Apple's US Market Share Growth Slows in 4Q 2008

[Saladinos]

I think it is not just Apple but almost all businesses -- big or small -- are affected by the slowdown of the economy. And I think this is a global crisis engulfing all of us.

What?! Are you serious? Where did you hear about this?

This could be serious, guys!

 

[Evangelion]

This is what happens when you only sell expensive (overpriced) computers in a bad economy and let systems like the Mac mini linger without an update. There's more excitement about Hackintosh than Macintosh these days....

Just because something is expensive does not necessarily mean that it's "overpriced". And what is "expensive"? Is there a "standard price" for computers, and anything that goes over that price, is "expensive"? No. What we need to do is to look at the features and capabilities of the computer, and compare them to the price, in order to determine whether they are "overpriced" or not.

 

[preservative]

Looks like it is back to windows then.

 

[Tallest Skil]

Looks like it is back to windows then.

You really don't get it, do you?

 

[preservative]

You really don't get it, do you?

Not really Those netbooks with 3G built in are rubbish and way to expensive. Not to mention the impact on the environment. I'd rather have a 17inch macbook anyday of the week now.

 

[Queso]

Erm...guys. Although Gartner's estimates have historically been more accurate than IDC's, they have also on occasion been way out. We aren't going to know how many Macs Apple sold until they release the figures themselves.

 

[numbersyx]

From the graph it looks like this is pretty much par for the course. Q3 is a big jump (back to school buyers) and Q4 comes back down each year...

 

[bigmc6000]

So do we get monetary market share? I mean, I'm sure Apple would like to have greater market share but I'm quite certain they'd rather have a greater % of each $ spent than just inflating their numbers with cheap netbooks.

 

[mbene12]

um did most of you notice the graph charts GROWTH? Apple sold more computers in the worst macro economic climate in current times, and they did this without offering any discounts of significance. I would trade the extra million netbooks that were sold for the extra 100,000 computers Apple sold anyday. You probably have very similar profits on the two AND Apple sold them an ecosystem...netbook purchasers will look to whoever else can sell them something even cheaper next time they look for a cpu. This never ending race for the basement is what is killing Dell at the moment.

 

[Lesser Evets]

Some of the people replying are ....

Are some of you even looking at the chart (I can tell you aren't reading the article). They write replies as if Apple is tanking, despite having doubled market share in 2 years.

 

[craig1410]

I think there are many people out there waiting on the iMac announcement. I know of at least two people myself. There will be others waiting on a Mac Mini and others still who have been knocked off balance by the omission of FW from the new Macbooks.

I expect that Q1 of 2009 will bounce back strongly, provided that the iMac and Mini are both refreshed and people either get used to the idea of not having FW on the Macbook and decide they don't need it anyway or decide to go for the white Macbook or jump up to an MBP. Some may choose to leave the Apple camp but hopefully most will adapt to the products on offer.

Acer is a big surprise - I don't know of anyone who has ever bought an Acer. I don't think we should allow the Acer numbers to overshadow what seems to be a solid Apple quarter.

Cheers,
Craig.

 

[gnasher729]

Acer is a big surprise - I don't know of anyone who has ever bought an Acer. I don't think we should allow the Acer numbers to overshadow what seems to be a solid Apple quarter.

Apple doesn't compete with Acer, they compete with the PC industry as a whole. What matters to Apple is whether you buy a PC or a Mac; it doesn't matter one bit to Apple whether that PC comes from Dell, HP, Acer or Toshiba.

On the other hand, people posting on www. acerrumors. com will be really, really happy right now, and deservedly so.

And we mustn't forget that these are unit sales. That means, a MacMini and an 8 core MacPro count the same, and a $299 PC counts the same as well. I think if we had a chart of revenue, Apple would look a lot, lot better. And if we take profits, I think Apple is number one with nobody else coming close.

I'm waiting for Apple's overpriced notebook lineup to start hurting them. Their notebook pricing scheme is quite elitist in the midst of these troubling economic times. It will hurt them, the question is when.

About the same time that the USA gets a vice president from Alaska.

Just more info suggesting that apple is ignoring the low end of the market and is starting to suffer because of it.

Please show us where you see Apple suffering. According to this data, Apple market share in Unit sales has gone up since the last year from 6.7% to 8.0%. And that is units sold, Apple looks a lot better if you look at revenue instead. Furthermore, Apple unit sales did grow by 8.3%, while the total sales for the whole market _fell_ by 10.1%. I think the "suffering" is done somewhere else.

 

[Dominatus]

Overpriced? You don't see BMW and Mercedes slashing prices.

There is a solution for the cost-conscious buyer though and it desperately needs updating.

So you're retort to Apples being overpriced is that there exists other overpriced products on the market?

Of course, it depends on your definition of overpriced, as the market is clearly sustaining Apple and BMW, but in terms of overhead and profit margins, they're all overpriced.

It doesn't mean people won't buy them, but if they don't cut prices, in this economy, people will certainly buy them less....

http://www.topnews.in/carmaker-bmw-slashes-profit-goal-2009-283412
"Carmaker BMW slashes profit goal for 2009"

 

[Vulpinemac]

Netbooks Rule?

Netbooks rule, Apple has to join the game and soon.

Exactly what use is there for a netbook that can't even run a full version of Windows?

 

[milo]

Just more info suggesting that apple is ignoring the low end of the market and is starting to suffer because of it.

They need a decent budget laptop and a decent budget desktop (and in apple's case, "budget" necessarily means headless). And no the mini doesn't cut it, nor would a simple speed bump be likely to cut it either, they need to take advantage of the chips Intel offers AND switch from using all laptop parts when so much money could be saved simply by using the desktop equivalents.

 

[Vulpinemac]

Acer is the same company that's selling laptops for $299, 8GB SSD, 8GB Secure Digital Card, 8.9" TFT-LCD screen...

...and having to be replaced on an annual basis... or even more frequently.

 

[milo]

Exactly what use is there for a netbook that can't even run a full version of Windows?

Maybe you should ask all the people buying them and making them the one growth segment of the market?

Or just use some common sense - web, email, word processing, and media watching/listening.

 

[milo]

...and having to be replaced on an annual basis... or even more frequently.

Says who? And assuming that was true, if that's what people want and are willing to buy, what exactly is the problem?

If YOU don't like a machine, don't buy it. But if YOU don't want a machine but the public does, that's no reason for a company not to sell it.

 

[AlexisV]

So you're retort to Apples being overpriced is that there exists other overpriced products on the market?

Of course, it depends on your definition of overpriced, as the market is clearly sustaining Apple and BMW, but in terms of overhead and profit margins, they're all overpriced.

BMW and Mercedes are not overpriced. Ferrari's aren't overpriced.

A Kia costing the same as a Beamer *would* be overpriced.

All computers, cars, hi-fis, fridges, breakfast cereals etc. etc. aren't created equal. Sure, some things are overpriced, but for a lot of things you get what you paid for.

 

[Winni]

Overpriced? You don't see BMW and Mercedes slashing prices.

Yes, Apple hardware -is- overpriced. And yes, if you open your eyes, you will notice that the entire automobile industry is in DEEP trouble and that you will get extremely good prices right now on everything that has four wheels, because nobody's buying anymore and the dealers desperately need to make sales. The crumbling USD/EUR/GBP exchange rates do the rest.

 

[AidenShaw]

Full Windows 7 runs fine on netbooks

Originally Posted by Vulpinemac
Exactly what use is there for a netbook that can't even run a full version of Windows?​

Maybe you should ask all the people buying them and making them the one growth segment of the market?

Or just use some common sense - web, email, word processing, and media watching/listening.

Hmmm. First thing that I did after downloading Windows 7 Beta (7000) was to upgrade my eeePC running Windows 7 Ultimate from build 6801 to the beta.

http://www.windowsnetbook.com/2008/12/windows-7-the-linux-netbook-killer/
http://www.windowsnetbook.com/2008/12/windows-7-runs-with-just-900mhz-on-an-asus-eee-pc-900/

 

[Vulpinemac]

Maybe you should ask all the people buying them and making them the one growth segment of the market?

Or just use some common sense - web, email, word processing, and media watching/listening.

I'm willing to make a prediction: Netbooks, as they stand now, are nothing but a fad. People are buying them because they can get a half-sized laptop computer for less than $300. However, I might also note that approximately half of those purchased with Linux as the OS have been returned; numbers that do not get counted in the two reports above.

WHEN Apple produces a pocketable computer in the same size range, I expect it will make the current round of netbooks look sick and pretty much blow away that market as Apple is currently blowing away the Smartphone market. (Before you dispute this last statement, reports came out just yesterday that forecasts Apple's iPhone to own roughly 40% of the Smartphone market by the end of next year. Considering how well established most of their competitors are, taking a 40% share in just 3 years would be considered 'blowing them away.')

 

[Evangelion]

So you're retort to Apples being overpriced is that there exists other overpriced products on the market?

By what definition are Macs "overpriced"?

Of course, it depends on your definition of overpriced, as the market is clearly sustaining Apple and BMW, but in terms of overhead and profit margins, they're all overpriced.

High profit-margin is not the metric that determines whether the product is "overpriced" or not. Profit-margin merely tells what is the ratio between the price is sold and how much it costs to manufacture the item.

What determines whether some product is "overpriced" or not, is the ratio between the price of buying the product vs. the amount of value and use you get from the product.

It doesn't mean people won't buy them, but if they don't cut prices, in this economy, people will certainly buy them less....

http://www.topnews.in/carmaker-bmw-slashes-profit-goal-2009-283412
"Carmaker BMW slashes profit goal for 2009"

ALL car-makers are having problems, even manufacturers of econoboxes.

Yes, Apple hardware -is- overpriced.

No, it isn't.

And yes, if you open your eyes, you will notice that the entire automobile industry is in DEEP trouble and that you will get extremely good prices right now on everything that has four wheels, because nobody's buying anymore and the dealers desperately need to make sales.

What does any of that have to do with Apple and the price of their products? Car-makers are having problems at the moment, and that proves that Macs are overpriced? Huh?

 

[Evangelion]

I'm willing to make a prediction: Netbooks, as they stand now, are nothing but a fad.

There are no indications that they are a faq, quite the contrary.

People are buying them because they can get a half-sized laptop computer for less than $300. However, I might also note that approximately half of those purchased with Linux as the OS have been returned; numbers that do not get counted in the two reports above.

The returned units were for one manufacturer only, not for the entire product-segment. Presumably, those returned Linux-systems were replaced by XP-systems (which didn't experience above normal return-rates).

Now, why were they returned?

- it could be that the manufacturer didn't communicate clearly enough that the OS is no Windows, and people were confused.

- It could be that the version of Linux they used (it was customized by the OEM) was crap.

Do either of those reasons mean that netbooks are a "fad"? Nope.

 

[beg_ne]

Considering the crap economy Apple doesn't look so bad, besides by graph it always looks like the mid point between 3Q and 4Q is the highest and then a drop.

I can't see the point in an Apple netbook, mostly because I don't want to hear the massive amount of bitching an Apple netbook would produce.

Everyone is going to complain that its not as good quality as a regular MacBook, its more expensive than the linux/win netbooks and that it runs OS X slower than a standard MacBook.