Apple's retail notebook sales up 94 percent in April

[AppleInsider]

Mac maker Apple Inc. saw retail sales of Mac units grow a solid 62 percent year-over-year for the month of April, which included a 94 percent spike in notebook sales thanks to solid MacBook and MacBook Pro momentum, as well as increased distribution.

According to NPD data cited by UBS Investment Research analyst Ben Reitzes on Wednesday, U.S. PC unit growth for the month of April grew 14 percent overall, include a 19 percent rise in retail sales and a 30 percent surge in notebook sales.

"Checks for Macs have been solid, backing our 25 percent unit growth estimate for [the company's fiscal third quarter] which should also see support from recently updated MacBooks," the analyst wrote in a one-page memo to clients.

Reitzes added that iPod sales were down 3 percent for the month of April, but noted the "difficult compare" to the year-ago period in which iPod unit sales were up 33 percent.

"While below the 19 percent (9.6 million units) we are modelling for [the] fiscal third quarter, [the NPD] data doesn’t include international sales which could help support growth," he wrote. "We also believe new products later in the year should drive future improvement."

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[Kickaha]

I'd also add that some (not many, but some) people are likely to be holding off on a new iPod in favor of an iPhone.

[jasonfj]

And not to mention the iPod hasn't been significantly updated in bloody ages. Existing owners won't upgrade untile there's something to upgrade to.

[Nicnac]

and they have now stopped mentioning DESKTOPS. If Apple sold a $1200 desktop without a screen but with full access to the hard drive, optical, and video card, they'd probably see growth in that area as well.

[mdriftmeyer]

Originally Posted by Nicnac

and they have now stopped mentioning DESKTOPS. If Apple sold a $1200 desktop without a screen but with full access to the hard drive, optical, and video card, they'd probably see growth in that area as well.

Is this a complaint about Apple not publishing their implementation of Intel's EFI specification?

http://www.uefi.org/specs/

Join and see if that helps.

[Louzer]

Originally Posted by Nicnac

and they have now stopped mentioning DESKTOPS. If Apple sold a $1200 desktop without a screen but with full access to the hard drive, optical, and video card, they'd probably see growth in that area as well.

Well, sure they'd see growth in that area, since the area doesn't exist. If they sold ONE of these, it would be infinite growth!

Man, now I'm just pissed I didn't patent the whole headless iMac and Mac SemiPro discussions. I'd be rich by now!

And what does it mean "Thanks to MacBook and MacBook Pro momentum" What else would it be thanks to, since there is no other laptops? Or is it that it could be "Thanks to Apple not offering a headless iMac, so people are deciding to just go with a lame laptop until they can afford a real computer"?

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by jasonfj

And not to mention the iPod hasn't been significantly updated in bloody ages. Existing owners won't upgrade untile there's something to upgrade to.

September 12 2006 is when the 5.5G iPod, 2G Nano and 2G Shuffle appeared. That is 8 months and 13 days since the last update. Not a short time, but not an overly long time either.

The WWDC seems like a good time to update the capacities of the Nano and Shuffle—though I'd rather have them just lower the Shuffle price point—and add options and capacity to the iPod video.

However, with as much that needs to be covered regarding Macs, iPhone and Leopard I don't see this happening at this venue, especially since they don't want to take any initial sales from the iPhone.

[Louzer]

Originally Posted by solipsism

September 12 2006 is when the 5.5G iPod, 2G Nano and 2G Shuffle appeared. That is 8 months and 13 days since the last update. Not a short time, but not an overly long time either.

The WWDC seems like a good time to update the capacities of the Nano and Shuffle—though I'd rather have them just lower the Shuffle price point—and add options and capacity to the iPod video.

However, with as much that needs to be covered regarding Macs, iPhone and Leopard I don't see this happening at this venue, especially since they don't want to take any initial sales from the iPhone.

WWDC would be a stupid place to update iPods. Its a freakin' Developer's Confernce! (That wouldn't stop apple, since they did it in the past, but it doesn't make it any less stupid).

And a lot of people didn't see the 5.5G iPod as being much of an upgrade (that's why they call it 5.5, and not 6G). I certainly wasn't going to update my 5G iPod just for something with video capability I'd rarely, if ever, use. And the 2G Nano wasn't much different from the 1G Nano, was it (besides the boredom of colors and capacity).

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by Louzer

WWDC would be a stupid place to update iPods. Its a freakin' Developer's Confernce! (That wouldn't stop apple, since they did it in the past, but it doesn't make it any less stupid).

And a lot of people didn't see the 5.5G iPod as being much of an upgrade (that's why they call it 5.5, and not 6G). I certainly wasn't going to update my 5G iPod just for something with video capability I'd rarely, if ever, use. And the 2G Nano wasn't much different from the 1G Nano, was it (besides the boredom of colors and capacity).

It wouldn't be a good venue, hence my use of 'time' not 'place'.

I thought the 5.5G was a worthwhile upgrade, but after checking Wikipedia and MacTracker it appears that video playback was added a year earlier in 2005 with the release of the 5G iPod in October 2005. Wikipedia states the "September 2006 revision (often called generation 5.5) featured a brighter display, longer video battery life, and a music search function."

However, the Nano was drastically changed. Besides adding colors, they doubled the capacities for the respective models, nearly double the playback time, and moved to an anodized aluminium casing used previously in the iPod Mini.

[SpamSandwich]

The lack of new iMacs and iPods has been puzzling. Although with Apple currently riding on a nice growth curve, clearly they haven't felt pressure to change what is working.

[Andrew The Man]

I think Apple is just taking their time on their updates to make sure that when they are released that they will surprise people and be out of this world. Kind of like the 5g ipod and the nano were.

[Ireland]

Originally Posted by jasonfj

And not to mention the iPod hasn't been significantly updated in bloody ages. Existing owners won't upgrade untile there's something to upgrade to.

Apple can't win on this issue. People complain that every time they buy an iPod a new one comes out, yet when a new one doesn't come out for a while, they are pissed off.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by Ireland

Apple can't win on this issue. People complain that every time they buy an iPod a new one comes out, yet when a new one doesn't come out for a while, they are pissed off.

HERE HERE!

[Ireland]

Originally Posted by Andrew The Man

I think Apple is just taking their time on their updates to make sure that when they are released that they will surprise people and be out of this world. Kind of like the 5g ipod and the nano were.

There's no surprise when we know what's coming, though that wont make it any less of a product.

[Ireland]

Originally Posted by solipsism

HERE HERE!

Thank you.

[TBaggins]

Originally Posted by Nicnac

and they have now stopped mentioning DESKTOPS. If Apple sold a $1200 desktop without a screen but with full access to the hard drive, optical, and video card, they'd probably see growth in that area as well.

Agreed. And its not like desktops are irrelevant either.

There's some people who have the amusing notion that notebooks outsell desktops by 10 to 1, when in reality its still pretty close to 1 to 1. A midrange tower would be enticing to Windows switchers, who are used to buying them, after all.

I would just like to see Apple do great on both the notebook AND the desktop fronts... a one-two punch is always better.

.

[theapplegenius]

Originally Posted by Ireland

Thank you.

Why do you have to be a dick? He's agreeing with you!

[AISI]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

"Checks for Macs have been solid, backing our 25 percent unit growth estimate for [the company's fiscal third quarter] which should also see support from recently updated MacBooks," the analyst wrote in a one-page memo to clients.

With a year-over-year growth of 25 percent for the June quarter, Apple will sell approximately 1.66 million Macs. That would be the best Mac quarter ever. With the same kind of growth, Mac sales will be even higher in September and December.

Originally Posted by TBaggins

And its not like desktops are irrelevant either. There's some people who have the amusing notion that notebooks outsell desktops by 10 to 1, when in reality its still pretty close to 1 to 1.

Desktops are still outselling notebooks. In 2006, worldwide desktop shipments grew to 138.3 million according to IDC, and notebook shipments to 82.4 million units. But notebook sales are now growing way faster than desktop sales, 26.3 percent vs. 2 percent, and notebooks are expected to take the lead in a few years.

In the U.S. retail segment (a fraction of U.S. sales), sales of notebooks are now surpassing desktops. According to IDC analysts, notebook sales will soon surpass desktop sales in the overall U.S. computer market. It could possibly happen this year.

[rickag]

Originally Posted by TBaggins

Agreed. And its not like desktops are irrelevant either.

There's some people who have the amusing notion that notebooks outsell desktops by 10 to 1, when in reality its still pretty close to 1 to 1. A midrange tower would be enticing to Windows switchers, who are used to buying them, after all.

I would just like to see Apple do great on both the notebook AND the desktop fronts... a one-two punch is always better.

.

me too

[Leonard]

Originally Posted by solipsism

September 12 2006 is when the 5.5G iPod, 2G Nano and 2G Shuffle appeared. That is 8 months and 13 days since the last update. Not a short time, but not an overly long time either.

Actually there was a iPod Shuffle update in January 2007 as well. So it's been 4 months since the Shuffles were updated!

[Ireland]

Originally Posted by theapplegenius

Why do you have to be a dick? He's agreeing with you!

A dick? I only found that out two years ago myself, and I was glad I was told about it. It was nice to know, I have said it the correct way ever since. The 'thank you' was genuine, I just thought I'd kill two birds with one stone when I was thanking him. When your parents give out to you, it's because they love you.

[jasondwelsh]

Originally Posted by Louzer

And what does it mean "Thanks to MacBook and MacBook Pro momentum" What else would it be thanks to, since there is no other laptops? Or is it that it could be "Thanks to Apple not offering a headless iMac, so people are deciding to just go with a lame laptop until they can afford a real computer"?

You know, it just hit me. A headless iMac is an iMac stand and nothing else.