Q2 Mac Shipments Outpacing Industry?

[Noiseboy]

Woohoo! All this extra income should give Apple plenty to work with on product development. Maybe we'll see some great improvements in the new apps and hardware, as well as old rumored components not yet seen.

I suspect that they're not exactly stuck for cash right now

 

[plinden]

You know too, that all these people who buy a Mac, 99% of them are going to remain steadfast Mac users.
That's not to say they can't or won't buy secondary PCs and what not, but you very very rarely meet someone who doesn't fall in love with OSX after using it for awhile.

Dammit, I fell in love with it just looking over my coworkers shoulder while he worked on his PowerBook.

Now thinking of selling my Dell (maybe get a couple hundred dollars for it if some sucker bites) and replacing it with an iMac at the next update.

 

[jouster]

I suspect that they're not exactly stuck for cash right now

Absolutely not. But they have a history of sitting on it then incorporating its earnings (i.e. interest) into the comapny's earnings as a whole.

Might be an idea to take a small percentage of those billions and apply it to more purchases - if only to supply all of us with more grist for the rumor mill!

 

[joeboy_45101]

In the immortal words of the late Hunter Thompson,

"Hot damn yes!"

 

[sinisterdesign]

Dammit, I fell in love with it just looking over my coworkers shoulder while he worked on his PowerBook.

Now thinking of selling my Dell (maybe get a couple hundred dollars for it if some sucker bites) and replacing it with an iMac at the next update.

reel another one in!

yeah, when i started at this job a couple years ago, i was like the crazy Mac designer guy on the floor. they bought me a G5 over a year ago to shut me up from b!@#%& about the old G4 i was working on. now, in the past 6 months, 4 people in my dept have bought a new Mac and at least 8 have bought iPods.

 

[macidiot]

That's kind of my opinion as well. I want Apple healthy and profitable so they keep innovating but I'm not sure I want every Tom, Dick and Harry using one.

Stay under the radar and let us people that DO "think different" from the masses alone.

Eh, Apple is at about 3% marketshare now. They could triple that and still be considered marginal. Of course, for Apple to go to 10% would be fantastic. IMO, 10% would be great, big enough to have real weight in the industry(things like peripherals, software, website compatibility...), but still small enough to fly under a lot of radars. Then again, if Apple went to 10%, they would be one of the 5 biggest PC makers in the world. Remember, Dell is the biggest and they only have around 16% marketshare.

10% marketshare for Apple will still let the elitists feel better about themselves...

 

[elo]

What do the posters on mp3car.com have against the Mac mini? On what grounds, other than the complications you mention, will you be 'thrashed?'

He wasn't talking about the Mac; he was saying if you compare the *website* to Pimp my Ride, you'd be trashed.

 

[VicMacs]

now would be the time

i miss the switcher ads....

now is the perfect time to get a load of those out, 2 words... mini switchers

 

[adamjay]

i just hope they funnel some of these ipod and mini profits into the extra R&D necessary to shoehorn a G5 in a powerbook before Fall.

you can do it apple!!! you did it with the G4!

 

[sirjimithy1]

i miss the switcher ads....

now is the perfect time to get a load of those out, 2 words... mini switchers

Great idea! Hopefully this time they'll put them in place of those iPod shuffle TV spots.. I never saw one of the switch commercials on TV.

 

[G.Kirby]

I'm thinking of getting a mac mini. Slap in an airport card, then hide it in the loft and run it as a back up server that can be controlled via Apple remote desktop. That will stop any of Santa's little helpers. (you know the ones, striped top, mask and a bag with SWAG on it)

As for iPods, they are rapidly becoming the default name for 'MP3 player'. Kind of like Hoover for Vacuum Cleaner or dare I say it Coke for any type of cola drink, including Pepsi.

I work on a Graphic Design course (75+ Macs, 0 PC’s) when the students are working, listening to their ‘MP3 players’. Those that have iPods have them sat on the desk in full view but those that have wana-be iPods have them hidden, ashamed that they made the wrong choice.

 

[Xtremehkr]

Things are looking great for Apple, there are a few weak spots though.

The Mac Mini is solid, with lots of potential. If it becomes popular enough in the car modding world, it could lead to a whole new line of peripherals to sell. Like the iPod has.

The new iMac is solid, great design that will remain fresh for a long time. Designs destined to be classics don't come along often, but the iMac looks like one of the better designs to come out of a more prestigious house of design like Bauhaus.

iPod, minipod and Shuffle are also solid, the addition of radio will come eventually I think.

The iBook is a pretty good value, especially now that it is using a G4 as well.

The PB lineup, still a good value, some innovative new technology, but in dire need of major improvements to the CPU.

The PM lineup, look great, but also in need of some speed bumps. And if not speed increases than price drops.

The Displays, another great design. A little pricey though, for that much money they should be consumer critics darlings.

And then there is the software. Tiger is due to hit soon, in the meantime we are stuck with software that already works ten times better than the best anyone else has to offer. iWork and Keynote are great, would never even consider using anything from M$ after getting that package.

When IBM finally works out the kinks of the next batch of G5 chips (including the PB G5,) the entire lineup is going to be very competitive. Chip development is really all that is holding things up at this point.

 

[aswitcher]

Eh, Apple is at about 3% marketshare now. They could triple that and still be considered marginal. Of course, for Apple to go to 10% would be fantastic. IMO, 10% would be great, big enough to have real weight in the industry(things like peripherals, software, website compatibility...), but still small enough to fly under a lot of radars. Then again, if Apple went to 10%, they would be one of the 5 biggest PC makers in the world. Remember, Dell is the biggest and they only have around 16% marketshare.

10% marketshare for Apple will still let the elitists feel better about themselves...

I always find these market share stats dodgy.

First up I beleive they only represent sales for the last couple of years, not user base since corps dont share that info. I know plenty of people who run machines for 5 years...and plenty who put linux on old pcs.

Second, they dont break them down by country, so its harder to see real shifts because of the the numbers - and reliability of those numbers from various countries.

Thirdly, they dont (cant) distinguish business use from personal use machines. Since many many mahy companies are stuck with the legacy of their systems (pc) they dont shift, and this majority sector squeezes out the detection of any real change in the home user/schooling sector.

 

[mpinsk]

good for everyone !

To those few who posted that they prefer Macs stay out of reach of the masses for the sake of security, viruses, etc... i say, do you even see the classism implied in such a statement ?

You can afford the mac so you get to enjoy it's benefits, but god forbid people from a lower income bracket afford them as well and enjoy the mac experience you enjoy. Now everybody would be "thinking differently", and what would happen to your poor ego?

I can only wish everyone could enjoy the mac as much as us current users do. This increase in mac mini sales is a wonderful thing in my opinion.

 

[adamjay]

To those few who posted that they prefer Macs stay out of reach of the masses for the sake of security, viruses, etc... i say, do you even see the classism implied in such a statement ?

You can afford the mac so you get to enjoy it's benefits, but god forbid people from a lower income bracket afford them as well and enjoy the mac experience you enjoy. Now everybody would be "thinking differently", and what would happen to your poor ego?

I can only wish everyone could enjoy the mac as much as us current users do. This increase in mac mini sales is a wonderful thing in my opinion.

amen, those kind of remarks come off more elitist than people realize.

 

[sirjimithy1]

To those few who posted that they prefer Macs stay out of reach of the masses for the sake of security, viruses, etc... i say, do you even see the classism implied in such a statement ?

You can afford the mac so you get to enjoy it's benefits, but god forbid people from a lower income bracket afford them as well and enjoy the mac experience you enjoy. Now everybody would be "thinking differently", and what would happen to your poor ego?

I can only wish everyone could enjoy the mac as much as us current users do. This increase in mac mini sales is a wonderful thing in my opinion.

While I do stay happy if Apple has a low marketshare, it's not because I don't think lower-class people should be able to afford them. I'm glad Apple is lowering prices. I hope apple retains marketshare by the masses continuing to remain ignorant of how great the Mac platform is.. I hate when the masses jump on the bandwagon at the 11th hour. Most of those people don't "get it." I know that sounds elitist because in a way, it is. The whole Mac lifestyle is about using stuff that just works and realizing that you're not part of the crowd that believes just because an OS has a bigger marketshare, it's a better OS. I think Roger Ebert said it best: "Any reasonable person would choose a Mac over a PC. Apple's marketshare goes to show the number of reasonable people in the world."

 

[d.perel]

If they made a G5 3.5 Ghz with quad processors for $299, then their sales would skyrocket. But for the meanwhile, this growth is not bad

 

[Xtremehkr]

I thought that the lack of spyware and virii has as much to do with the secure software as it does the small market share. Would greater market share even be a problem? OSX is just a better coded, more secure operating system.

 

[wrldwzrd89]

I thought that the lack of spyware and virii has as much to do with the secure software as it does the small market share. Would greater market share even be a problem? OSX is just a better coded, more secure operating system.

That's my understanding as well. Sure, with more market share more break-in attempts will occur...but few, if any, will succeed (especially on an up-to-date Mac).

 

[feakbeak]

Bought my first Mac, a mini, last weekend. No iPod yet. But very soon
How will Apple know we are former PC users? Does Apple have some type of survey?

Market research Most companies do it on their products. I'm sure Apple does it on various products/markets. I bought a mini recently and was surveyed about my purchase on the phone a few days ago.

 

[crawdad62]

While I do stay happy if Apple has a low marketshare, it's not because I don't think lower-class people should be able to afford them. I'm glad Apple is lowering prices. I hope apple retains marketshare by the masses continuing to remain ignorant of how great the Mac platform is.. I hate when the masses jump on the bandwagon at the 11th hour. Most of those people don't "get it." I know that sounds elitist because in a way, it is. The whole Mac lifestyle is about using stuff that just works and realizing that you're not part of the crowd that believes just because an OS has a bigger marketshare, it's a better OS. I think Roger Ebert said it best: "Any reasonable person would choose a Mac over a PC. Apple's marketshare goes to show the number of reasonable people in the world."

Amen! That's what I was getting at. I certainly would love them to be cheaper than they are now. You think that I would be using a 4 year old computer if I could afford a new one anytime I like?

I like being elitist but not because I have the means (which as I said is debatable) to buy a Mac but because I just chose it because it's better period.

 

[joeboy_45101]

Amen! That's what I was getting at. I certainly would love them to be cheaper than they are now. You think that I would be using a 4 year old computer if I could afford a new one anytime I like?

I like being elitist but not because I have the means (which as I said is debatable) to buy a Mac but because I just chose it because it's better period.

I don't care any which way on what type of computer others decide to use. It's not really any of my business, but if they ask me, "What in your opinion is a good computer?" Then I would have to say, "The Mac!" It's stupid and totally classless for people in the Mac community to have such huge chips on their shoulders.

I myself was a big Windows user before a couple of friends of mine (one of whom is at MIT, and the other studying at the Air Force academy) let me try out their iMacs back in the late '90's. From that point on I was hooked. Ignorance is a lack of knowledge, much like cold is a lack of heat. But, as Prometheus gave fire to mankind I think that is how we Mac People should look at others who don't know anything other than Windows. We shouldn't regard them with contempt but instead with compassion.

 

[cliffjumper68]

Macs are for everyone

I have loved my Mac's and am proudly part of the whole switcher/ Q2 sales figure. I had heard so many negative things from my co-workers and family about the Mac that it took me along time to try it. I have found that most of what I had heard was wrong and spoken from exuberance rather than elitism/cultism. I get at least 3 times as much done now than I did before, while listening to great tunes and saving my back fro lugging a 12 lbs. laptop. I hope more people give them a try because they are so great. The more people know the better it will be for everyone.

 

[jiv3turkey748]

if they sold 150,000 mac minis with out any advertising imagine how many they could sell if they advertised them so more windows users could see them

 

[neutrino23]

Eh, Apple is at about 3% marketshare now. They could triple that and still be considered marginal. Of course, for Apple to go to 10% would be fantastic. IMO, 10% would be great, big enough to have real weight in the industry(things like peripherals, software, website compatibility...), but still small enough to fly under a lot of radars. Then again, if Apple went to 10%, they would be one of the 5 biggest PC makers in the world. Remember, Dell is the biggest and they only have around 16% marketshare.

10% marketshare for Apple will still let the elitists feel better about themselves...

As pointed out by Aswitcher market share numbers in a market this large are not simple. If Apple merely had 3% of all computer markets then they would quickly die. The fact is they achieve a 3% share by being dominant in some markets and absent in others. That is why the overall market share is not that important. What is important is critical mass. Whether Apple can maintain enough dominance in enough markets to keep paying the bills and to attract developers.

So, if Apple can nudge up market share by getting a few people in a variety of markets to purchase that is not as attractive as if Apple could attract a large share in some more limited markets.

For example, there is a lot of buzz about Mac Minis being used in car customization. This could be huge as it is a well defined market segment. If it picks up some real momentum then it will attract a large accessory market just like the iPod did. Think sound amplifiers, brackets, remote controls, dress up decals, LCDs for the back seat, GPS, etc. all tailored for the Mac Mini. Once this occurs it is tough for competitors to break in. Also, it might only nudge up the overall market share by one point but the additional sales for Apple could be quite large.