“Shares of Apple Computer dipped almost 2% to $66.37 in midday action on Monday. Thomas Weisel issued a research note saying the company’s transition to using Intel chips in its computers is ‘proving difficult.’ The firm said its checks with Apple specialist resellers across the U.S. found there is soft demand for Macs and a lack of supply for the Intel-based notebook products. 65% of the resellers expect the transition to have a negative impact on Apple’s current quarter, Weisel told clients,” Michael Baron reports for MarketWatch.
Full article here.
Advertisements:
• Apple’s brand new iPod Hi-Fi speaker system. Home stereo. Reinvented. Available now for $349 with free shipping.
• Apple’s new Mac mini. Intel Core, up to 4 times faster. Starting at just $599. Free shipping.
• MacBook Pro. The first Mac notebook built upon Intel Core Duo with iLife ’06, Front Row and built-in iSight. Starting at $1999. Free shipping.
• iMac. Twice as amazing — Intel Core Duo, iLife ’06, Front Row media experience, Apple Remote, built-in iSight. Starting at $1299. Free shipping.
• iPod Radio Remote. Listen to FM radio on your iPod and control everything with a convenient wired remote. Just $49.
• iPod. 15,000 songs. 25,000 photos. 150 hours of video. The new iPod. 30GB and 60GB models start at just $299. Free shipping.
• Connect iPod to your television set with the iPod AV Cable. Just $19.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Boston Herald: Apple MacBook Pro ‘contender for best notebook on market, comes with a superior OS’ – March 06, 2006
Time Magazine’s Gadget of the Week: Apple MacBook Pro – March 06, 2006
PC Magazine review gives Apple MacBook Pro 4 out of 5 stars – March 03, 2006
Ars Technica: Apple MacBook Pro ‘an extremely solid machine, an important step forward’ – March 02, 2006
Mossberg: Apple’s MacBook Pro gives users a ‘much better OS with vastly better built-in software’ – March 02, 2006
New York Times’ Pogue: Apples MacBook Pro a ‘beautifully engineered, forward-thinking laptop’ – March 01, 2006
Apple MacBook Pro a ‘drop-dead gorgeous laptop’ – February 27, 2006
Macworld posts Apple MacBook Pro 2.0GHz first lab tests – February 22, 2006
Apple PowerBook G4 1.5GHz vs. MacBook Pro 2.0Ghz Adobe Photoshop benchmarks – February 22, 2006
Apple begins shipping MacBook Pro notebook computers with faster 2.16 GHz Intel Core Duo processors – February 14, 2006
Adobe: no native Intel Mac support until 2007; Photoshop could be 14 months away – February 01, 2006
Computerworld: Apple’s MacBook Pro ‘fast, really fast – looks like a real winner’ – January 28, 2006
Analyst: Apple seeing strong sales of iMac Core Duo, MacBook Pro, 5th generation iPod – January 25, 2006
Apple: expect MacBook Pro shortages – January 19, 2006
Use the ExpressCard slot to add FireWire 800 to Apple’s new MacBook Pro – January 15, 2006
Apple MacBook Pro, ExpressCard and EVDO – January 14, 2006
Apple introduces MacBook Pro; up to four times faster than PowerBook G4 – January 10, 2006
To paraphrase Orson Welles
“Run for the hills. THE MARTIANS ARE COMING!!!”
soft demand? ummm…i don’t think so.
<b> iTease: How Apple Can Make Converts<b>
Lets face it, the overwhelming success of Apple’s iPod is undoubtedly the integration of hardware and software. When Apple made iTunes for Windows, it was an absolute brilliant move and cemented the success of the entire iPod/iTunes experience. What would those numbers look like if Apple’s market for ITMS and the iPod were limited to MAC owners only?
So here is a way for Apple to make converts from the PC/Windows platform. Let’s call it iTease, an altered version of the entire iLife suite made specifically for Windows users. With a built in limitation (either timed-out after a specific amount of time, or limited in it’s ability perform fully) a Window’s user would get a first-hand OS-X/Apple experience albeit somewhat bastardized my running atop Windows.
Jobs & Company could pull off a real marketing winner. iPod and ITMS for Windows users already have already given a taste to the seamless, user friendly and elegant software experience we are all accustomed to. To tease them even further into the world of MAC could very well be the experience that throws them over the edge.
This isn’t news. Apple already said in January they expect slower mac sales this quarter – that’s why they lowered their guidance. Nothing new to report here. iMacs, Pro desktops and Powerbooks (yes, seriously) are all selling like hot cakes. Powerbooks are holding up well because there are a lot of pros who need to ensure 100% compatibility with their pro apps who need a laptop.
As far as I can tell the only slowdown was in mac mini sales as buyers waited for the intel version (now out) and in fulfilment of MacBook Pro orders – something which is already taking place now that they’re shipping.
Thomas Weisel need to go back to school. The slowdown was both aniticipated, and has already been responsible for a 20% decline in Apple’s share price. Everyone expects a slowdown – there’s nothing to report.
Now why didn’t they look at Q3 instead, and try to work out how much the availability of the MacBook Pro, the new mini, and new iMac and the possibility of a new iBook will positively impact sales for that quarter? THAT would have been interesting.
You can either listen to these Weisels or observe reality.
Mac sales growth is still running 2.5X that of the industry.
If someone tries to beat down a stock so they can buy it and profit from the “natural” price increase, don’t be a sucker.
BTW, I do a lot of traveling for my job (last 2 weeks, 8 cities in 3 countries).
Everywhere I go, I usually pass by the local Apple Store if time permits. And judging from the crowds (no exaggeration), Mac, iPod and accessories sales are doing very, very well.
So much for the anals.
“soft demand for Macs and a lack of supply for the Intel-based notebook products”
seems a little contradictory.
This should not be surprising to anyone. No one wants to buy the old extremely slow computers at high prices. Apple is already sky high on pricing, why purchase equipment from two years ago at full retail?
It is funny that one of the reasons Apple went to Intel to get around supply problems caused by Motorola (now Freescale) and IBM. Now we see the same problem all over again. Perhaps this is an Apple problem and not a chip manufacturer problem?
if there was soft demand there wouldnt be a lack of macs lol, hes an oxy-moron
How can you have both soft demand and lack of supply? Aren’t they mutually exclusive?
Doesn’t make sense to me.
m
There is soft demand for me.
Soft demand = lack of supply.
This is not surprising. Until all the pro apps are out it will remain soft. Remember, most mac users work in the graphics and video fields, neither of which have UBs ready.
Perhaps Mac Realist should troll somewhere else.
Mac Realist,
Check out this site:
http://www.systemshootouts.org/
Comparably equipped Macs and Dells cost about the same.
Apple is shipping systems in quantity now. I think the suppy problem is quickly coming to a close. By month end they’ll be caught up on the MacBook Pro. Then we’ll see the real numbers.
Let Apple stock drop. Maybe I’ll get a chance to invest before it jumps up again. Apple is outperforming the industy by every important measure: Increasing market share, profit margins, percieved quality, interest, consumer demand, inventory, and more.
APPLE stock still has more DOWN to go. Perhaps under $60 soon.
GOOGLE is also headed south, perhaps $330 soon.
EARTHLINK stock is likely to go higher soon, perhaps $11, $12 or $13
ANSWERS.COM stock seems to have hit the bottom same as well, and is likely to close above $11 this week.
Hey, fsckup ‘Stocks’, explain why? Duhhhhh …. dumbass.
Because APPLE is a good company however it is not worth $55billion. They cant make profit on the high quality hardware they sell at such low prices.
When steve jobs releases a $349 speaker and a $99 ipod case, you know they are desprete for profits. and its a hint that they are unable to make any profits.
Eventho Sony is valued at $6billion, it still has more down to go, and if SONY is $6billion, why should Apple be $55billion, its simply a hype and Bubble just like Sirius Radio.
Google , again, these guys ‘plan on becoming a 100 billion dollar company, they are not even worth 100billion, 100’s of new advertising companies are popping up here and there and copying google’s ADSENSE and ADWORDS services ( which is the core of google’s money source), Google is also a bubble even after being down $100.
when you go to Costco and buy an ice cream or a slice of pizza on your way out, it costs you only $1 or $2, they can afford to sell at such low prices because they dont need to make profit on those.
when Steve Jobs comes up with $99 ipod case and $350 speaker, you know something is wrong… its not the same story as costco. he is in need of profits to not dissapoint the walstreet. and its not going to work.
All ipod owners arent necessarly APPLE-FANATICS, they wont buy it.
There can be a supply deficit for the MacBook Pro and still be an overall softness in demand for other Apple products (particularly the Macs).
The short-term issues are related to the economy as a whole, the quarter (many of us have taxes to write checks for soon) and, at least to some extent, the ongoing Intel transition.
1. The fact is that there are still undefined product segments (future Pro desktop models, MacBooks, and the rest of the MacBook Pro line). I for one wouldn’t buy too quickly until I know what those options will include.
2. Furthermore, the delay in certain software transitions (most notably Photoshop, but others as well) makes those with even barely adequate older models prefer to wait rather than leap forward into worse performance than they currently have (even if that is a short-term issue).
3. For all the positive reviews out there on the MBP and the other shipping Intel Macs, there are enough criticisms circulating (partly related to Rosetta, but also to some reliability issues) that some people are waiting until the dust settles first.
If this turns out to be a soft period, it’s still a necessary transition, and not unexpected. Once things settle down and the full product line is reestablished, Apple should be able to move forward with renewed momentum, and they have the music store and iPod line to help carry them through (as long as the iPod popularity and development remain strong).
And one more thing – in response to those comments about supply and demand, MacBook Pros may be in such short supply (due to low production rates) that they are scarce even though demand is low.
Stocks “Eventho Sony is valued at $6billion, it still has more down to go, and if SONY is $6billion, why should Apple be $55billion, its simply a hype and Bubble just like Sirius Radio.”
At time of writing, the NASDAQ shows SNE to be worth $46.6bn. Where do you get $6bn from?
I am looking at ‘MARKET CAP’ and it says “6.782B” for SONY(SNE)
and “54.18B” for AAPL(APPLE)
Hmmm, How can demand be soft and hardware be in short supply?
Isn’t that an economics oximoron??
Norm
All us pro users are waiting to buy…but not until there is pro software we can use without rosetta.
Which should be around 2007…