicated HDMI and Ethernet ports, so no need for dongles;
  • tenth of a lb lighter than MBA;
  • made of "space age" Duralumin (er,the same as the frame of the Hindenburg).
  • .....uh.......;
  • :confused:;
  • comes with nifty "Intel Inside" and "Designed for Windows 7" stickers pre-applied to palm rest area?

Cons
  • boots slower than MBA;
  • port covers with life expectancy equivalent to damn they broke already;
  • slower processor;
  • $200 more expensive;
  • MBA at same price has twice the hard drive;
  • MBA at same price has twice the RAM;

Q: "Ok, so are we saying this the way to go over the Air?"

A: "Oh, God no."

Review

:apple: Often copied. Never duplicated.
 
Fandongo said:
Average computer users don't need quad/hex/16 cores.
Average users should have my C2D.
Average users don't really have peripherals (except screen, keyboard, mouse)
Click to expand...

Bingo! A C2D machine is still plenty fast for the majority. It's plenty fast for me and I run web development and production VM's on my C2D Mac Mini Server with 8GB RAM (put in myself after buying from OWC) and zero peripherals. I am running it "headless," all I have is a ethernet and power cable plugged into it. A very clean setup compared to the loud and clunky Dell server I used to have.
 
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SandynJosh said:
Read over your own two quotes above and notice how full of FAIL you are. While SSDs are the latest tech, you have an excuse to NOT add it, and yet you'd throw a flakey blue ray device into a laptop the doesn't need it because you think it's "new tech."

I'm surprised you don't insist on a capacitive touch screen, AGion anti-microbial technology in the keyboard, and Siri assistant for hands-free surfing of your favorite porn sites.
Click to expand...

Full function laptops need an optical drive, so it should be the latest tech.

BD-RE burners serve also a storage purpose, they are not only for watching movies.

BD doesn't need to be expensive, while SSDs can't avoid it.

SSDs are very expensive. MBA form factor SSDs are outrageously expensive.
 
MacNewsFix said:
To shed some light on the Mac's continued sales growth, let's examine how one of the first of the new Wintel ultraportables stacks up versus its intended target, the MacBook Air (MBA):

Samsung Series 9 Ultraportable

Pros
  • dedicated HDMI and Ethernet ports, so no need for dongles;
  • tenth of a lb lighter than MBA;
  • made of "space age" Duralumin (er,the same as the frame of the Hindenburg).
  • .....uh.......;
  • :confused:;
  • comes with nifty "Intel Inside" and "Designed for Windows 7" stickers pre-applied to palm rest area?

Cons
  • boots slower than MBA;
  • port covers with life expectancy equivalent to damn they broke already;
  • slower processor;
  • $200 more expensive;
  • MBA at same price has twice the hard drive;
  • MBA at same price has twice the RAM;

Q: "Ok, so are we saying this the way to go over the Air?"

A: "Oh, God no."

Review

:apple: Often copied. Never duplicated.
Click to expand...

I like how they went so far as to even copy the backlit keyboard from Apple. :rolleyes:

When are folks going to realize the MBA is to laptops what the iPad is to tablets - top of their class! Nothing else comes remotely close to the quality and reliability of Apple. Nice try Apple imitators. Chalk this one up as another Kindle Fail, err Fire, whatever - same difference. LOL
 
linux2mac said:
When are folks going to realize the MBA is to laptops what the iPad is to tablets - top of their class! Nothing else comes remotely close to the quality and reliability of Apple. Nice try Apple imitators. Chalk this one up as another Kindle Fail, err Fire, whatever - same difference. LOL
Click to expand...

Only the Aspire S3 has a point because of the standard storage. The other Ultrabooks make no sense at the price because even if the hardware were better than the Air, they run Windows.

The Vaio Z is more powerful, but it's crazy price for a PC.

The Kindle Fire also has a point as a tablet because of the price. But it is not an e-reader, like the iPad.
 
In the US, the Kindle Fire also makes sense because of the Amazon Prime streaming.
 
Fandongo said:
A sandwich from Quiznos won't fit in a sandwich bag either.
Ignoring the fact that many sandwiches are also significantly taller than a Mini.
and Ignoring the sick fact that you know the exact dimensions of Ziploc bags off the cuff...
Click to expand...

But, but, but... You were the one who said "small sandwich".

In other words, you admit that "boat" and "small sandwich" were exaggerations. ;)

(And I had no idea of the exact dimensions of a Ziploc® sandwich bag - I went to the kitchen and measured one.)

And as far as the point of your previous comment - with Windows I have the choice of the size of system. I could get ultra-small-form-factor systems, or small-form-factor systems, or mini-towers, or maxi-towers. My AV component cabinet was sized for the big AV-receiver, and the mini-tower easily fits and is hidden from view. I don't have to compromise on performance to get an ultra-small system - when "ultra-small" has no value for me.


firewood said:
Look at how profitable the Blu Ray companies are. If you want invest all your savings, borrow money and to go into business as a maker of Blu Ray computers, be my guest.
Click to expand...

Hmmm...

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment today announced that James Cameron’s AVATAR 2D flew off shelves to become the fastest-selling Blu-ray of all time after just four days in U.S, and Canadian stores. Excluding rental sales, it sold 2.7 million Blu-ray units in North America, shredding Warner Bros’ The Dark Knight‘s Blu-ray sales record of 2.5 million units total.

http://www.deadline.com/2010/04/more-huge-sales-for-avatar-2d-dvd/
Click to expand...
 
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AidenShaw said:
In other words, you admit that "boat" and "small sandwich" were exaggerations. ;)

(And I had no idea of the exact dimensions of a Ziploc® sandwich bag - I went to the kitchen and measured one.)
Click to expand...

Excerpt deleted from my last post: "or even more sickly, you went and measured one."
hahaha just to prove a point.
I have underestimated you.

I totally understand price point/size not mattering in a desktop.

That's the only reason i haven't gotten an imac.
It's awesome, but it's a desktop...
It's slick all-in-oneness doesn't change the fact that it will sit, unmoving for the rest of its life... so I might as well get something i can upgrade.
and the 16gbx6 upgrade option in the duo processor is enough to make me long in the loins.
 
Well I've just added one onto that total. Enjoy my money, Apple!

And someone please tell me when Elgato come out with a DVD-T2 television tuner...
 
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