“Apple’s retail market share is 14 percent, and two-thirds for PCs costing $1,000 or more,” Joe Wilcox reports for eWeek. “Should I repeat those numbers? The share data is for first-quarter [U.S.] brick-and-mortar stores, as tabulated by the NPD Group. Apple’s market share is but one measure of success. Sales growth is way up, while Windows desktop PC sales are way down.”
“‘In notebooks they’re growing two times the market,’ said Stephen Baker, NPD’s vice president of industry analysis,” Wilcox reports. “‘Windows notebooks are pretty much flat right now.’ For the first quarter, Windows notebooks had ‘zero percent” growth year over year, Stephen said. By comparison, Apple notebooks had ’50 to 60 percent growth.’ On the desktop, ‘They’re up 45 percent,’ he continued. ‘The [overall] market is down 20 percent. Windows desktops would be down 25 percent.’ The figures are also for first quarter.”
“I spoke with Stephen earlier this afternoon. He remarked: ‘iMacs are growing and the Windows desktop ain’t. No matter how you look at it, Apple is outperforming Windows,'” Wilcox reports. “Apple’s market share in what NPD calls the ‘premium’ category, or laptop and desktop PCs selling for $1,000 or more, is nothing short of phenomenal: 66 percent. That’s right, two-thirds.” Stephen said Apple appeals to the right segments, like multiple-computer households. Consumers that are buying a second, third or even fourth PC have different buying priorities, such as ease of use [and Apple’s] retail stores make a huge difference.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Note: “Apple’s share of the $1,000-plus retail market was less than 18% in January 2006 according to NPD. By September 2007, it had grown to more than 57%,” Phillip Elmer-Dewitt reports for Fortune. More here.
