Apple's U.S. Mac market share rises to 8.1 percent in Q3
Apple Inc.'s share of the U.S. personal computer market for the third calendar quarter of 2007 was 8.1 percent, up from 6.2 percent during the same period one year ago, according to preliminary results released from Gartner on Wednesday.
The Cupertino-based company's U.S. Mac shipments grew 37.2 percent year-over-year -- more than twice as fast as any other manufacturer ranked in Gartner's top 5 PC vendors for the three-month period ending September -- helping it snag a spot as the No. 3 U.S. PC vendor overall.
Apple's US-based Mac shipments during the quarter totaled 1,338,000, compared just 975,000 during the same time last year. Hewlett-Packard and Toshiba also posted somewhat healthy growth during the quarter of 16.5 percent and 16.3 percent to garner a 25.7 percent 5.7 percent share of the U.S. market, respectively.
Growth in notebook sales continued to lead the overall U.S. market, Gartner said, with notebook volume exceeding desktops for the first time ever in the third quarter of 2007. However, both the home and professional markets registered weaker than expected growth.
"Economic uncertainty around the sub-prime mortgage lending and lower consumer confidence may have played a role in challenges vendors faced in the U.S. market," said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst for Gartner?s Client Computing Markets group. "The third quarter is typically a consumer quarter, driven by back to school sales. However, the preliminary results show that back to school sales were softer than expected in the U.S. market."
Dell was able to maintain the No. 1 position in the U.S. market although its year-over-year growth rate was well below the U.S. average, declining 5.5 percent. The decline was mainly attributed to weaker consumer growth.
Apple did not rank in Gartner's top 5 worldwide PC vendors, No. 5 of which was Toshiba with a 4.4 percent share.
Meanwhile, rival market research firm IDC also released its preliminary third quarter PC share results around the same time as Gartner. It claims, however, that Apple's U.S. shipments totaled just 1,130,000 in Q3 for an overall share to 6.3 percent -- representing growth of just 15.9 percent.
The Cupertino-based company's U.S. Mac shipments grew 37.2 percent year-over-year -- more than twice as fast as any other manufacturer ranked in Gartner's top 5 PC vendors for the three-month period ending September -- helping it snag a spot as the No. 3 U.S. PC vendor overall.
Apple's US-based Mac shipments during the quarter totaled 1,338,000, compared just 975,000 during the same time last year. Hewlett-Packard and Toshiba also posted somewhat healthy growth during the quarter of 16.5 percent and 16.3 percent to garner a 25.7 percent 5.7 percent share of the U.S. market, respectively.
Growth in notebook sales continued to lead the overall U.S. market, Gartner said, with notebook volume exceeding desktops for the first time ever in the third quarter of 2007. However, both the home and professional markets registered weaker than expected growth.
"Economic uncertainty around the sub-prime mortgage lending and lower consumer confidence may have played a role in challenges vendors faced in the U.S. market," said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst for Gartner?s Client Computing Markets group. "The third quarter is typically a consumer quarter, driven by back to school sales. However, the preliminary results show that back to school sales were softer than expected in the U.S. market."
Dell was able to maintain the No. 1 position in the U.S. market although its year-over-year growth rate was well below the U.S. average, declining 5.5 percent. The decline was mainly attributed to weaker consumer growth.
Apple did not rank in Gartner's top 5 worldwide PC vendors, No. 5 of which was Toshiba with a 4.4 percent share.
Meanwhile, rival market research firm IDC also released its preliminary third quarter PC share results around the same time as Gartner. It claims, however, that Apple's U.S. shipments totaled just 1,130,000 in Q3 for an overall share to 6.3 percent -- representing growth of just 15.9 percent.
Comments
Way to go Apple!!!
The only thing is I'd like to see them get to about 20% and stay there. I really don't want Apple too big or they will stumble, get to bloated and act like Microsoft. I want them to still innovate. Really big companies don't......Large enough to get the best developers, small enough to create new and cool things.
Way to go Apple!!!
And the stock keeps going up and up and up
Skip
The only thing is I'd like to see them get to about 20% and stay there. I really don't want Apple too big or they will stumble, get to bloated and act like Microsoft. I want them to still innovate. Really big companies don't......Large enough to get the best developers, small enough to create new and cool things.
Way to go Apple!!!
This might happen eventually...I don't see Apple ever going above 20% because developing countries will always opt for the cheaper PC (good thing too because the general population of these countries will often enough pirate software to go along with their cheap PC...so developers don't gain from the cheap PC market) and businesses will often go for the cheap PC also (why buy +1000$ Mac when you can get $400 PCs).
15-20% would be enough to gain back some game developers and few big software names...enough to make the Mac a comfortable eco-system.
Apple has monopolistic practices, but we Mac users actually appreciate them and benefit from them. These practices aren't illegal, because the Mac is a minority platform. Many people believe that you are not compelled to use the Mac because Windows is a viable alternative (even though it really isn't
If the Mac were to achieve a much higher market share, they may face anti-trust actions.
On the other hand, that 15-20% of the market would pressurize developers like, say, Adobe to keep the release of apps and upgrades reasonably similar for the Mac and Windows.
Also, at that market share, the opportunities for Mac-only developers may make the pursuit more feasible.
It's a nice goal to aim at and I am happy that Apple is approaching it (as opposed to receding from it.)
Firing on all cylinders !
I would agree that the sweet spot of market share for Macs would be 15-20%.
Apple has monopolistic practices, but we Mac users actually appreciate them and benefit from them. These practices aren't illegal, because the Mac is a minority platform. Many people believe that you are not compelled to use the Mac because Windows is a viable alternative (even though it really isn't
If the Mac were to achieve a much higher market share, they may face anti-trust actions.
That is exactly why they shouldn't get too big. They build the software OS AND the hardware. They would face more scrutiny because unlike MS which only does software, I could see the anti trust authorities forcing Apple to open Mac OS to all computer makers and their by they'd lose the tight integration that make them so great.
That is exactly why they shouldn't get too big. They build the software OS AND the hardware. They would face more scrutiny because unlike MS which only does software, I could see the anti trust authorities forcing Apple to open Mac OS to all computer makers and their by they'd lose the tight integration that make them so great.
Um, no.
Anti-trust proceedings were initiated against Microsoft not because they were a monopoly, but because they abused their monopoly position to strong-arm other competitors into not installing competitors' operating system on their hardware.
This doesn't even apply to Apple, though, because they make the hardware and the software. If Apple wants to restrict its operating system to its own hardware, that's entirely within its own power. There's nothing wrong with that, even if they are in the monopoly position. They're limiting themselves, they're not forcing restrictions on other companies through their dominant position.
Wow, 8% U.S. market share, though. That's pretty impressive if the figures are accurate. Does anyone have a graph of previous market share estimates by Gartner and IDC?
Many people believe that you are not compelled to use the Mac because Windows is a viable alternative (even though it really isn't).
If you are able to say this in public with a straight face, you are definitely on board.
First things first, get on with opening a heck of a lot more stores. Seriously, it's ridiculous at this stage. Starbucks opens 7 new stores every day, Apple doesn't even open 7 stores a week. I know there's no comparison being that Apple's stores likely cost a lot more, and are bigger physically, but there's too many countries with zero Apple stores, and even a continent without one.
How'd you like them Apples?
The U.S. is only part of the picture guys. Apple has zero stores in most countries, which equates to much smaller mind share in those respective populaces. The iPhone and all the new iPods are a huge factor in that mind share, if not the only factor in some places. Apple needs to seriously address the issues they have in Europe, Asia and Australia in this regard.
First things first, get on with opening a heck of a lot more stores. Seriously, it's ridiculous at this stage. Starbucks opens 7 new stores every day, Apple doesn't even open 7 stores a week. I know there's no comparison being that Apple's stores likely cost a lot more, and are bigger physically, but there's too many countries with zero Apple stores, and even a continent without one.
How'd you like them Apples?
Boy am I glad you're not running Apple (assuming your post was not a joke, I guess).
As a shareholder I want Apple to maintain high levels of profit growth, and opening a store a day, or even one per week, would NOT help that goal.
Boy am I glad you're not running Apple (assuming your post was not a joke, I guess).
As a shareholder I want Apple to maintain high levels of profit growth, and opening a store a day, or even one per week, would NOT help that goal.
Maybe your post was a joke. And hey, you're not the only Apple shareholder round here. What country are you from?
Boy am I glad you're not running Apple (assuming your post was not a joke, I guess).
As a shareholder I want Apple to maintain high levels of profit growth, and opening a store a day, or even one per week, would NOT help that goal.
You are missing the point. One of the reasons Apple has enjoyed such a surge in Mac sales is primarily because of their stores which keep growing in the US. If one looks more closely at the numbers, outside of US sales have remained rather flat for the last year going from a low of 39% to a high of 43% and ending at 40% last quarter. If Apple opened up more stores outside of the US they could grow more internationally.
They don't need a store a week, but one a month would be nice, especially in Europe.
You are missing the point. One of the reasons Apple has enjoyed such a surge in Mac sales is primarily because of their stores which keep growing in the US. If one looks more closely at the numbers, outside of US sales have remained rather flat for the last year going from a low of 39% to a high of 43% and ending at 40% last quarter. If Apple opened up more stores outside of the US they could grow more internationally.
They don't need a store a week, but one a month would be nice, especially in Europe.
Very true, but they can't just open stores everywhere... it would spread them too thin and put too much real-estate risk on the company.
Right now, in several countries they have pretty darned good partner stores that they seem to have actually put money into. For Thailand, the stores have the look of a smaller Apple store, but are independent. This exposes people to the products, but lacks the refinement of a true Apple store... not to mention warranty repairs.
It has to be a long-term plan, but I would hope that any city with at least 5M people would have a store...
Maybe your post was a joke. And hey, you're not the only Apple shareholder round here. What country are you from?
With the world wide property market slowing down, and more than likely going into recession, it will start to become a good time for Apple to buy up land and plant stores, although I prefer the localised "Shops" so you may get your wish
Apple's US-based Mac shipments during the quarter total 1,338,000, compared just 975,000 during the same time last year.
Meanwhile, rival market research firm IDC also released its preliminary third quarter PC share results around the same time as Gartner. It claims, however, that Apple's U.S. shipments totaled just 1,130,000 in Q3 for an overall share to 6.3 percent -- representing growth of just 15.9 percent.
Well, someone's counting scheme is way way off. We'll know on Oct 22 who that is ... unless we get a mea culpa before then.