Apple's Thunderbolt Display takes 26% of big-screen computer LCD sales
The 27-inch Apple Thunderbolt Display and legacy Cinema Display are North American market leaders for LED LCD computer screens sized 24 inches and up, accounting for 26.2 percent of the market.
Though Apple leads sales in that market segment, its position has from 2010, when the Apple Cinema Display accounted for 53.3 percent of LED LCD monitors 24 inches and up, according to new data from NPD's DisplaySearch.
Nipping at Apple's heels in the big-screen LCD market is Samsung, which currently accounts for 24.3 percent of sales in that segment. Samsung's market presence in North America is up from 2010, when it had just 12.3 percent of larger computer LCDs.
Samsung did best Apple in sales of LED LCDs sized 24 inches and up outside of North America, taking 34.7 percent of the global market. Apple led that market segment in 2010, but was pushed to second place by Samsung in 2011.
Apple previously offered Cinema Display screens in sizes of 20 inches, 24 inches and 30 inches, but those were discontinued as Apple streamlined its product offerings. In 2010, they were replaced by one 27-inch LED Cinema Display.
Last July, the product was updated and renamed the Apple Thunderbolt Display, a 27-inch LED LCD screen with Thunderbolt I/O technology and built-in docking cables for MacBooks. Any Thunderbolt-enabled Mac notebook can dock with the display to create a full-fledged desktop solution, including a built-in FaceTime HD camera, 2.1 speaker system, and a number of ports including Thunderbolt for daisy chaining up to five devices. Apple also continues to offer the legacy 27-inch Cinema Display.
Tuesday's report is the first major indication of how Apple's Thunderbolt Display performs against competitors in the market. Samsung is one of the world's largest LCD makers, and is the primary supplier of Retina displays for Apple's new iPad.
[ View article on AppleInsider ]
Comments
If you add this to similar surveys about computers that cost over $1,000 Apple seems to be doing pretty well at the high end all around. This would bode well for them in the TV arena if they venture there with a premium product. Just let it be up to 60" at least please!
That same mentality doesn?t work too well in the TV market - the demand for a range of products of different sizes is very much against what Apple does.
Forget the idea of Apple doing a TV - it just makes more sense to do an Add-on box that they have more control over and is easier for consumers to invest in versus a massively large TV that they keep for 10 years until it breaks. The purchasing decisions behind TV?s and the Apple TV is very different. Too different.
That same mentality doesn?t work too well in the TV market - the demand for a range of products of different sizes is very much against what Apple does.
Forget the idea of Apple doing a TV - it just makes more sense to do an Add-on box that they have more control over and is easier for consumers to invest in versus a massively large TV that they keep for 10 years until it breaks. The purchasing decisions behind TV?s and the Apple TV is very different. Too different.
You make some great points here. Rather, how can they improve upon the Apple TV such that they force the TV market to conform to their model?
If we ignore all the speculation, the hard facts point directly to this: Apple is actively pursuing a commoditized consumption model for video.
Apple still sell the 27" Display Port LED LCD too, and I might suggest that this display probably sells at a rate about half as many again as the Thunderbolt display has.
Does that mean that Apple has more than a third of all 24" plus LED LCD screens?
I just don't believe it.
I am an Apple Advocate from way back, but these figures just cannot be right. Most of the people I see using large screens with their Macs don't use Apple screens, let alone such a large percentage of the whole market as this article would have us believe.
I might believe the figures if they were referring to the 27" panel used by these displays, which the iMac also usesas does the 27" Display port display.
And that the figures quoted were the aggregate of these sales of the panel too.
I mean, good on Apple if it were true. But it just aint!
I'm telling ya all.. Apple is heading Sony way. Apple can't compete with Samsung. (duck)
Samsung makes Android and WIndows products, so for a portion of the marketplace that have already chosen the OS platform, Samsung isn't a competitor. For the portion of the marketplace that is deciding between OS platform, they are a competitor, but that list also has ASUS, Sony, Toshiba, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and other WIndows clones and Android clones.
Now, Apple has mentioned many times, that 50% of their market is based on Mac users, so 50% have already chosen their OS platform as Apple. The balance are either new first time computer users, or switchers. Some of those people chose the Apple OS before they walked into the Apple Store (physical or on-line) and the balance chose Apple after they reviewed the competing OS/Hardware options.
A competitor, to me, is someone that is considered during the evaluation period when an individual or an institution before they make a purchasing decision.
However, when one chooses WIndows or Android, Samsung has LOTs of competitors just like everyone else that makes WIndows and Android products. The desktop and laptop market for Mac has been slowly and steadily increasing at around 35% per year, when in the last year or two, Windows has been slowing down or dropping in sales to the point where that market isn't growing or staying equal to previous sales.
In terms of the display, I don't think there are any other Thunderbolt third party options to choose from, and I think it is safe to say that most Apple users won't buy another brand display unless they are choosing to use another type of port on their laptop or desktop. MacPro users might opt for a less expensive monitor to save money, but that is only a percentage of the total number of displays being purchased for the MacPro users.
I don't know of anyone buying a non-Thunderbolt display for a desktop or laptop from Apple that has a Thunderbolt port. How big is that market.
You know, I just can't believe the figures.
Apple still sell the 27" Display Port LED LCD too, and I might suggest that this display probably sells at a rate about half as many again as the Thunderbolt display has.
Does that mean that Apple has more than a third of all 24" plus LED LCD screens?
I just don't believe it.
I am an Apple Advocate from way back, but these figures just cannot be right. Most of the people I see using large screens with their Macs don't use Apple screens, let alone such a large percentage of the whole market as this article would have us believe.
I might believe the figures if they were referring to the 27" panel used by these displays, which the iMac also usesas does the 27" Display port display.
And that the figures quoted were the aggregate of these sales of the panel too.
I mean, good on Apple if it were true. But it just aint!
And let alone the 53.3% in 2010. Must be a huge misinterpretation. I really wonder how they got these numbers: Sounds absolutely unbelievable. As much as I like Apple's displays, they can't be more than little side kick IMHO.
You know, I just can't believe the figures.
Apple still sell the 27" Display Port LED LCD too, and I might suggest that this display probably sells at a rate about half as many again as the Thunderbolt display has.
Does that mean that Apple has more than a third of all 24" plus LED LCD screens?
I just don't believe it.
I am an Apple Advocate from way back, but these figures just cannot be right. Most of the people I see using large screens with their Macs don't use Apple screens, let alone such a large percentage of the whole market as this article would have us believe.
I might believe the figures if they were referring to the 27" panel used by these displays, which the iMac also usesas does the 27" Display port display.
And that the figures quoted were the aggregate of these sales of the panel too.
I mean, good on Apple if it were true. But it just aint!
I think it may be more of a case where it's a small market for screens that large. I don't know anyone with a non-Apple 27" or 30" computer display. I happen to own a 30", though from six years ago, and it's still going strong. I know two people with 27" iMacs. Outside of that, no one I know with a computer screen larger than 24".
I think it may be more of a case where it's a small market for screens that large. I don't know if the. I don't know anyone with a non-Apple 27" or 30" computer display. I happen to own a 30", though from six years ago, and it's still going strong. I know two people with 27" iMacs. Outside of that, no one with a computer screen larger than 24".
I'll agree it's a small market. Also most OSes (XP) don't scale well in drivers and hardware for large screens. It's cheaper and more stable for them to just buy multiple smaller screens (those 6 screen trading stations).
Multiple Screens don't do well for visual editting/design, and Macs have always held a strong foothold on design/video/photo apps, so I think that's the niche driving large screen marketplace. Couple that with high speed graphics for video or game playback... native thunderbolt makes for a compelling option.
I'm on the edge on this... my workspace would look 'ugly' with a big screen, however, my one 24" monitor is a bit 'small' for my work (I do Big A architecture, and often have 8 or 9 PDFs open and work in 11x17" doc formats quite a bit). But I can't see having a larger screen (block the view to my back yard;-), and will likely go to a 2nd 24" screen. But a Thunderbolt monitor attached to my new mac mini is becoming a less a dream and more a necessity.
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I'll agree it's a small market. Also most OSes (XP) don't scale well in drivers and hardware for large screens. It's cheaper and more stable for them to just buy multiple smaller screens (those 6 screen trading stations).
Multiple Screens don't do well for visual editting/design, and Macs have always held a strong foothold on design/video/photo apps, so I think that's the niche driving large screen marketplace. Couple that with high speed graphics for video or game playback... native thunderbolt makes for a compelling option.
I'm on the edge on this... my workspace would look 'ugly' with a big screen, however, my one 24" monitor is a bit 'small' for my work (I do Big A architecture, and often have 8 or 9 PDFs open and work in 11x17" doc formats quite a bit). But I can't see having a larger screen (block the view to my back yard;-), and will likely go to a 2nd 24" screen. But a Thunderbolt monitor attached to my new mac mini is becoming a less a dream and more a necessity.
As a CAD/CAM user, I get that. Multiple screens do well for multiple documents, but the bigger screen can help for detailed view while keeping tools on the screen. I plan to get a 27" iMac when it's updated. I might make a portrait stand for one of my 24" monitors.
Seems very odd; Dell had always been fairly well regarded in that market, although the lack of a Thunderbolt option likely hurt them among the Mac crowd.
Dell Ultra sharp studio monitors do not use LEDs so they not in this survey - this is only LED-Panels
LED monitor are consumer grade monitors unless they use RGB LEDs (not the white )
you would need to buy the HP Dream Color series like the HP LP2480zx that used a Tri-Color LED (2,400US)
I think the The dell 27/30 are the best flat panel studio design monitor under 2k on the market right now
I happen to own a 30", though from six years ago, and it's still going strong.
That is one fantastic screen! I bought it the moment it got EOL-ed some 18 months ago. Still don't understand why they killed it; Dell is still selling it, same panel, same price.
Dell Ultra sharp studio monitors do not use LEDs so they not in this survey - this is only LED-Panels
LED monitor are consumer grade monitors unless they use RGB LEDs (not the white )
you would need to buy the HP Dream Color series like the HP LP2480zx that used a Tri-Color LED (2,400US)
The dell 27/30 are the best studio design monitor under 2k on the market right now
Thats an informative post, thanks. That 30" is really the best out there. But if you have the space a CRT still outshines all these different flat panels. I've been told that Hollywood uses CRT's because of their quality - can anyone verify that?
btw, yes crt's still outclass flat panels in a lot of respects, dunno about hollywood.
That is one fantastic screen! I bought it the moment it got EOL-ed some 18 months ago. Still don't understand why they killed it; Dell is still selling it, same panel, same price.
Thats an informative post, thanks. That 30" is really the best out there. But if you have the space a CRT still outshines all these different flat panels. I've been told that Hollywood uses CRT's because of their quality - can anyone verify that?
Oh yeah, "best" if not including CRTs for sure.
I also still have my ACD 30 at my home studio - no idea why Apple killed them, they a joy to work on.