Mac sales better than feared in April following desktop refresh

[AppleInsider]

Sales of Apple's Mac line slipped nearly 2 percent on a year-over-year basis during the month of April while iPod sales fell around 9 percent, though both segments are reportedly as good or better than Wall Street's consensus estimates for the quarter.

NPD data released Monday shows Mac sales for the month of April fell 1.8 percent when compared to April of 2008. Gene Munster, an analyst with Piper Jaffray, had been expecting sales to fall off by approximately 10% and therefore saw the results as a positive given uncertainty as to whether Apple could maintain Mac sales strength after pent-up demand for new desktop systems introduced in March began to wane.

Although Munster warned that he'll need to see another two months of data before making a definitive call on Apple's June quarter, he still expects the Cupertino-based company to sell anywhere from 2.1 to 2.3 million Macs, which would represent shrinking yearly Mac unit numbers of anywhere from 16 percent to 8 percent, or a rate that's essentially in line with the Street's expectations of a decline between 10 percent and 7 percent.

Meanwhile, NPD's indication that iPod sales were down 9 percent in April leads Munster to estimate June quarter iPod shipments of approximately 9.5 to 10.5 million units, hovering near Wall Street's consensus. While very likely to be disappointing to a company used to annual growth, the analyst notes this may actually be a positive note for Apple as it allays fears that iPod sales will be particularly weak this spring.

Much of the boost is poised to come from the third-generation iPod shuffle, whose debut in March helped buoy iPod sales during a difficult April. Even so, Munster warns that the $79 player may have simultaneously hurt Apple by lowering the average selling price of an iPod downwards, away from more lucrative iPod nano, classic and touch devices.

The positive news was enough for Piper Jaffray to continue with its high share price target of $180.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[sflocal]

Cue the teckstudian apostles to create some kind of negative spin from this....

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by sflocal

Cue the teckstudian apostles to create some kind of negative spin from this....

[hmurchison]

Only people listening to the "talking head" version of net journalist thought
Apple was in real trouble.

It was "netbook this...netbook that" yawn.

Today the difficulty is in getting decent net info that isn't laced with siren song calls to come visit the site and make our advertisers happy.

Apple's doing just fine and will continue to do fine as long as they stay a few steps ahead of the competition.

[brucep]

Originally Posted by hmurchison

Only people listening to the "talking head" version of net journalist thought
Apple was in real trouble.

It was "netbook this...netbook that" yawn.

Today the difficulty is in getting decent net info that isn't laced with siren song calls to come visit the site and make our advertisers happy.

Apple's doing just fine and will continue to do fine as long as they stay a few steps ahead of the competition.

agreed

miles ahead of competion.
apple overall quarter may have more total dollars than
yr ago quarter
apple is rocking the house
and i can't wait to see the next big thing .

[cycomiko]

Originally Posted by brucep

agreed

miles ahead of competion.
apple overall quarter may have more total dollars than
yr ago quarter
apple is rocking the house
and i can't wait to see the next big thing .

I hope you are a shareholder, because for most things in life I wouldnt bve pleased providing a business larger margins just for the benefit of somebody else!

[minderbinder]

How would a shuffle at $79 lower the average selling price when the shuffle it replaced was $49?

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by cycomiko

I hope you are a shareholder, because for most things in life I wouldnt bve pleased providing a business larger margins just for the benefit of somebody else!

I think you might be strawmanning brucep's statement. But it's not such a bad thing to want the company to stay strong, if you like the product and it does well by you. I think better than the people that seem to be offended that Apple makes a profit, that Apple dares to try to make a profit despite the industry's troubles.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by minderbinder

How would a shuffle at $79 lower the average selling price when the shuffle it replaced was $49?

I think he meant the new design, capacity and features over the 2 year old 2G Suffle style may have pushed buys to get it instead of the higher priced devices. However, I don’t know how anyone would consider a Touch or Classic along with the Shuffle. The Mini, perhaps a few , but I think people know which device will suit their needs most. Having no screen is a deal killer for many right off the bat.

PS: Did Apple’s profit go up with this new device’s higher price, or is it balanced by higher costs.

[Dunks]

Originally Posted by minderbinder

How would a shuffle at $79 lower the average selling price when the shuffle it replaced was $49?

It lowers the average selling price if it sells in enough quatity that it exceeds the volume of the old shuffle by many times relative to the more expensive models. This could happen presumably because it is new.

[macxpress]

Originally Posted by cycomiko

I hope you are a shareholder, because for most things in life I wouldnt bve pleased providing a business larger margins just for the benefit of somebody else!

So Apple isn't allowed to make a profit in this economy? You sound like you work for Microsoft or something. Whining because Apple charges too much for its products. And then whines some more people are buying these so called "overpriced" products causing Apple to make a profit when others are laying people off and losing millions of dollars. If you make a good product, people will be willing to pay for it. This is why Apple is succeeding and others just don't get it.

[macxpress]

Originally Posted by sflocal

Cue the teckstudian apostles to create some kind of negative spin from this....

Originally Posted by cycomiko

I hope you are a shareholder, because for most things in life I wouldnt bve pleased providing a business larger margins just for the benefit of somebody else!

There ya go...Amazingly took 1hr for it to happen.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by macxpress

So Apple isn't allowed to make a profit in this economy?

Just because a company has a better business model than another company and they’ve planned better than other companies means they should be allowed to make a profit?

[steviet02]

It's funny, people in the forum say these analysts don't know what they are doing. Then when the company slips sales it's seen as a coup because it wasn't as much as the analyst predicted. Interesting...

[walshbj]

Originally Posted by steviet02

It's funny, people in the forum say these analysts don't know what they are doing. Then when the company slips sales it's seen as a coup because it wasn't as much as the analyst predicted. Interesting...

Or maybe it's because analysts say things like

"Although Munster warned that he'll need to see another two months of data before making a definitive call on Apple's June quarter,"

Give me another two months of data and I'll be able to tell you how the quarter looks too! Think of the definitive call Munster can make after the conference call...

(400 posts !)

[steviet02]

Originally Posted by walshbj

Or maybe it's because analysts say things like

"Although Munster warned that he'll need to see another two months of data before making a definitive call on Apple's June quarter,"

Give me another two months of data and I'll be able to tell you how the quarter looks too! Think of the definitive call Munster can make after the conference call...

(400 posts !)

You missed my point, it's not that they know what they are talking about, it's the fact that everyone complains about them and then uses their data to validate a companies numbers. Strange phenomenon really.

[brucep]

Originally Posted by JeffDM

I think you might be strawmanning brucep's statement. But it's not such a bad thing to want the company to stay strong, if you like the product and it does well by you. I think better than the people that seem to be offended that Apple makes a profit, that Apple dares to try to make a profit despite the industry's troubles.

HELLO ? WHAT DOES strawmanning mean ??
thank you .

peace

[walshbj]

Originally Posted by steviet02

You missed my point, it's not that they know what they are talking about, it's the fact that everyone complains about them and then uses their data to validate a companies numbers. Strange phenomenon really.

Yeah, I did miss that. Unfortunately, the analysts are a significant part of the system so we can't ignore them. And some are buffoons - it's practically impossible not to bash those particular analysts. Buffoons at best, criminals at worst...

But I definitely see your point.

[brucep]

edit out see below sorry

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by brucep

so from 4 billion to 19 billion dollars
going froma good computer exp to a great rock solid no crash no virus experience
OSX software migrating to mobile me and iphone and ak

Was that $4B in cash or a value as a company of $4B?

BTW, they have $29B in cash right now and a marketcap of $113B. By comparison Micorsoft’s marketcap is $183B.

[brucep]

Originally Posted by JeffDM

I think you might be strawmanning brucep's statement. But it's not such a bad thing to want the company to stay strong, if you like the product and it does well by you. I think better than the people that seem to be offended that Apple makes a profit, that Apple dares to try to make a profit despite the industry's troubles.

I bought at $7 a share . .

apple back then had 4 billion in cash
they now have 19 billion in cash

once you buy into the apple world with a couple of laptops > 2 or 3 pods and maybe the itouch or iphone . you find the apple world is rich with great free content or cheap stuff like 99 cent songs
Tons of free app.'s now also . i mean 7000 songs in my pocket . that is still amazing to me back in the 1980 ish time's a walkman cassete was the big thing.

So I sit here playing a tech-pod cast or going to itunes U and learning something or I maybe i wanna make a full spectrum movie with my own songs my own voice my own photo's with all my raw video on my 13 in black mac book and 500 g lacie right All on one screen There Just a click away .

Maybe I wanna take my 39 best rare live pink floyd songs and burn a great c d with every other song a live Hendrix track .
and simply give 29 different versions of this away to friends

hey maybe i put this up at mobile me
live floyd .. free to the world

i have only touched on a few out of many things i do with apple
seamless no crash no cold apple
Whats to bitch about ??
the glossy screen rocks
James bond looked good today .

if other pc companies can match or better apple then good for them

alas i bet their web sites are not like this one
hmmm inside MSFT
or inside bill gates ???? what fun window people must have ...

sorry for long meandering post . apple does not need me to defend herself>>>> that 19 billion on cash is enough ...

And too the dozens of small companies that exist to feed the apple market .I bet they love apple too .


apple fucks up all the time . at times they fix it fast . apple is still a cold unfeeling company that is around only to make money . peridot .

and to bitch about glossy this or at&t that to apple is like screaming naked at a brickk wall .

[brucep]

Originally Posted by solipsism

Was that $4B in cash or a value as a company of $4B?

BTW, they have $29B in cash right now and a marketcap of $113B. By comparison Micorsoft’s marketcap is $183B.

wow 29 bill
wow

i wish they would buy something with that cash .. like a chip company ???

peace 9

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by brucep

wow 29 bill
wow

i wish they would buy something with that cash .. like a chip company ???

peace 9

That kind of cash on hand does afford them a lot of breathing room if the economy goes south. It also lets them pay for things in a way that other companies with small reserves can’t.

I also wonder if they have a plan for that cash, but I can’t image what they could be saving up for if it is for some big future purchase.

[hmurchison]

I don't see Apple making any large acquisitions but I do see them using their funds to get great deals on NAND memory and other components.

They've bought heaps of NAND and they've invested in Imagination and LG. Apple's all about getting a nice spot in line for components.

A good portion of Mac sales are laptops and frankly the Netbook craze doesn't obivate the need for a laptop with larger screens and more power.

I think Apple's next step is to deliver a MID device before the lackey's out there even realize or can adequately define the subject.

I'd love to have a touch screen tablet device that runs full on OS X though a specialized tablet version.
Mini DisplayPort out and Bluetooth for wireless keyboard and mouse access.

Make it $600 with decent NAND memory and RAM and I'm a happy camper.

[schmidm77]

I've had a few iMacs now, and I just bought a MacBook Pro over the weekend since I'm traveling more for work these days. I've never been fond of using notebooks and touch pads especially, but I have to say amazing computing experience, and worth every penny of the selling price.

[MacTel]

Originally Posted by hmurchison

Only people listening to the "talking head" version of net journalist thought
Apple was in real trouble.

It was "netbook this...netbook that" yawn.

Today the difficulty is in getting decent net info that isn't laced with siren song calls to come visit the site and make our advertisers happy.

Apple's doing just fine and will continue to do fine as long as they stay a few steps ahead of the competition.

An Apple branded netbook would still be nice. I'd buy one in a heartbeat if it was subsidized by AT&T or the like.

As for doomed because they don't have one is a laugh. Most of those netbooks run linux or XP.

[mark2005]

Originally Posted by steviet02

It's funny, people in the forum say these analysts don't know what they are doing. Then when the company slips sales it's seen as a coup because it wasn't as much as the analyst predicted. Interesting...

The data was from NPD not some independent work done by analyst Munster, though Munster is probably the best of the bunch. Munster periodically sends people to count sales at several Apple Stores, and a couple of other analysts have good sources in the supply chain. The remaining analysts, I think, just read and repeat the rumor sites, including AI, and make up the rest.

Anyway, analysts expect Mac sales to drop by 10% this quarter but during the first month of this quarter, which could be the worst of the three months as the recession pressure recedes somewhat, Mac sales only dropped 1.8% (as measured by retail sales). By the end of June, I think it's more likely that Mac sales come in flat than are down by 10%, except if K-12 school spending falls off a cliff. And if that looks likely, I can see Apple counter by starting its school promotion (buy a Mac, get an iPod) earlier in June.

By the way, if that 1.8% decline holds up, I believe Apple continues to gain market share (excluding netbooks). PC laptop/desktop sales declines will be greater than 1.8%.

[Nano_tube]

What interests me the most are the mac pro sales.
They are priced so high compared to the last model, that i am pretty sure their sales dropped significantly - or at least i hope so. I would love to buy one but not at the current price range.

[brucep]

Originally Posted by solipsism

That kind of cash on hand does afford them a lot of breathing room if the economy goes south. It also lets them pay for things in a way that other companies with small reserves can’t.

I also wonder if they have a plan for that cash, but I can’t image what they could be saving up for if it is for some big future purchase.

THINK HARD what is the one piece missing from the world of apple .

i feel its a groundbreaking graphics drawing painting 3 d software program.that renders with little cpu usage and is simple to use .



and a 4oo dollar kids finger tablet .

what do you feel is missing dude ??

[macxpress]

Originally Posted by solipsism

Just because a company has a better business model than another company and they’ve planned better than other companies means they should be allowed to make a profit?

No...Apple has to fail like every other company!

[Quadra 610]

So what.

Show me the Q4 results. Then this will acually mean something.

Apple has already had some record quarters, even during this recession, which completely blew away expectations, while everyone else was eating losses like it's nobody's business.

[Mr. H]

Originally Posted by solipsism

I also wonder if they have a plan for that cash, but I can’t image what they could be saving up for if it is for some big future purchase.

Come on, it's obvious isn't it? They're saving up to buy Microsoft! They're almost a quarter of the way there!

Edit: Adobe's going cheap at the moment: $13.87B. Apple have easily enough for a hostile take-over if they are so inclined.

[Quadra 610]

Originally Posted by Mr. H

Come on, it's obvious isn't it? They're saving up to buy Microsoft! They're almost a quarter of the way there!

Off topic:

Apostrophes are simple - they are used to indicate either missing letters or possession. Missing letters take precedence. So:

it's = it is / it has, its = belonging to it.
Non-possessive plurals don't have apostrophes.

Thank you!

I see this garbage at work all the time. Form's. Document's. Report's. Every time I see this I want to jam my thumbs into my eyesockets Blade Runner-style.

The worst is "irregardless." AAARGGHH!!!

"Revert back" is right up there, too.

[saarek]

Wow a recent refresh in the Mac line = increased sales? Who'd have thought?!?!

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by Quadra 610

Off topic:

Apostrophes are simple - they are used to indicate either missing letters or possession. Missing letters take precedence. So:

it's = it is / it has, its = belonging to it.
Non-possessive plurals don't have apostrophes.

Thank you!

I see this garbage at work all the time. Form's. Document's. Report's. Every time I see this I want to jam my thumbs into my eyesockets Blade Runner-style.

The worst is "irregardless." AAARGGHH!!!

"Revert back" is right up there, too.

Mr. H is pretty militant about it. He's stated it's a pet peeve and I'm sure he holds himself back, but most importantly he contributes a good stuff here do I don't crack on him about it as much as I probably would normally.

BTW, I love saying irregardless dimply because it's wrong. Huh, the iPhone spell checker didn't offer to fix it.

[teckstud]

Originally Posted by solipsism

PS: Did Apple’s profit go up with this new device’s higher price, or is it balanced by higher costs.

Perhaps we'll never know because it may be considered a hobby like the AppleTV.

[teckstud]

Originally Posted by saarek

Wow a recent refresh in the Mac line = increased sales? Who'd have thought?!?!

Duh- right?

[Quadra 610]

Originally Posted by saarek

Wow a recent refresh in the Mac line = increased sales? Who'd have thought?!?!

Schiller: Hey Tim, I just remembered. Shouldn't we update the iMacs?
Cook: iM . . acs . . ?? What are those?
Schiller: You know, those all-in-ones we used to really push.
Cook: I . . . I'm not following, Phil.
Schiller: Well you know, with the built-in iSight . . .
Cook: Phil, sorry man, but I still don't know what you're talking about. You feeling ok? All we do are iPhones, iPods, and a few notebooks. Scott was talking about something called the "Mac Mini" the other day, but I told hm we don't make iPod Minis aymore. Oh, and we have a few Mac Pros. I mean, just today I had a customer tell me he'll be taking out a second mortgage to get one. They're all the rage, Phil.
Schiller: *sigh* . . . never mind, I'll take care of it myself . . .

[doughoil]

I would like a clarification of investment jargon? When Piper Jafrey (or anyone) predicts a future stock value there must be some kind of time frame associated with the prediction. $180 before the end of the universe or within the next year, or what?

[charlituna]

Originally Posted by hmurchison

Only people listening to the "talking head" version of net journalist thought
Apple was in real trouble.

It was "netbook this...netbook that" yawn.

Today the difficulty is in getting decent net info that isn't laced with siren song calls to come visit the site and make our advertisers happy.

Apple's doing just fine and will continue to do fine as long as they stay a few steps ahead of the competition.

I know I"m laughing my butt off. all this talk about the company being hurt because Steve took medical leave, cause of ATT's rate plans on the iphone, cause they waited too long to release new desktops, cause they don't have a netbook.

but no mention of the fact that we are in the middle of an economy down slump and near recession and all retail companies are down in sales.