Apple to ship 10 million Macs in 2006?
Apple Computer is expected to ship a total of 10 million desktops and notebooks in 2006, according to a report from overseas.
Major manufacturing contractors Foxconn Electronics, Quanta Computer and Asustek Computer stand to benefit, the Chinese-langued Economic Daily News cited Taiwan PC manufacturers as saying.
Foxconn -- otherwise known as Hon Hai -- manufactures Apple's Mac mini computers, while Quanta has been taking orders for the PowerBook product line and Asustek the iBook line, according to a report by DigiTimes.
The Economic Daily News report further noted that Quanta has also won the bid to manufacture Apple?s MacBook Pro, which supports a 2GHz Intel Core Duo processor, and began shipping last week.
The reliability of this report is unknown.
Apple in the 2005 calendar year sold approximately 4.75 million Mac systems, according to calculations performed by AppleInsider. Sales of 10 million Macs in 2006 would represent over a 100 percent increase in sales year-over-year.
Major manufacturing contractors Foxconn Electronics, Quanta Computer and Asustek Computer stand to benefit, the Chinese-langued Economic Daily News cited Taiwan PC manufacturers as saying.
Foxconn -- otherwise known as Hon Hai -- manufactures Apple's Mac mini computers, while Quanta has been taking orders for the PowerBook product line and Asustek the iBook line, according to a report by DigiTimes.
The Economic Daily News report further noted that Quanta has also won the bid to manufacture Apple?s MacBook Pro, which supports a 2GHz Intel Core Duo processor, and began shipping last week.
The reliability of this report is unknown.
Apple in the 2005 calendar year sold approximately 4.75 million Mac systems, according to calculations performed by AppleInsider. Sales of 10 million Macs in 2006 would represent over a 100 percent increase in sales year-over-year.
Comments
However I have big expectations of Macs moving into the mainstream in the next few years: provided Vista works on them so easily that Joe Average can run it (a 3rd party solution maybe with dual boot preinstallation before purchase could be a real business opportunity there).
Vista is going to push a lot of the Windows userbase into hardware upgrades anyway and how Leopard and the new Macs play into this active market should be quite entertaining.
PS: make a tablet Mac now!!!
I'd love to see 10 million Macs sold in 2006, not sure if it will happen but I expect the numbers to surpass the number of units sold in 2005.
Originally posted by AppleInsider
The Economic Daily News report further noted that Quanta has also won the bid to manufacture Apple?s MacBook Pro, which supports a 2GHz Intel Core Duo processor, and began shipping last week.
they must be kidding. THEY HAVEN'T BEGAN SHIPPING LAST WEEK!
The intel move will spur some sales for those who need the end-all/be-all, plus some who've been waiting for them to finally upgrade. But there's a huge population of mac users who will:[list=a][*]Buy G5s because they need classic compatibility[*]Buy G5s because their software/drivers/etc won't run in Rosetta[*]Wait for the rev 1 bugs to be worked out[*]Wait for universal versions of their pro apps[*]Wait for the model of computer and price range that they want[/list=a]
I can see a bump in purchases, if you believe that there's a trend going on, but doubling sales? Not going to happen.
I wish I didn't need to buy a PC, but SQL Server & Visual Studio only runs on Windows.
Originally posted by fuyutsuki
...but 2006 is short bearing in mind the Intel PowerMac will only have been on sale a few months at best. These models are all going to be a roaring success, but 2006 is a tight timeframe seeing as they're hardly all shipping as we speak.
The PowerMacs are NOT going to be a roaring success. They're too expensive, compared to other models. Most current mac users do not buy these machines because they don't have the money or don't need the extras. Switchers will ignore them because they're way too expensive for what you get. They're geared right to the pro market.
And the pro market isn't going to go nuts and buy these up until
[list=1][*]they're apps are converted to universal binaries (and whoknows how long that'll take)[*]the apps that aren't converted are tested and verified as working under Rosetta, and that there's a noticable performance gain running it under Rosetta[*]they pull themselves completely from Classic (if they still use it for this or that)[*]they're sure that they have drivers and such for all their external devices, hardware, printers, etc, etc, etc. [/list=1]
Pros have bigger concerns then just "its a little faster". Remember, they were the last to switch to OS X because of all the incompatibilities between their existing setups and OS X, even with OS X's benefits like protected memory, preemptive multitasking, etc, etc, etc.
Originally posted by fuyutsuki
However I have big expectations of Macs moving into the mainstream in the next few years: provided Vista works on them so easily that Joe Average can run it (a 3rd party solution maybe with dual boot preinstallation before purchase could be a real business opportunity there).
Dual-boot users is not a large segment that is going to drive switchers. Most users do not want to dual-boot. They just want to open their computers, work, and then close it up again. if they have to boot into windows to do this or that, they'll end up keeping it in windows, which Apple won't care on a computer sales basis, but it does nothing to improve the OS X mindset or marketshare.
Originally posted by Louzer
It won't happen. Or, if it does, it'll be more because people are swallowing up the G5 machines then the intel ones.
i don't think so, apple started killing their bestselling powerpc products already.
The intel move will spur some sales for those who need the end-all/be-all, plus some who've been waiting for them to finally upgrade. But there's a huge population of mac users who will:[list=a][*]Buy G5s because they need classic compatibility[*]Buy G5s because their software/drivers/etc won't run in Rosetta[*]Wait for the rev 1 bugs to be worked out[*]Wait for universal versions of their pro apps[*]Wait for the model of computer and price range that they want[/list=a]
i think the huge population of option a to c will actually be a huge minority.
option d is a problem for a lot of potential customers, but also a minority.
(including me, but i will buy an intel mac this year anyway, and adobe CS3 universal binaries when available)
option e is indeed a large group who, according to apple, will be served in 2006.
I can see a bump in purchases, if you believe that there's a trend going on, but doubling sales? Not going to happen.
i agree.
o and fok dual boot
My own estimates have been between 6 million and 7 million.
Of course, if the PPC sales dive too early, and Apple can't get the x86 machines out fast enough, even 6 million might prove to be too high.
But I hope not.
Originally posted by gar
i don't think so, apple started killing their bestselling powerpc products already.
The only powerpc product they've killed is the iMac. I don't know if that's their best-selling product, nor does anyone, technically, because, IIRC, Apple stopped announcing sales of their different models.
But on the iMac, they killed production and then let sales run out. Those ran out quickly, so either there was a big buy-up, or Apple actually guessed correctly on when to end production on the earlier version (I can't believe the second one). I, for one, specifically bought an iMac G5 for my mother for XMas because I feared the intels were coming soon. She's uses too much stuff that's classic only for me to try to find alternatives in the OS X world (that also would work on rosetta). hell, it was hard enough to get her to take the iMac.
Originally posted by Louzer
The only powerpc product they've killed is the iMac. I don't know if that's their best-selling product, nor does anyone, technically, because, IIRC, Apple stopped announcing sales of their different models.
But on the iMac, they killed production and then let sales run out. Those ran out quickly, so either there was a big buy-up, or Apple actually guessed correctly on when to end production on the earlier version (I can't believe the second one). I, for one, specifically bought an iMac G5 for my mother for XMas because I feared the intels were coming soon. She's uses too much stuff that's classic only for me to try to find alternatives in the OS X world (that also would work on rosetta). hell, it was hard enough to get her to take the iMac.
Is (was) she a PC person? If so, how does she feel about it now?
My friend got an iMac for his (then) 83 year old mom, and it's turned her life around.
Originally posted by Louzer
The only powerpc product they've killed is the iMac. I don't know if that's their best-selling product, nor does anyone, technically, because, IIRC, Apple stopped announcing sales of their different models.
i thought i read it somewhere a while ago...
But on the iMac, they killed production and then let sales run out. Those ran out quickly, so either there was a big buy-up, or Apple actually guessed correctly on when to end production on the earlier version (I can't believe the second one). I, for one, specifically bought an iMac G5 for my mother for XMas because I feared the intels were coming soon. She's uses too much stuff that's classic only for me to try to find alternatives in the OS X world (that also would work on rosetta). hell, it was hard enough to get her to take the iMac.
of course, she wanted you to wait for the intel iMac, now her brand new computer has become obsolete overnight
Originally posted by saschke
they must be kidding. THEY HAVEN'T BEGAN SHIPPING LAST WEEK!
Maybe that meant they left port and are still floating on their way to California.
I read "all apple has to do" is enable "backward-BIOS-compatibility" in the EFI or something like that.
If they do that, my stab in the dark is that they will boost sales of all their Intel Macs by at least 20%.
Originally posted by mikenap
this speculation of such huge sales forcast makes me wonder if the manufactureres know something of a new product release (like the mythical mini dvr or whatever) that could spur massive sales? These companies are pretty savy on there production estimates i'd assume, so mabe theres more to this than just the increase in sales from the Intel switch. Any thoughts?
good point. or at least, good speculation there....
Originally posted by sunilraman
Dual boot Windows XPee and Mac OS X please please please please please ... Is there a petition going on this somewhere?
I read "all apple has to do" is enable "backward-BIOS-compatibility" in the EFI or something like that.
If they do that, my stab in the dark is that they will boost sales of all their Intel Macs by at least 20%.
Simply "enable" BIOS compatibility? Is it from a credible source? I don't know much about BIOS, EFI or their development kits, but I am somewhat skeptical that it would be such a simple thing. It is concievable though, as Intel may have a complete development kit where backward compatibility is a module. I do hope they do add it but my belief is that they wouldn't, if it were easy and would generate sufficient sales and not contradict the vaporous and occasionally infuriating "Apple way", I would think they would have already done so.
Originally posted by JeffDM
Simply "enable" BIOS compatibility? Is it from a credible source? I don't know much about BIOS, EFI or their development kits, but I am somewhat skeptical that it would be such a simple thing. It is concievable though, as Intel may have a complete development kit where backward compatibility is a module. I do hope they do add it but my belief is that they wouldn't, if it were easy and would generate sufficient sales and not contradict the vaporous and occasionally infuriating "Apple way", I would think they would have already done so.
"the vaporous and occasionally infuriating "Apple way"" --- mate, here is the main reason why it might never happen. it's not the technology, it is VERY likely to boost sales imo, it's not the complexity. the reason why dual boot is not enabled (and may never be) is probably only known to stevie J and his closest advisors.
EFI info here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extensi...ware_Interface
"Intel currently offers PC motherboards supporting EFI. All Intel's 945-chipset boards support EFI, it is just disabled. However, Microsoft Windows and other BIOS Operating Systems continue to run due to a compatibility layer."
that said, i don't have any info on whether current intel macs can be made to dual boot.
apparently "Linux systems have been able to use EFI at boot time since early 2004, using the elilo EFI boot loader." according to the wikipedia entry.... the catch is that distros need to be updated to work with elilo...
now. vista supports EFI. does vista beta 1.x or whatever support EFI? how come we haven't heard anything yet about vista beta installation on intel macs ?
just thinking aloud here feel free y'all to fill in the details.
http://neosmart.net/blog/dual-bootin...-on-a-macbook/
http://neosmart.net/blog/hardware-mo...on-a-macintel/
Originally posted by sunilraman
good point. or at least, good speculation there....
The one thing that can't be predicted (except by just being lucky) is sales.
No one can know what the takeup by consumers will be. I don't know how they are coming out with these numbers. This is a Chinese rag. They might just being optimistic about other Chinese companies. Who knows whether these numbers are even politically motivated to make these companies look better that they really are. It wouldn't be the first time the Chinese government has done that.