Apple seeing "unprecedented" surge in MacBook demand

[AppleInsider]

The media frenzy surrounding the iPhone may have helped Apple claim a record share of customers for its portable line at the expense of its rivals Dell and HP, says a new survey from ChangeWave.

An early August study that canvassed 3,665 of the financial research group's existing members' buying habits has revealed that nearly one sixth, or 17 percent, of respondents who had bought a notebook in the past three months had chosen one of Apple's MacBook or MacBook Pro models. The gain was an "unprecedented" jump from 12 percent in June and eclipsed the Mac maker's previous record of 15 percent set in January.

The computer builder was also set to enjoy continued high demand from future buyers, with 28 percent of those expecting to buy a notebook between August and October claiming that the system will be a Mac. Desktop demand was largely steady at 7 percent of past desktop sales and 23 percent of intended purchases, though the study completed just a day after Apple had introduced the new aluminum iMac.





ChangeWave attributed much of the increase to a previously predicted halo effect created by the sheer publicity relating to the run-up for the iPhone. While the investment analysis firm didn't provide an explanation for why members were gravitating towards MacBooks, it did suggest that the spike in sales was triggered primarily by customers newly interested in Macs after exposure to the Apple cellphone and its marketing campaign.

"The findings of our newest consumer survey are in and they show the enormous impact of that transformational shift [towards Apple]," said ChangeWave. "They serve as powerful evidence that the aforementioned 'halo effect' is indeed translating into real world Mac computer sales for Steve Jobs and company."

In contrast, other computer manufacturers were said to have suffered in the latest rankings, potentially as a result of Apple's success. Hewlett-Packard saw a climb in anticipated desktop sales of five points, to 28 percent, but had ultimately lost three points in planned notebook sales to 25 percent -- probably the result of "increased competition" from Apple, ChangeWave wrote.

The analysts doubted that much of the lost share was funneling towards HP's frequent market rival Dell. Those surveyed were more likely than ever to have shied away from the Texas-based PC maker: future demand for notebooks had dropped from 28 to 24 percent while recent sales had advanced only one point from an all-time low to 29 percent. Some of this drop was potentially attributable to Dell's corporate sales, which dominate its income and typically avoid direct competition with Apple's preferred home market.



No matter which company proved to be the source for Apple's increase, the survey backed its arguments by pointing to extremely favorable customer satisfaction scores. A full 86 percent of Mac owners, regardless of model, claimed they were "very satisfied" with their purchases. The figure was 27 points higher than for next-best Toshiba, which managed to please just 59 percent of its customers.



And like its estimated sales numbers, Dell once again suffered in the rankings. Of major computer makers, the manufacturer placed last in customer happiness and could only claim that 44 percent of recent buyers were truly happy with their product.

"Once again -- more great news for Apple; more ominous news for Dell," ChangeWave noted.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[gugy]

congrats Apple!

[Ireland]

Great stuff, now the shares should get a little boost back up.

[drjjones]

Originally Posted by Ireland

Great stuff, now the shares should get a little boost back up.

you didn't like 5 points today ?

[Mr. Dirk]

Good news for Apple... but somehow I doubt the survey is very representative of the larger US/world population of computer users; if that were the case, we would be actually seeing the ~20% marketshare numbers right now. I imagine the 4k members they surveyed were younger than the average buyer.

That said, stepping back, it's quite a statement to say that ~28% of younger consumers want to buy Apple laptops. Imagine 5 years from now when the now-younger consumer IS the average consumer; does that mean Apple's on the road to 20% (or more?) marketshare?

[shanmugam]

more sales if base model of MacBook goes Super Drive

i think specs wise Apple need to revamp the entire macbook and pro lines

13.3" MacBook Black - $1099, $1299
15.4" MacBook Black - $1499

15.4" MacBook Pro - $1799, $1999
17.0" MacBook Pro - $2299

graphics and HD-DVD (or Blu-Ray) to differentiate the Pro and Consumer lines...

[a_greer]

When will the MacBook get the 965 chip set? The 945 came out before the nvidia 5200, it is old, newer shared GPU technology, while not as good as independent gpus, are FAR better than the 945, particularly for video playback.

[Booga]

While the laptop numbers are great, the desktop numbers are further evidence that Apple really doesn't understand the market for desktop computers anymore, IMHO...

[suhail]

Right-on booga.
Apple needs a mid-range computer baaaadly.

[fuyutsuki]

Now that ChangeWave have followed public opinion and are such Apple fans, isn't it about time they gave up yucky Excel and turned to Pages to make their charts?

Damn those things are ugly. Even Excel 2004 would at least have some antialiasing.

[DdubRes79]

Originally Posted by suhail

Right-on booga.
Apple needs a mid-range computer baaaadly.

As much as I'd love to have one, I really see more portables and less desktops since markets show an upswing in notebooks and a gradual decline in desktop sales, not more.

From a USA Today research article: "In May, the overall notebook market grew by 40% over the same month a year ago. Apple outpaced overall market growth with a year-to-year jump of 65%, Baker said. Windows-based notebooks saw a 37% increase in sales."

I went to two Apple stores, and used the 'online chat' and every time I asked about an iMac I got "You need a MBP for graphic design!" Right... but I was asking about the iMac? "But the MBP is much better than the iMac for design!" But don't they have the same specs? "MBP!"

I just said thanks and left.

[southerndoc]

I went to the Apple store tonight. I was planning on purchasing a 15" MBP to replace my 12" PB. After waiting nearly 20 minutes, I gave up. The store was packed, and it was packed even more when I was there a few days after the new iMacs were released. It's anecdotal evidence, but I do think there is more interest in Apple products.

After leaving the Apple store, I'm glad I didn't purchase the 15" MBP. I think I'm going to try to wait for a smaller MBP, if one ever comes out. I've been waiting forever, and my desire for a faster laptop is getting the best of me. Had an employee actually answered the assist request that I clicked on the laptop, Apple would have sold yet another laptop tonight.

[MsNly]

My iBook is literally dying as I type this... If they don't release a minitower next week I'll be without a comp...

[SpamSandwich]

ChangeWave™ is irrelevant. I don't listen to them no matter if the news is positive or negative. Completely unreliable.

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by DdubRes79

I went to two Apple stores, and used the 'online chat' and every time I asked about an iMac I got "You need a MBP for graphic design!" Right... but I was asking about the iMac? "But the MBP is much better than the iMac for design!" But don't they have the same specs? "MBP!"

I just said thanks and left.

I don't think it's any coincidence that the product they are pushing is more expensive.

[wayland.ind]

Originally Posted by MsNly

My iBook is literally dying as I type this... If they don't release a minitower next week I'll be without a comp...

i have a ibook g4@ 1ghz with 768 ram. i can't afford an MBP, and the mini is under powered same as the macbook (no dedicated gpu). the new imacs are only glossy, no thanks. i guess we're kind of stuck. i might give in a just buy a PS3 and install linux on it; cause i don't see anything cheap coming from apple soon and those statistic are not very realistic, especially for the desktop.

[MacTel]

Originally Posted by suhail

Right-on booga.
Apple needs a mid-range computer baaaadly.

I also believe they would be served well with a mid-range. Except I believe Apple eventually wants to morph out of the computer space and into the cosumer electronic market. You have the AppleTV and iPhone as proof that OSX can scale down to small devices. What's next? A navigation/entertainment system in luxury cars or high end prosumer cameras?

Maybe they'll put a whole Mac on a small system board and sell them to appliance manufacturers. Kind of like reverse cloning. Mac OSX on your refrigerator or washer eh?

[amac4me]

This will be one heck of a quarter for Apple with respect to portable sales. Desktop sales won't be as strong due to the August release of the iMac. Pent-up iMac demand can only go so far over a period of less than two months.

If Apple released the new iMac in July the Mac unit sales for this quarter would be much better.

[melgross]

Originally Posted by SpamSandwich

ChangeWave™ is irrelevant. I don't listen to them no matter if the news is positive or negative. Completely unreliable.

And you think I"M a cynic?

[melgross]

Originally Posted by MacTel

I also believe they would be served well with a mid-range. Except I believe Apple eventually wants to morph out of the computer space and into the cosumer electronic market. You have the AppleTV and iPhone as proof that OSX can scale down to small devices. What's next? A navigation/entertainment system in luxury cars or high end prosumer cameras?

Maybe they'll put a whole Mac on a small system board and sell them to appliance manufacturers. Kind of like reverse cloning. Mac OSX on your refrigerator or washer eh?

I can't see that happening for a long time, if ever.

[mgkwho]

Originally Posted by shanmugam

more sales if base model of MacBook goes Super Drive

i think specs wise Apple need to revamp the entire macbook and pro lines

....

graphics and HD-DVD (or Blu-Ray) to differentiate the Pro and Consumer lines...

Um, Apple will definitely not include Blu-Ray until it has beaten HD-DVD.

-=|Mgkwho

[admactanium]

Originally Posted by Mr. Dirk

Good news for Apple... but somehow I doubt the survey is very representative of the larger US/world population of computer users; if that were the case, we would be actually seeing the ~20% marketshare numbers right now. I imagine the 4k members they surveyed were younger than the average buyer.

That said, stepping back, it's quite a statement to say that ~28% of younger consumers want to buy Apple laptops. Imagine 5 years from now when the now-younger consumer IS the average consumer; does that mean Apple's on the road to 20% (or more?) marketshare?

i've believed for a while that the apple switchers will reach a tipping point and gain momentum. i really think it's getting close to the tipping point where macs will run up to a fairly significant marketshare. 10-15%. even though there are people who switch and don't like it, the vast majority of people who switch to macs from windows prefer their os x experience. once they got the geeks onboard with os x, it was only a matter of time before other people starting swaying over. geeks are the opinion leaders and os x drew them in in surprising numbers mostly due to the unix underpinnings. while beos had some nice features, i don't think apple would still be around if beos became os x.

[Splinemodel]

Originally Posted by suhail

Right-on booga.
Apple needs a mid-range computer baaaadly.

Um, the iMac? Very mid range.

[ajhill]

Sorry, couldn't resist. But seriously there was word out today that Dell was having problem with the paint on their new "Colorful" laptops. It's just goes to show, take a mediocre laptop and slap a coat of cheap paint on it and what do you have? A cheap laptop with the paint flaking off.

And this with Back To School season here. Guess the Apple Stores will be packed and with Parallels, VMWare's Fusion and Boot Camp you can easily run windows if you wanted to really torture yourself.

AND the courts have recently upheld the ban on the chipset for iPhone's competition. Just think of it, your competitors are blocked by the courts and have tons of inventory that has paint peeling off.

It's a good time to be long Apple stock.

[palegolas]

Good... now all we need is an ultra portable pro...

[ascii]

Originally Posted by ajhill

Just think of it, your competitors are blocked by the courts and have tons of inventory that has paint peeling off.

And they are trying to hock as OS (Vista) that seems to be a much more of an aquired taste than XP ever was.

[aegisdesign]

Originally Posted by Booga

While the laptop numbers are great, the desktop numbers are further evidence that Apple really doesn't understand the market for desktop computers anymore, IMHO...

How so? Apple is gaining desktop share at a greater rate than their competitors as well in a market where laptops are outselling desktops as a whole. That would seem to indicate the opposite to your assertion.

[Marvin]

Originally Posted by DdubRes79

As much as I'd love to have one, I really see more portables and less desktops since markets show an upswing in notebooks and a gradual decline in desktop sales, not more.

And yet one of the graphs clearly shows Dell (one of the biggest computer manufacturers in the world) selling more desktops than laptops. At the start of the graph, it shows the other way round.

One thing that people forget about desktops is that they are used in things like render farms, which consist of 1000+ mid-range towers - you simply cannot replace that function with laptops no matter what markets you look at it. When they manage to fit 80+ cores on one chip perhaps but that won't be for another 5-10 years and we need something now.

Originally Posted by DdubRes79

I went to two Apple stores, and used the 'online chat' and every time I asked about an iMac I got "You need a MBP for graphic design!" Right... but I was asking about the iMac? "But the MBP is much better than the iMac for design!" But don't they have the same specs? "MBP!"

You can get the MBP without a glossy screen though and it has a better GPU, which can help if you do motion graphics.

[suhail]

Originally Posted by MacTel

I also believe they would be served well with a mid-range. Except I believe Apple eventually wants to morph out of the computer space and into the cosumer electronic market. You have the AppleTV and iPhone as proof that OSX can scale down to small devices. What's next? A navigation/entertainment system in luxury cars or high end prosumer cameras?

Maybe they'll put a whole Mac on a small system board and sell them to appliance manufacturers. Kind of like reverse cloning. Mac OSX on your refrigerator or washer eh?

I highly doubt Apple will abandon the computer industry, but I do think they will attempt to expand their consumer electronics market. Apple TV is a great concept but a very tough challenge.
I did read somewhere that new Mercedes 2008 or 2009 will have their computer console/navigation/entertainment designed by Apple.

[suhail]

Originally Posted by aegisdesign

How so? Apple is gaining desktop share at a greater rate than their competitors as well in a market where laptops are outselling desktops as a whole. That would seem to indicate the opposite to your assertion.

That is because Apple as a whole is gaining market-share. However, if you need a PCI slot to add a second video-card you'll have to buy the gigantic MacPro which comes with a matching price. iMac is not a practical alternative. Many design/web/video professionals invest good money in monitors, they might not be able to afford a MacPro and a MacBook for the road, so they end-up buying a MacBook Pro as an alternative. But in reality they would've been happier with a small desktop where they can expand/upgrade as they grow and a notebook for the road. Very typical in the PC world where they have that choice.

Personally I would prefer a soultion such as the PowerBook Duo, where the docking station had slots for memory, PCI, HD connector, CD, and more. But hey… I'm a nobody

[Bageljoey]

Originally Posted by shanmugam

more sales if base model of MacBook goes Super Drive

Originally Posted by a_greer

When will the MacBook get the 965 chip set? The 945 came out before the nvidia 5200, it is old, newer shared GPU technology, while not as good as independent gpus, are FAR better than the 945, particularly for video playback.

I don't think that the people who are buying MacBooks in increasing numbers are into reading spec sheets. I dont think they care what optical drive is in the computer and I don't believe that they even want to know what a GPU is. My mom and my brother have new MacBooks--THEY DONT CARE!
What do they care about?
iPhoto and safari. And a computer that is easy to use.

Apple designs the MB for these types of people. Sure it is powerfull enough to do much more, but they figure if you care about the GPU you will buy a MBP. What does that mean? Apple doesn't care about the posters who want the MB to be a work horse because they are such a minority and will probably buy the MBP anyway after complaining.

Think about it. The ultimatum: "Put a decent graphics card in the MB or I am going to spend $1K more on a MBP" just isn't that threatening to Apple"

[backtomac]

Originally Posted by wayland.ind

i have a ibook g4@ 1ghz with 768 ram. i can't afford an MBP, and the mini is under powered same as the macbook (no dedicated gpu). .

You have a ibook and you think the Macbook is underpowered?

Sorry my friend but the Macbook is far from underpowered. Are you sure you need a dedicated graphics card?

[lundy]

Nobody would buy the midrange tower if it cost the same or more than the iMac.

Customer: "What's this computer here?"
Sales Assoc: "Oh that's the new xMac. It's expandable."
Customer: "Does it cost less than the iMac here?"
Sales: "Well, they're about the same, but the xMac is expandable."
Customer: "Expandable for what?"
Sales: "You can add PCI cards, extra hard drives, change the video card, change the optical drive..."
Customer: "But it doesn't come with a display?"
Sales: "No, but we have displays starting at $599."

{Customer buys iMac.}

[backtomac]

Originally Posted by lundy

Nobody would buy the midrange tower if it cost the same or more than the iMac.

Customer: "What's this computer here?"
Sales Assoc: "Oh that's the new xMac. It's expandable."
Customer: "Does it cost less than the iMac here?"
Sales: "Well, they're about the same, but the xMac is expandable."
Customer: "Expandable for what?"
Sales: "You can add PCI cards, extra hard drives, change the video card, change the optical drive..."
Customer: "But it doesn't come with a display?"
Sales: "No, but we have displays starting at $599."

{Customer buys iMac.}

I think you bring up an interesting aspect that gets missed in the x Mac debate and that is that Apple has NO competitive monitor options to offer for a mid range headless machine. Pros who drop $3000 for a MacPro can probably justify Apple's high prices on the ACDs but if someone is wanting a $1000 headless Mac the ACDs look ridiculously expensive. Sure the customer could go to Best Buy or New Egg and get a less expensive monitor but that the complete package solution would sell much better to the average consumer.

[satchmo]

If Apple wanted to put the final nail into the coffin, they need:

a) SuperDrives across the line
b) a 15" model OPTION
c) remove that premium pricing for black

[backtomac]

Originally Posted by satchmo

If Apple wanted to put the final nail into the coffin, they need:

a) SuperDrives across the line
b) a 15" model OPTION
c) remove that premium pricing for black

Two thumbs up. Way up!

[Mr. H]

Originally Posted by lundy

Customer: "Does it cost less than the iMac here?"
Sales: "Well, they're about the same, but the xMac is expandable."

Thanks for demonstrating that you still don't get the xMac argument. For the eleventy billionth time, expandability isn't the only plus-point of a mini-tower over the iMac, in fact, that plus-point comes at the bottom of the list.

Who said that the xMac and the iMac would cost the same? They certainly shouldn't, because if you take an AIO, replace the expensive laptop parts with cheaper desktop parts, and take out the monitor, that leaves you with a cheaper, yet more powerful, computer.

How much more evidence like that provided in this report do you need before you realise that Apple are failing to replicate their success in the laptop market in the desktop market? Apple are growing in the laptop space because they are giving the market what it wants: a best-in-class laptop form-factor. However, it is not delivering all that the desktop market wants - it is only delivering a niche form-factor that a minority want. They should keep the iMac to cater to those people and also offer a mini-tower to appeal to the other 95% of the desktop market.

[Mr. H]

Originally Posted by satchmo

If Apple wanted to put the final nail into the coffin, they need:

a) SuperDrives across the line
b) a 15" model OPTION

Agreed

Originally Posted by satchmo

c) remove that premium pricing for black

I don't think that's necessary. For one, people are willing to pay more, so why not let them? The cheaper, more competitive white option is there, so I fail to see the problem. Secondly, we don't know whether or not the black costs Apple more in the first place.

[junkie]

I see macs everywhere. The mac stores are packed.

At Berkeley, incoming freshman arrive this week, I saw 5 around a table, all using MB or MBP. Seems like its 50%-50% lately, or maybe even more are Mac. It's quite impressive considering the campus was solidly PC just a few years ago. You'd have to look for an artsy kid to see a Mac.

I don't blame them. The Macbook is a damn sweet machine for college. Macbook + Airport Express + Printer, its a pretty awesome setup for college.

[troberts]

Originally Posted by a_greer

When will the MacBook get the 965 chip set? The 945 came out before the nvidia 5200, it is old, newer shared GPU technology, while not as good as independent gpus, are FAR better than the 945, particularly for video playback.

Apple wants to keep as big a separation between the MacBook and MacBook Pro as they can so they gave the MacBook Pro Santa Rosa tech and left the MacBook with the 950 chip set. The next MacBook update will have the 965GM chipset in it giving us the GMA X3100, while still using the 65nm Core 2 Duo, and the MacBook Pro will get the 45nm Penryn processor. Apple might have made the transition to Intel processors quickly, but it has taken them until now to get the different lines positioned where they want them.

I am wondering if Apple will let the MacBook use 4GB RAM once it gets Santa Rosa tech in it. That would be sweet!