“Recent punditry suggests that the ‘halo effect’ between Apple’s iPod sales and purchases of Macintosh computers is either dimming or may be just a statistical error. But these industry watchers may be looking in the wrong places—Apple’s halo is shining on all the right people and may soon light up parts of the business market,” David Morgenstern writes for eWeek.
“I see signs that the Mac will continue its comeback and may be on the threshold of making a greater mark in the business market,” Morgenstern writes.
“I suggest that the iPod and the arrival of Intel-based Macs in the past year have had a more important “macro” influence on the market, with consumers and even with business customers,” Morgenstern writes. “While, there were considerable technical and value hurdles that users needed to overcome on the road to switching, the biggest obstacle to Mac adoption was the perception of Apple as a failing company… But Apple’s recent success with the iPod gave solid proof to the rest of the market (the other 96 percent or so) that the company would be sticking around for a while longer. The iPod became the engine of respectability that was able to pry the doom monkey off Apple’s back.”
Morgenstern writes, “In the past, before the change to Intel processors, there was a technical hurdle with the Mac for Windows customers. The PowerPC platform didn’t run Windows programs easily and quickly. And its performance and technology couldn’t be compared easily with the PC. Now it can.”
“From my own recent observations, this macro halo effect appears to be hitting across the board, including the top tier of customers—the very ones that common sense would tell us should be the most partisan of Windows supporters,” Morgenstern writes.
Morgenstern writes, “Apple keeps fooling our common sense. Many industry watchers keep waiting for some big splash from Apple toward the business market. A top-down marketing effort. That’s how it’s supposed to arrive.”
Full article – highly recommended – here.
Related articles:
Net Applications: Apple’s Mac market share continues rise, hits 6.22% in January 2007– February 01, 2007
Gartner: Apple’s U.S. Mac shipments up 30.6% year over year – January 18, 2007
Net Applications: Apple’s Mac market share continues rise, now at 5.39%, up 31% year-over-year – December 01, 2006
Apple’s Mac market share surges, up 35-percent year-over-year as growth accelerates – November 01, 2006
Analyst: Apple has ‘real shot at dramatically expanding Macintosh market share’ – October 31, 2006
Analyst: Apple Mac gains market share, the reason why is significant – October 26, 2006
IDC: Apple Mac attained 5.8% of U.S. market share in Q3 06 – October 18, 2006
Gartner: Apple Mac grabbed 6.1% of U.S. market share in Q3 06 – October 18, 2006
Gartner: Apple Mac grabbed 4.6% U.S. market share in Q2 06 – July 19, 2006
IDC: Apple Mac attained 4.8% U.S. market share in Q2 06 – July 19, 2006
Vista should also offer a halo effect for Macs, however, in this case it’s repulsive rather than capturing.
So why are Mac desktop sales down by so much?
What is this “down” you speak of?
I am proof of the iPod halo effect. If it weren’t for my U2 special edition iPod that I bought two years ago I never would have thought of looking at Macs. The iPod was so well done and easy to use, however, that I found myself in an Apple store shortly after purchase and within four months of owning my iPod I was a Mac user as well.
“So why are Mac desktop sales down by so much?” two reasons. Adobe (or lack of Adobe) products, and the mainstream move to mobile computing. Nowadays kids are getting laptops, at the start of the millenium, they were reserved for the business types, or those with big bucks. (laptops, not kids)
Uhh….pirates?
goriffic,
Apple’s recent earnings and unit sales information:
2004:
• Q1 (ended 12/27/03): revenue of $2.006 billion, net quarterly profit of $63 million, 829,000 Macs, 733,000 iPods
• Q2 (ended 03/27/04): revenue of $1.909 billion, net quarterly profit of $14 million, 749,000 Macs, 807,000 iPods
• Q3 (ended 06/26/04): revenue of $2.014 billion, net quarterly profit of $61 million, 876,000 Macs, 860,000 iPods
• Q4 (ended 09/25/04): revenue of $2.350 billion, net quarterly profit of $106 million, 836,000 Macs, 02.016 million iPods
2005:
• Q1 (ended 12/25/04): revenue of $3.49 billion, net quarterly profit of $295 million, 1.046 million Macs, 04.580 million iPods
• Q2 (ended 03/26/05): revenue of $3.24 billion, net quarterly profit of $290 million, 1.070 million Macs, 05.311 million iPods
• Q3 (ended 07/13/05): revenue of $3.52 billion, net quarterly profit of $320 million, 1.182 million Macs, 06.155 million iPods
• Q4 (ended 10/11/05): revenue of $3.68 billion, net quarterly profit of $430 million, 1.236 million Macs, 06.451 million iPods
2006:
• Q1 (ended 12/31/05): revenue of $5.75 billion, net quarterly profit of $565 million, 1.254 million Macs, 14.043 million iPods
• Q2 (ended 04/01/06): revenue of $4.36 billion, net quarterly profit of $410 million, 1.112 million Macs, 08.526 million iPods
• Q3 (ended 07/01/06): revenue of $4.37 billion, net quarterly profit of $472 million, 1.327 million Macs, 08.111 million iPods
• Q4 (ended 09/30/06): revenue of $4.84 billion, net quarterly profit of $546 million, 1.610 million Macs, 08.729 million iPods
2007:
• Q1 (ended 12/30/06): revenue of $7.10 billion, net quarterly profit of $1 billion, 1.606 million Macs, 21.066 million iPods
Source: http://www.macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/12411/
Apple needs a new desktop computer (i.e. one that can easily be expanded) that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.
Hopefully, we’ll be getting one soon. I’m waiting patiently.
Floola —- Cool idea. why doesn´t MDN ever cover alternative ideas when using Apple products???
As it says at Lifehacker….
“Why would I want to do this?
If you’ve never felt restricted by iTunes, then this probably isn’t for you. iTunes is a pretty good music management application, but it has limitations. If you’ve bumped up against these limitations one too many times (like iTunes’ lock-in of your iPod to one music library), you may be ready to ditch iTunes altogether in order to get what you want. That’s what this article is about.”
Factchecker – blarghhhh…..that waste of space you did says nothing.
Your info does not break out desktop and notebook sales.
Before you get the facts, first understand the question.
Dig deeper and you will find what Apple reported – desktop sales way below projection.
Apple badly needs a new top-end box. Smaller and less industrial-looking. It also needs to have this box start as an inexpensive jump-off point from the iMac and go all the way up to feed power-users.
The iPod became the engine of respectability that was able to pry the doom monkey off Apple’s back.
LOL. I like that!
That’s it, Twenty Benson.
Apple should make this box from cheaper parts, make the ordering process highly customizable so you can get exactly what you want and paint it beige.
Oh shit….
It’s already being done by Dell, HP, Gateway and others and mom and pop shops all over the world.
Nobody makes money selling low end boxes. Apple should just license Mac OS X to a decent low end box maker for low end boxes only.
To : Wun Dum Gai, Ka-Boom!, gorriffic and Twenty Benson,
I don’t want you to think that i’m talking down to u I read what u wrote and don’t disagree with you, but…
You are the minority that are either already mac owners or “patiently waiting” to become Mac owners who Apple will never satisfy. Itunes is it, thats all you get. It can’t be all things to all people, There are others devices and other s/w solutions use them. This thing about this $499 mini tower isn’t going to happen and while you are patiently waiting, save up and jump in when you get some more money. There is a mac out there for everyone, just because it’s not your dream machine doesn’t mean it’s not there. Look at those figuares above, mobile is the way lots of people want to go thats why the numbers are the way they are. Of course Apple wants to sell u a machine, but they are not going to build u a custom one. Apple believes in what they are making and selling if theres not one out there for u … what are u going to do??
I hope you get what u are looking for in what ever apple product u want but again Apple can’t be all things to all people, sorry.
I think Dec. was less in Mac sales because everyone was waiting to see what came out at Macworld first. I had clients waiting…then they gave up on Leopard in January and bought their Mac this month.
If everyone on this site switches 10 friends we can get a boost going for this quarter!
@Walk away Bill, just walk away –
u is living in the past, u is hoping nothing ever changes, u is thinking Apple can´t make products for everyone – (but they can: $79 shuttle to megabuck iPhone/iPod), u is on the wrong side of thinking coin. we is the consumer, u is the closed mind thinker so Walk away Bill, just walk away.
to: Wun Dum Gai
I agree 100%.
IMO New Cube would be cool.
I also think that Mac Mini has become bit too expensive, there should be low-end model without AP & BT. Mini used to be the sub-500$ Mac or the ~530€ Mac. Now the price is 599$/629€. PC prices will go up, thanks to Vista. The price doesn’t have to come down that much. Just back to where it used to be (499$), just without RAM downgrade.
Yeah… the ever-failing company that cannot keep up production with sales…
what to do in world of idiots?
The funny thing about the “Intel” Halo, it’s really a “Microsoft” Halo with the big boost in Mac sales coming from Windows compatibility.
*burp*
CHAIR! CHAIR!
*aaah!*
To: U da Judge.
Dude man give me a break. I’m living in the past? I look forward to the future (iphone yes!!!). I hope things never change? Things always change it’s unstoppable. I never wrote or said that Apple can’t make a product for everyone, as a matter of fact I wrote ” Theres a Mac out there for everyone”. I own a 1st gen Nano and a 2nd gen shuffle. Love both and I have no problems with itunes either. Wrong side of thinking coin???? I am a consumer, 3 power macs 2 68K macs, 2 ipods 1 20 inch Cinema display. Closed minded??? why because I won’t buy a Mac until that $499 mini tower comes out or the $299 mac mini? Come on man, its all the people who nitpick because itunes doesn’t do this, theres no mini tower, Leopard better come out next week crap. Apple can’t be all things to all people Thats what I wrote. Apple has always done things their way. When people say “apple should do this or that” most of the time Apple doesn’t and they are doing fantastic. I wasn’t picking on anyone and your post is just crap.