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Piper Jaffray: Apple to sell 5 million copies of Mac OS X Snow Leopard at launch

Monday, August 24, 2009 · 12:18 pm · 16 Comments

“In a new research note to investors, Piper Jaffray has forecast that Apple’s new Snow Leopard operating system will sell 5 million copies during its launch window in the September quarter,” Neil Hughes reports for AppleInsider.

“He said the finely tuned operating system upgrade will be used to portray the Mac platform as superior to Windows machines,” Hughes reports. “‘The release of Snow Leopard is not about new features; rather, it is about keeping Mac users up to date with the latest technology vs. Windows XP and Vista users on antiquated technology in our opinion,’ the note reads.”

Hughes reports, “The new note estimates that there is a OS X install base of over 40 million. For comparison, Apple sold 2 million copies of Leopard in 4 days to a install base of about 23 million OS X users in October of 2007. For that launch, Apple sold a total of 3.5 million copies for the quarter.”

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Comment Feed

16 Comments

Orenokotodaze

Monday, August 24, 2009 - 12:26 pm · Reply

Make that 5 million (and) one…
CourtJester

Monday, August 24, 2009 - 12:26 pm · Reply

Cant wait to play in the Snow!
Beowulf

Monday, August 24, 2009 - 12:44 pm · Reply

I’m glad I’ll have such great company on Friday!
Gregg Thurman

Monday, August 24, 2009 - 12:47 pm · Reply

I think the bigger point of Snow Leopard is that it does not support PPC processors.

For this reason my sister is now going to upgrade her G4 PowerBook. I think there will be a lot of decisions like this being made.
J.Scott

Monday, August 24, 2009 - 12:54 pm · Reply

Good point GT. I have been talking with my father and I believe his old Mac Mini may be replaced with a new iMac in the near future. Snow Leopard may give hardware sales a significant boost.
Daily Reader

Monday, August 24, 2009 - 12:58 pm · Reply

@ Gregg Thurman

I agree. I think many PPC users will have been delaying a new Mac purchase until Snow Leopard’s release. I have. Now I just need to convince my wife that now’s the time. Plus, with rumors of a pending iMac tweaked for semi-pro video users I’m torn.

Oh the humanity.

And yes, I know that there’s always something better just over the horizon (there always is with Apple…damn you Steve Jobs for continuing to insist on innovation) and if I wait for it I’ll never buy.
Rob

Monday, August 24, 2009 - 1:08 pm · Reply

Ordered mine today 4,999,999 to go
auren

Monday, August 24, 2009 - 1:33 pm · Reply

Nope, nope, nope. When Leopard launched, the Vista implosion was really just starting. Today, it is known far and wide how poorly MS did in trying to catch OS X. The Zune has been an afterthought in the market. MS is laying off thousands of people and they just posted their first loss. These are historic times folks.

I predict that there will be double the sales of Snow Leopard in the opening week to more like 7 million. Why?

Apple has reached the tipping point, plain and simple. Almost every analyst has under-estimated this company’s performance.

It’s really hard stopping a juggernaut.
qka

Monday, August 24, 2009 - 1:44 pm · Reply

This PowerBook G4 owner is still happy with Tiger. I’ve installed Leopard on an external disk, tried it, and just didn’t like it.

Why is Leopard (and presumably SL) so monochrome? I haven’t seen Macs use color so ineffectively since the Mac II.

Space and Time machine are great, but the day to day ugliness was unbearable.

My PB G4 is still going strong at 4+ years. i don’t expect to replace it soon. Apple builds such wonderful hardware, lasts forever – unlike the Windoze FeeCee junk.
Deus Ex Technica

Monday, August 24, 2009 - 2:01 pm · Reply

Since Snow Leopard was announced, I’ve always gottent he impression that it is a necessary housekeeping release in preparation for something much bigger.

I think that Exchange Support is a shot across the bow, and the shot into mid-decks is going to come with the next OS X release.
HotinPlaya

Monday, August 24, 2009 - 2:07 pm · Reply

Sums it up

“‘The release of Snow Leopard is not about new features; rather, it is about keeping Mac users up to date with the latest technology vs. Windows XP and Vista users on antiquated technology in our opinion,”
Nathan

Monday, August 24, 2009 - 2:32 pm · Reply

Let it Snow,
Let it Snow,
Let it Snow!

Pre-ordered.
Predrag

Monday, August 24, 2009 - 4:04 pm · Reply

Another strong motivating factor will be the price. For many, it will be a no-brainer (cheaper than a dinner at a cheap diner). While some Tiger users considered Leopard, then balked at the possible difference (most likely the ultimate reason being the price), this time around, the difference is incremental, the performance improvement has been widely reported, and the price to pay is quite manageable.

I have a feeling, even those few that went Tiger to Leopart through some “alternative means” (meaning p2p) will find it quite easy to pay for SL this time around.

All these may as well top Mr. Munster’s numbers.

It’s good to be an AAPL shareholder these days…!
ken1w

Monday, August 24, 2009 - 5:05 pm · Reply

I agree that the much lower price will increase this quarter’s sales of Snow Leopard to be well over 5 million copies. You can’t compare it to the Leopard release, because the situation is different.

But because of the lower price, the impact on Apple’s bottom line will be less than Leopard. It costs just as much to manufacture, package, distribute, and sell a $29 disc compared to a $129 disc. Fortunately, for Apple, Snow Leopard is just a tool to sell more Mac hardware. They don’t seem to be making a big deal about the release itself, compared to the fanfare for Leopard.
zippy

Monday, August 24, 2009 - 7:11 pm · Reply

Just got my new MB Pro and already on list for the upgrade. Replacing my 5 yr old PB G4.
BC Kelly

Monday, August 24, 2009 - 8:50 pm · Reply

pDrag … Is ALWAYS a good day for AAPL … especially if ya got a pile at $12 …

qka … yep, done same with a G4 iBook, Tiger still purrs nice, it ain’t broke, so …

AND … since Steve and Co. DID finally fix the “Finder Search View Options”

Reckon the Inteller iMac will get to play with the New Kitty, so I’ll have to say …

Orenokotodaze … make that 5,000,002

Or … depending on your proclivities

Rob … make that 4,999,998 to go

Now … MDN, will you get a “cut” via your ads here if I Don’t Think Before I Click™ ?

Hope so … just spend the $0.25 wisely …

BC