Windows tech writer Paul Thurrott, writing for Windows IT Pro, is surprised about Apple’s robust Mac unit sales. Yes, this is the same Paul Thurrott who wrote just six days ago, “It’s kind of a stretch to think that iPod users will buy Mac in volume… But it’s kind of sad how every little success at Apple renews talk of a Mac revival. First it was Mac OS X. Ok, well, they got that one wrong, maybe Jaguar will do it. Nope. Hmm. How about the iPod? No? Well, maybe Mac OS X Tiger will do it. Or the Mac mini. OK, seriously, how about…”
In his latest, article, “Halo Effect? Apple Posts Strong iPod, Mac Sales” Thurrott writes, “Given the rampant success of the iPod in recent months, Apple’s earnings aren’t that surprising. What is surprising, however, is the Mac. According to the company, Apple sold more Macs in the previous quarter than it has in any quarter since before the company launched Mac OS X back in 2001. In the quarter ending March 31, Apple shipped 1.046 million Macintosh computers, a whopping 43 percent increase over the same quarter a year before. Most of that growth likely came from the new Mac mini model, a $500 Macintosh that competes with low-end PCs and is comprised largely of low-end laptop parts.”
MacDailyNews Note: Apple’s quarter actually ended on March 26, 2005 and Apple sold 1.070 million Macintosh computers. Thurrott is confused. Apple sold 1.046 million Macs in the quarter ended on December 25, 2004. So, Apple actually sold more Macs in the traditionally “slow” quarter than they did in the holiday quarter.
Thurrott continues, “Some analysts and Apple fans are crediting the rise in Mac sales to the so-called ‘halo effect’ surrounding the iPod. The idea is that customers who purchase an iPod will become as fixated on Apple products as its most ardent fans and then rush back to the Apple Store and drop thousands of dollars on a new Mac.”
MacDailyNews Note: Thurrott notes that most of Apple’s Mac unit sales “growth likely came from the new Mac mini model, a $500 Macintosh,” and then writes about having to “drop thousands of dollars on a new Mac.” Does that make any sense to you?
Thurrott continues, “Despite the upswing in the previous quarter, however, the halo effect is somewhat fanciful: iPods work well with PCs, but users would have to drop years of compatible hardware and software to switch to a Mac, a process that would ultimately be extremely expensive.”
MacDailyNews Note: Mac sales are up and analysts and Apple are crediting the upswing to the “iPod Halo Effect,” but to Thurrott it’s still “somewhat fanciful.” Let’s get real here: in how many applications do PC users really have money invested? Apple’s Mac mini comes with the following software included: Mac OS X version 10.3 “Panther,” includes Classic environment, Mail, iChat AV, Safari, Sherlock, Address Book, QuickTime, iSync, iCal, iLife ‘05 (includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD and GarageBand), AppleWorks, Quicken 2005 for Mac, etc. Other than MS Office for Mac, perhaps, ($149.95 for the Student and Teacher Edition) what do most Windows PC users really need? Nearly everything the average user would need is already bundled with the Mac mini! And remember to ask about cross-grading your software and you’ll be able to change from Windows to Mac versions of your software without the process being anything like “extremely expensive.” In addition, the Mac mini is designed to work with Windows PC users’ existing monitors, keyboards, and mice. USB printers and scanners can easily be used by the Mac. And, by continuing to run the PC (for a time), older PC hardware peripherals can be shared with the Mac.
Thurrott continues, “Regardless, one can’t deny the success that Apple is currently having with both its iPod and Macs. As a long-time fan of the Mac, It’s nice to see this once-beleaguered system regain its footing. With a little luck and continued healthy sales, perhaps the Mac can climb out of the market share gutter and reach a wider, more relevant, audience.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: It’s long been known that “those who surf the Web using a Mac tend to be better educated and make more money than their PC-using counterparts.” Therefore, Mac users, 25 million strong and growing, with more disposable income than Windows users, are quite the relevant audience already, thank you.
[UPDATE: 1:20pm ET: corrected Q2 2005 unit sales figure. Thanks, “ralph from berlin”]
Related MacDailyNews articles:
‘iPod Halo Effect’ on Mac sales seen in Apple’s soaring second-quarter results – April 13, 2005
Apple beats The Street; posts net profit of $290 million on $3.24 billion revenue – April 13, 2005
Apple Q2 2005 Macintosh and iPod unit results – April 13, 2005
Switching from Windows to Mac? Save money by asking to ‘crossgrade’ your software – April 12, 2005
Thurrott: ‘it’s kind of sad how every little success at Apple renews talk of a Mac revival’ – April 08, 2005
Microsoft dismisses threat of Apple’s ‘iPod Halo Effect’ – April 04, 2005
Morgan Stanley: Apple’s ‘iPod Halo Effect’ is ‘roughly double what the market expects’ – March 18, 2005
‘iPod Halo Effect’ – sales of the iPod are spurring orders of other Apple products – February 24, 2005
Report: Best Buy to sell Mac mini, could accelerate ‘iPod Halo Effect’ – January 28, 2005
Apple execs now see ‘iPod Halo Effect’ clearly paying off with higher Macintosh sales – January 13, 2005
Apple posts net profit of $295 million on $3.49 billion revenue, highest in Apple’s history – January 12, 2005
Holy Halo Effect! Analyst predicts 100 million iPod sales by 2008 – Windows to Mac switchers coming? – November 24, 2004
Analyst: iPod ‘should spur sales of iMac, this is just the beginning of a ramp for Apple’ – November 23, 2004
Survey: 13% of iPod owners have switched, plan to switch to Mac from Windows within 12 months – November 22, 2004
PS – MDN, your IP banning isn’t working very well.
holy shit the stock is getting thrashed
Fan my butt…just wait till you get to try out Tiger, Paul. Will you be as honest then? Let’s hope so. This is a new generation, just like all my OS 9 investment has also slowly gone to the past(with the exception of an occasional classic fling), your “beleagured” Win$in investment is going out to pasture also, Paul.
Time to BUY BUY BUY!!!! profit off of uneducated investors fear!
My favorite article right now is where Paul tries to dismiss Tiger as a minor update that should be free like XP SP2.
http://www.internet-nexus.com/2005_04_10_archive.htm#111348246262169560
What a joke. XP SP2 is a security patch. How in the world can it be compared to TIger features like Spotlight, Automator, Dashboard, and the new iChat. Not to mention techie features like CoreImage, CoreData, Java 1.5, and GCC4.
What an idiot.
A Mac Whacker! LOL! It’s for that reason that I get all my Thurrott news here and I haven’t clicked the link to his site in a LONG time. Why should I give him hits every time he takes a whack at the Mac?
Also.. XGrid is shipping with Client and Server Tiger… Man that’s cool…
I feel sorry for myself because my entire miserable life is devoted to spreading mis-information and bigotry for M$ and getting meager pay as a crap writer. I’ll write any crap for food!!!
Paul Thurrott is irrelevant. Why does MDN consistently post the remarks of such a novice analyst? There are many more qualified tech writers, analysts, and the like who are bigger names in the industry than Thurrott. Honestly, outside of his posts on MDN, has anyone ever heard of this guy? MDN itself keeps giving this man legitimacy when he had none to begin with.
because it brings a smile. – just as we smile at the amusing ignorance of a small child attempting to say somthing “serious” which is actually funny
Paul’s comparison of Tiger (a “minor upgrade”) to XP SP2 really, really takes the cake. Gobsmackingly hilarious.
Cognitive dissonance is the key term here.
So let’s post stupid things from people we’ve actually heard of. I have a co-worker that says dumb things all the time– maybe MDN should start posting her remarks too. Another guy here at the office was talking today about a hit he saw in a lacrosse match, and she pipes in with when she gets a headache, her left foot starts twitching. WTF?! Paul Thurrott is like this co-worker– always piping in with stupid things to say just to be heard, when the rest of the world is saying, “Who are you, little man? Why do you crave so much attention?”
Pay the man no heed. He has not been feeling very well of late. Paul has gone way past the stage of cognitive dissonance. In fact, I have been forced to diagnose multiple personality syndrome in this beleaguered patient of mine.
Forgive him for he knows not what he does (or what he thinks he knows).
“It’s nice to see this once-beleaguered system regain its footing.”
I had thought Apple had shaken off that “beleaguered” tag by producing profit upon profit year after year. I guess Old Hack Habits are hard to break – Apple is now “once-beleaguered”.
Give it a rest, fella! Maybe your next original bit of writing will be your first?
What an ass bag.
Better educated…. Make more money…. Heck, we’re more handsome, too.
“Zealot Thurrott”
What a moron…
Once you go Mac… you never go back.
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“Despite its lengthy development time, and promises of ever slower Mac OS X upgrade releases in the future, this new system isn’t a big enough upgrade over previous OS X releases to warrant much excitement.”
If the gap between Panther and Tiger is lengthy then what the hell does he call the wait for Longhorn?
We should all be thankfull that there are no dumbbass like Paul Thurrott at Apple. Clearly this guy missed the Apple boat and is seeking for endless boring features to type his reviews.