“Apple’s success continues in Europe, according to analysts at IDC, noting that 2004’s fourth quarter saw Apple deliver its highest quarterly growth for a year-and-a-half. The company’s already on a roll globally, with its Mac unit sales rising at a higher percentage rate than the industry average. The pattern in Europe appears to be the same,” Jonny Evans reports for Macworld UK.
Apple’s shipments in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) climbed 33.2 per cent year-on-year in 2004’s fourth quarter, revealed analyst Ian Gibbs. ‘Growth was nearly double that of the overall market,’ he confirmed,” Evans reports. “Globally, Apple saw 25 per cent unit sales growth in the final quarter of 2004, in contrast to an industry average of 13.7 per cent. Apple’s US market share climbed a point, too – from 3.2 per cent to 3.3 per cent. Focusing on the future, Gibbs stressed the importance of the next twelve months to Apple: ‘Next year is going to be a very important year for Apple as the industry watches and waits to see how successful its Mac Mini will be,’ he said.”
Full article, with many more details, here.
Right now, Apple Shareholders are rubbing their hands with joy, as some of them laid down some big bucks when the Stock was low. I only purchased 55 of them, when it was $15 a share & I’m still rubbing!
That still only works out at 1.66% market share according the the IDC figures for Q4. So there’s a lot of room for improvement if only Apple would actually advertise the Mac across the major European economies. Too many people still don’t know about OSX.
Unit sales or increase due to exchange rate…
Article does not give last years sales to compare to.
Still only 3.3% of US market.
Let apple continue to use their money in R&D and bring us the products we can’t understand how we lived without for so long.
They are going to be getting a lot of the best advertising money can’t buy… Word ‘O Mouth!!! Not to mention all the free press they are getting in the analysts write-ups and all of the news speculation about what affect the mini & shuffle will have on the martket in the coming year(s).
Right Dave H!
Apple should invest more in infomercial about OS X , iLife, etc in our old Europe, but also should invest in PR with the various governament and institutions because there is where Gates have done the “best” job: when you sell to national institution then you not only earn a lot of money, but receive free adevrtising and communication.
I’d love to buy a Mac for one of my grandsons but their fathers are going to complain because the use PC at work: bank, hospital, etc…and they argue that all of the friends of their sons have a PC…so they can’t share data with them…that tells me that they don’t know anything about OSX!|