Oricchio’s theories:
1. The new Mac Book Pro [sic] also came out about the same time.
MacDailyNews Take: Correct (except for the product name).
2. Apple lowered the prices of their Macs (ding, ding, ding!)
MacDailyNews Take: They did?
3. Could it be that people thought they wanted an iPad, saw what it couldn’t do and just said, ‘What the hell, I’ll just buy a Mac’ instead? Could it be that as great as iPad’s sales were that a lot of people found it was a short enough walk to just spend the money and get an exponentially more powerful device?
MacDailyNews Take: Wrong. Sure some people might have gone iPad to Mac, but not enough to goose April Mac sales so dramatically. We’ll hazard a guess that, based on her explanation, Renee doesn’t have an iPad nor is it likely that she’s ever spend any time at all, certainly not more than 5 minutes, with an iPad. What’s more likely to have affected Mac sales is that people waited a bit on their Mac purchases to see what iPad could do before figuring out which Mac model would best complement their new iPads. We’re still working that one out ourselves.
4. A lot of people are upgrading their PC’s, after waiting three years for Windows 7. Perhaps, again, at that moment of truth when making the purchase that a significant number of people said, “What the hell, I’m buying a Mac after all.”
MacDailyNews Take: Hope springs eternal that computer buyers will finally wise up en masse.
Oricchio writes, “Bottomline [sic]: the Mac is doing well because it is a time-tested beloved product. We’re still slogging our way through this “jobless recovery.” People are starting to spend a little money again. But they are doing so much more cautiously and wisely. It makes sense to invest in a product you know and trust. I think that’s why Mac sales are up (and the price drop didn’t hurt, Cupertino!).”
MacDailyNews Take: Good enough “bottomline” theory, but what “price drop” is she talking about?
Actually G4D, . . . it is rocket science. And Apple hardware and software engineers are the best in the world.
I believe that the last iMac revision featured lower prices, as well. . . . And Geez! I can’t believe the value built into my i7 iMac. From mouse to keyboard, to screen to CPU, and on to Snow Leopard, this machine is a powerhouse. Incredible!
And now, the iPad, . . . not sold for a thousand dollars as predicted.
I don’t know why this is such a mystery; it happens every year. People were buying in April because they started receiving their tax refunds and they had money.
@maclouie
wwitv works fine on my MBP using the flip4mac plugin.
I suppose I agree with the “snowball effect” as well. Apple appears to be approaching critical mass, where there will be an explosion of migrators.
It doesn’t hurt that everywhere you look on TV or in the movies, the cool people are using Macs.
And yeah, . . . my iPad has convinced me that I have to have a MacBook Pro too.
“QUALITY!” mdn word
@doc e
Spot on!
Leo Laporte (the techguy) says if you dont want a Mac or you dont want an iPad then you better not touch them.
I agree with SJ, they are magic.
i’m still on apple for now because i have a lot invested and there’s no other viable option for video editing. and windows sucks dog nut. but the minute a linux system can offer me the editing power and motion graphic performance i need, i’m gone. i really detest the nasty little world that mac is generating. a couple of bracing restraint of trade losses would do that megalomaniac in cupertino some good. mac’s little fortress attitude is resembling all the business practices i hated about microsnot back in the 90s.
@ maclouie
wwitv just doesn’t work with Safari. Try it in Firefox and it works perfectly.
It’s been almost a year since the 13″ MacBook Pro launch, right? That has to be the “price drop” that she’s talking about. However, anything that leads to the perception that Mac prices have gone down could be a plus for Apple.
@lazlo
but the minute a linux system can offer me the editing power and motion graphic performance i need, i’m gone.
Won’t happen in your lifetime, so ask yourself, where would you be without Macintosh?
You wouldn’t be here whining that’s for sure.
The iPod/iPhone halo effect is switching into overdrive.
This MDN post doesn’t have a link to the original article. I went to Inc’s website and Ms. Oricchio’s blog hasn’t been updated since March. Has anybody found the blog post MDN refers to?
Okay, I finally found it. Apparently my first search turned up an archive of Ms. Oricchio’s old blog at its old location (old design, too). Here’s the link: Why Mac Sales Are Up
@lazlo: What?
sic sic sic!
It’s obviously tax refunds. I know several friends who went and bought a Mac in the last 2 weeks with their refund money. A Mac is a big purchase — it’s a computer, that while expensive, will actually last and be made of quality for several years to come. A Mac is like a car, or a very nice washer and dryer. It’s a high-end solution to a basic need. For musicians it would be getting that guitar you had your eye on for months.
Tax refunds come in, all of a sudden an extra few hundred padding your wallet makes that Mac easily affordable, and bam. A sale is born. Multiply the scenario by the thousands (or more) and hey, April is a pretty damn good month for Apple sales.
No mystery there.
@lazio, I must have been lost in a time warp, during which Apple’s market share rose dramatically from its former 8% in the US and 3% internationally. So for my sake, would you explain what is the Mac’s current market share, and how, exactly, Apple restrains anyone from producing competing products?
Thanks!
(I wonder what other highly improbable events occurred while I was in the time warp. Did Hollywood make a good movie? Did Microsoft make a good commercial or product? Did a politician tell the truth?)
@maclouie
I really don’t understand what you’re talking about. It worked fine on my MacBook pro.
@PerryF, I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or not. I’ll respond with a presumption you’re serious.
For there to be a year-over-year increase, April 2009 must not have had a corresponding bump in sales from tax refunds. Why is it, do you suppose, that such a bump was restricted to this year?
I bought a mac and an iPad in April
yes, the switch-over buyers who are replacing XP PC’s with Macs rather than a Win 7 PC are probably the main reason. they know they are in for extra work either way, but the free Apple Store help in transferring files and getting started is a really big selling point (what free professional hands-on help can you get with Win 7? answer: absolutely none). so they upgrade.
Don’t think we will see any more Mac vs PC commercials tho. Now Apple is using the iPhone and iPad to invade PC land instead, and then reap the converts later.
@JohnE, re: commercials, that’s a good point. Previously, Apple had to cajole PC users to switch from a cheap system to a more expensive system. Now, by hooking users with smaller investments in Apple-quality products (iPhone, iPad), the brand is established in the consumer’s mind and much less cajoling is necessary. When the time comes to buy a laptop/desktop, a Mac will be a much more natural decision.
So I think you’re right — we’ll probably see much less advertising for Macs.
It’s a combination of “halo effect” from recent iPhone (and now iPad) customers and the fact that many of them were using old Windows PCs with XP. They needed to finally replace that aging PC and decided to at least consider getting a Mac, due to their positive experience with an iPhone (or iPad going forward). And “consideration” is all Apple needed to expand sales of Macs rapidly, because ten (or even five) years ago, a Mac was not even on the “next PC” list of potential choices for typical consumers.
Now that they are considering a Mac as a viable choice, a significant percentage will choose to get a Mac. And once they switch, most will stay with the Mac platform, further reinforcing Mac sales growth over time. That’s why Microsoft’s “Lauren” ads from last year were so stupid; they basically told Joe and Jane Consumer that they need to go to the “Mac Store” and at least take a look at those “too cool for me” Macs. The best thing for Microsoft’s marketing is to ignore the existence of Macs.
Why is Mac selling so well? It’s partly because in these anxious times, people appreciate technology that just plain does what it needs to do. My MacBook Pro stays in “sleep” mode 90% of the time but when I need it, I just open the cover and there it is ready to go. Windows 7 can’t even get that right. I switched last year after 28 years (yep, I’m a fossil) in “PC Land” and I’m not ever going back. Life is too short to worry whether your stuff is going to crash every time you install a new app. Why are Macs selling so well since the intro of the iPad? Try to pick one up from an Apple store lately? Can’t do it – waiting list only. Want a Mac instead? No problem, they’ve got ’em in stock for $999. And please tell me why on earth you would want an iPad without a Mac to synch it up? Next question…
Nobody buys MACs anymore. Not since Windows 95 came out.
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