Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
U.S. Mac Sales Continue to Sag Ahead of October Updates
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I'm hopeful that this is a given. Many people just say 'Oh iPads can do everything so what's the point in a laptop/desktop', I think they forget without the likes of laptops/desktops they wouldn't be using iPads etc because the software creation tool is the computer.
I love my iPad and my iPhone, but, as many others have said, there are still some things for which a Mac is better suited. One point I haven't seen anyone else make: now that Apple gets my money every two years for a high-end iPad and iPhone for myself and my wife, I have less discretionary income to spend on a new Mac, which I update every four or five years. If I hadn't spent money on new iPads and iPhones last year, I would have purchased a 27" iMac or a rMBP. Instead, I bought a refurbished Mac mini for a third of the price, and I use it with a 12-year-old monitor. It does what I need to do.
more often. We are waiting for the mac mini to update to Haswell. Seems to me they could have done this when they updated the iMacs. My circle has been changing to mini's as the low end imac is tough to justify with the lack of user upgradability in terms of HD and memory. I think they are losing sales because of this as well.
I would be shocked if they updated the mini in anywhere under 2 months after releasing the Mac Pro. Any sales hit to the Mac Pro will not be tolerated.
I just don't think they have much incentive to upgrade the Mac computers. The profit margin is a lot lower on them and they don't sell nearly as many so why bother?
Apple need to learn some tricks to avoid these natural lulls in sales. I wouldn't have held the MacBook Pro update this late fore sure.
It was an idiotic move to announce such an amazing mac air upgrade and leave everyone hanging on the MacBook. Especially considering the fate of the non retina model is so poorly handled too. It's really sad for what is still a good part of the ecosystem to be dying. Most people avoid laptops not because of mac but the viruses toolbars and weird stuff that happens on windows. iPads just work and for most people that is what is most important. But apple need to still be catering to all the people who make content on laptops and want to upgrade and have a choice of high end machine.
It was an idiotic move to announce such an amazing mac air upgrade and leave everyone hanging on the MacBook. Especially considering the fate of the non retina model is so poorly handled too. It's really sad for what is still a good part of the ecosystem to be dying. Most people avoid laptops not because of mac but the viruses toolbars and weird stuff that happens on windows. iPads just work and for most people that is what is most important. But apple need to still be catering to all the people who make content on laptops and want to upgrade and have a choice of high end machine.
I previously believed that Mac sales would continue to decline.
However, then I read that Gene Munster is saying Mac sales will decline.
Therefore I am changing my opinion. Now I firmly believe that Mac sales will rise!
Why? Because the opposite of what Gene Munster says is usually true.
However, then I read that Gene Munster is saying Mac sales will decline.
Therefore I am changing my opinion. Now I firmly believe that Mac sales will rise!
Why? Because the opposite of what Gene Munster says is usually true.
The question I have is, where did this FUD start? Why are people thinking Apple, or anyone else, is going to stop making desktops?
True, probably 85% of the people don't need a desktop class machine as they surf the web, email, and other content consuming tasks. However, there are those that will always need the power to create content.
So I call FUD on this notion that the desktop, and even power desktop are going away.
Actually I think the profit margins are quite high on the Macs. They lowball their base model and charge way, way over the market price on any upgrade. For example, the upgrade of RAM from 4 to 8 GB costs $100 but it can be had on Amazon for half that price. The $300 they charge for an extra 128 GB of SSD is also way over the market price.
I feel like if they stopped lowballing their base models so much they might get more sales and more people willing to buy a newer model.
Look at how many people are still walking around with 4-5 year old macbook pros. Most of the people I know have swapped out the hard drive and ram in those machines. They feel no incentive right now to upgrade.
I didn't blame anyone.
It's obvious Apple will and is focusing on where the money is. And the money is coming from the iPhone and iPad.
Two devices that are updated every single year.
I love mine too.
I'll be honest if there was no Mac,maybe I wouldn't be insisting on buying Apple products,I think Mac (OS and hardware) is so unique and %100 superior to competitor(s).whereas iPads and iPhones etc..have some very serious and close competition going on around them,specially iPhone.
I have three Mac Minis, all expected to be supported by Mavericks and all primarily used to consume content. I can do more with them than I could with say an Apple TV. If the Mac mini is updated this year (perhaps unlikely) I might even consider buying one of the new ones.
My rMBP and iPad are the main devices I use for doing work.
They keep their margins at about 50% for any add ons. As for the Mac in general, I wouldn't be surprised if its the same there as well. For other parts (like the iPad mini) its less, but they keep pretty amazing margins on most things. The reality though is that the cost of memory and SSDs is going up; memory is now twice the price of where it was in January of this year, and SSDs are either adding $$ or substituted with cheaper nand for the same price. So, it's only going to get more expensive...
People already think the Macbook Pro (non-retina) is expensive. Wait until Apple goes completely proprietary again and discontinues that line.
As far as using an iPad as a computer, thats NOT an option. Sorry, the iPad has its place and I love mine, but it is NOT a replacement for a laptop or desktop.
If they discontinue the user upgradeable Macbook Pro, it will be very hard not to turn towards Windows 8 and a comparable laptop at 1/3 to 1/2 the price.
As far as using an iPad as a computer, thats NOT an option. Sorry, the iPad has its place and I love mine, but it is NOT a replacement for a laptop or desktop.
If they discontinue the user upgradeable Macbook Pro, it will be very hard not to turn towards Windows 8 and a comparable laptop at 1/3 to 1/2 the price.
I did my part to help by ordering a new iMac (nearly maxed out other than RAM) for work. iMacs make incredible neuroscience workstations (for the type of research I do).
What amazes me, is all these changes in computing,
music sales, tablets, mobile devices, decline in desktop and laptop sales
and even the Windows 8 mess are all because of Apple!!
It's incredible the impact a single company and we all know a single person had on these things.
Just incredible. I dont know how it ends but
its one heck of ride right now watching this unfold...
music sales, tablets, mobile devices, decline in desktop and laptop sales
and even the Windows 8 mess are all because of Apple!!
It's incredible the impact a single company and we all know a single person had on these things.
Just incredible. I dont know how it ends but
its one heck of ride right now watching this unfold...