Worldwide Mac Sales Up Slightly as PC Market Continues to Decline in Q1 2017

[fourthtunz]

If you think that is pretty good, just imagine what their sales would be if they actually had new computers to sell? At this point, everyone must be buying Macbooks, because everything else is rated a "DO NOT BUY" from Apple because it's old and outdated, but still priced like the day it was released.

I think Apple could keep the same form factor, with lower prices and still sell plenty of Macs .
Yeah new macs would be great but Macs are still a great computer..if they aren't going to update them they should really cut the prices! They "updated" the Mac Pros..be interesting to see how they sell.
You can go on eBay and buy the same mac pro that they have in the refurbished section for about $2000 less
and they have the same warranty..at least they had them on there a week or so ago.

 

[dogslobber]

Just imagine their sales if they release some NEW Macs! Innovation's ass!

 

[Feenician]

Just imagine their sales if they release some NEW Macs! Innovation's ass!

Probably not a great deal different. Here's an article from 2011. 5.2% worldwide.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/tec...-share-of-pc-market-reaches-15-year-high.html

Here's on from 2014 that notes they went from 6.3 to 5.7% the prior year.

http://www.ubergizmo.com/2014/10/apples-mac-worldwide-market-share-sees-an-increase/

The article these comments relates to says 6.8, up from 6.3% in 2016.

A decent upward trend but Apple have likely captured around the percentage they're ever likely to, filling exactly the niche they want to. One thing is for sure, a new Mac Pro will not shift the needle significantly.

 

[AppleScruff1]

I guess that the "constant negativity" had no effect on sales since sales increased.

 

[CWallace]

So we're going to do the old "Shipment vs Sales" sleight of hand comparison that Apple's famous for when claiming "sales" but are actually really nothing more than product shipped to stores?

Apple's numbers are actual sales to actual customers. All PC vendors lump together sales to actual customers via their own sales channels as well as shipments of product to retails, resellers, wholesalers and others that they may or may not have received full payment for (Net terms) and that product that is not sold on to actual customers can be returned back to the vendor from all those channels.

So Apple's numbers are "hard" while PC sales are "soft".

 

[twa440]

I guess that the "constant negativity" had no effect on sales since sales increased.

I'd like to see a breakout of sales (per model). My guess is that there was a surge of sales on older Macbook Pros after people saw what the changes were. They wanted to get the last model that made any sense.
If the new (2016) Macbook Pro was showing strong sales, there's no way it would have been discounted so soon.

 

[mlody]

I know many people complain how Macs are outdated etc., and I agree, I am in the same camp as those who complain; however, from the business perspective, majority of purchases are not driven by spec, or by buying the latest and greatest, so given the 'outdated' spec, Apple is doing just fine.

 

[MacSince1985]

It's interesting to see how different the US and worldwide sales differ. If you exclude the US, the rest of the world sales would be below 5%. And comparing the figures between the 2 tables, the US represents over one third of all Mac sales.

So Apple's focus should really be on the international market.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

Phone part....that is society going to crap too. When I go to Korea I lose my cell signal (I won't pay roaming charges...I am physically with the 2 people I need to be with, wife and son and that is all I need). Several days off the grid. And back to basics. talking with the people face to face, want to find something to do just explore (vice pin drop directions and there....sometimes the longer unguided journey of getting there is better than the actual destination), etc.

If its your intention to go off the grid, then it's totally fine, but usually it's way cheaper to just get a local sim for a month or a couple of weeks when you're traveling. Amazon has a huge selection for different countries and the prices are often just as cheap as a normal monthly cell plan.

 

[greenmeanie]

I am sure they are not counting DATA centers which are replacing PC's.
I run 100 servers on the DATA center at work.
Are they counting the Thin Clients used to connect to the server.

Could it be driven by all the newbs being drawn into the Xcode dream of creating an app for iPhone?

 

[Cloudkicker]

Irritating sarcasm aside, Apple is what it's always been-- stuck in a perpetual single digit rut since the '80s. The top 2 (⬆) have more than double sales of Apple. And before you ,or anyone makes the "but they make low, medium & high-end stuff" boo-hooing, then I say: Then why doesn't Apple get off its butt & make even a medium-end computer??!!

Apple makes the choices they do like any other company. I think they have rose-coloured glasses & death-grip to elitist halo they choose to wear & crow about, as well as profits first.

 

[Naraxus]

Apple's numbers are actual sales to actual customers....

Those "actual customers" being Apple stores and retail partners. As I said, Apple does some accounting sleight-of-hand wherein their numbers are what's called "Sell in" numbers meaning that once they get to the stores (and not you or I) Apple considers them as "sold" even though they really aren't.

https://gigaom.com/2013/05/09/what-apple-really-means-when-it-says-it-has-sold-a-product/

 

[zulkiflim]

Why isn't this posted??

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ewansp...book-customer-satisfaction-fall/#eece6056e0d9

Dropping so far is just SAD...


Apple should hire Kellyanne Conway...Perhaps the macbook pro will be no 1 in an alternative world

 

[920R]

Imagine what they could do if they'd release a decent laptop with modern hardware and ports.

The laptops were fine until the courageous single output port design.
Take a look at the graph. Production peaked in 2012, which is coincidentally the last time they produced an upgradable, expandable Mac Pro and released a new set of Mac Mini's. It's the total disregard of the desktop that is stifling sales.

 

[MH01]

Your comment is at odds with the article. And reality. Probably best to find somewhere else to beat that drum.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brooke...e-strong-says-market-researcher/#311b050a5128

Actually the article you linked, 8th of November 2016 is as odds with reality. Please look at articles in the last two weeks to clarify that, even search MR, where there Is an article supporting the fact the new MacBook Pro is a flop

 

[BvizioN]

Imagine what they could do if they'd release a decent laptop with modern hardware and ancient ports.

Could not resist

 

[MrX8503]

Imagine what they could do if they'd release a decent laptop with modern hardware and ports.

Point me to a laptop that has 4 thunderbolt 3 ports with 2 of them being 40gbps.

 

[DevNull0]

Point me to a laptop that has 4 thunderbolt 3 ports with 2 of them being 40gbps.

Oh, I see, you misunderstood my definition of modern.

adjective - relating to the present or recent times as opposed to the remote past.

When I go to a computer store or did so in the recent past I don't/didn't see thunderbolt 3 ports.

I tried googling https://www.google.ca/#q=modern+computer+ports+2017 "modern computer ports 2017" and I certainly don't see any of those on the laptop you're talking about.

Point me to an Apple that has a nice mix of those modern ports and a modern CPU. Doesn't exist.
[doublepost=1491978437][/doublepost]

The laptops were fine until the courageous single output port design.
Take a look at the graph. Production peaked in 2012, which is coincidentally the last time they produced an upgradable, expandable Mac Pro and released a new set of Mac Mini's. It's the total disregard of the desktop that is stifling sales.

IMO 2012 was the last time Apple made a computer worth buying. I kind of regret not holding out a bit longer before buying my 2011 MBP (my current machine), but at the time I figured I'd have bought a new MBP in 2013, and probably 2015 and be in the market again this year.

I guess I should be happy that Timmy has saved me about $5000 and counting.
[doublepost=1491978536][/doublepost]

The new MBP is a great device. It's hardly a flop or unreliable.

Apple's current back peddling kind of belies your comment.

Maybe it's a decent machine for an iToy kiddie, but they're not the ones who will drop $3k and up on a laptop and large numbers. Which is why it's a flop.

 

[DevNull0]

There is no port more modern than USB-C / Thunderbolt 3...

Modern implies in current use. Not some theoretical esoteric thing that may or may not be the next great thing, but in either case is nearly useless in 2017.

To imply newer is automatically more relevant today is ignorant. Thunderbolt 1 and 2 have already flopped, as did firewire and ADB. Had Apple released a machine with only 1 type of those ports, they'd have been crucified for it. Time will tell if USB-C / TB3 takes off, but as of 2017 it is not a port anyone other than Kool-Aid drinking hardcore Timmy fanatics would even consider using.

 

[myscrnnm]

Interesting. I am looking forward to seeing these stats when the desktops are all finally released, along with a non touchbar Retina MBP.

There is a non Touch Bar Retina MacBook Pro. It was released at the same time as the Touch Bar models - slightly earlier in fact. The deep discounts retailers have offered on it also lead me to believe it does not perform as well commercially as its Touch Bar-equipped brethren.

 

[DevNull0]

There is a non Touch Bar Retina MacBook Pro. It was released at the same time as the Touch Bar models - slightly earlier in fact. The deep discounts retailers have offered on it also lead me to believe it does not perform as well commercially as its Touch Bar-equipped brethren.

The non Touch Bar model downgraded the CPU from the MBP model to the MBA model, soldered the SSD to the logic board (meaning you can't even recover your data if the machine breaks without paying Apple to do it for you) and cranked up the price by $300 for the downgraded machine.

There is zero reason to buy it.

 

[doelcm82]

Irritating sarcasm aside, Apple is what it's always been-- stuck in a perpetual single digit rut since the '80s. The top 2 (⬆) have more than double sales of Apple. And before you ,or anyone makes the "but they make low, medium & high-end stuff" boo-hooing, then I say: Then why doesn't Apple get off its butt & make even a medium-end computer??!!

Apple makes the choices they do like any other company. I think they have rose-coloured glasses & death-grip to elitist halo they choose to wear & crow about, as well as profits first.

I think you have nailed it. Apple would be more doomed if it got of its butt and made a medium-end computer. They've run the numbers and they would make less money. So they leave that market for their more altruistic competitors who care more about giving away computers than they do about making a profit.

Apple likes the highly profitable rut it is "stuck" in.

 

[macs4nw]

When you see how stagnant growth is for everyone in the PC business it sort of makes sense why Apple isn't putting forth a lot of effort with Macs these days.

But Apple is still bucking the trend, and could arguably do even better with more frequently updated hardware.

If anything, the lull in PC sales should incentivize them even more, not less, and allow them to see that slowdown as an opportunity worthy of putting even more effort in offering a class-leading line-up, possibly gaining them greater market share.

 

[ValO]

I think apple should not give in to the whole usb-c situation. For some it is a painfull transistion, but in a year from now it will all be sorted and there will be enough usb-c equipment out there .
What apple should do is simplify the macbook line-up.
Drop the macbook airs, replace it with the macbook 12 inch(drop the price by $100).
Drop the non touchbar 13 inch macbook pro.
Lower the prices of the 13 macbook pro with touchbar by $200 and rename it macbook.
Drop the 15 inch touchbar macbook pro.
Release a new 13 and 15 inch macbook pro with touchbar based on the stealth bomber prototype that did not make it to production , with touchbar and more advanced hw, (nvidia) gpu, option to 32gb, etc.

 

[Ploki]

I don't know if any of you haters even used the new MBP with touchbar?

It's wonderful, i just wish they port it to an external keyboard.

It's much more useful than the stupid wheel on the surface (which basically has the same functionality, except it takes over space on your screen and you need to carry it around and charge it.)