Apple seeing "unprecedented" surge in MacBook demand

24567

Comments

  • Reply 21 of 131
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Mr. Dirk View Post


    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.
  • Reply 22 of 131
    splinemodelsplinemodel Posts: 7,311member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by suhail View Post


    Right-on booga.

    Apple needs a mid-range computer baaaadly.



    Um, the iMac? Very mid range.
  • Reply 23 of 131
    ajhillajhill Posts: 81member
    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.
  • Reply 24 of 131
    palegolaspalegolas Posts: 1,361member
    Good... now all we need is an ultra portable pro...
  • Reply 25 of 131
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ajhill View Post


    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.
  • Reply 26 of 131
    aegisdesignaegisdesign Posts: 2,914member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Booga View Post


    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.
  • Reply 27 of 131
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,309moderator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DdubRes79 View Post


    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.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DdubRes79 View Post


    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.
  • Reply 28 of 131
    suhailsuhail Posts: 192member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MacTel View Post


    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.
  • Reply 29 of 131
    suhailsuhail Posts: 192member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by aegisdesign View Post


    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
  • Reply 30 of 131
    bageljoeybageljoey Posts: 2,004member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by shanmugam View Post


    more sales if base model of MacBook goes Super Drive



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by a_greer View Post


    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"
  • Reply 31 of 131
    backtomacbacktomac Posts: 4,579member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by wayland.ind View Post


    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?
  • Reply 32 of 131
    lundylundy Posts: 4,466member
    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.}
  • Reply 33 of 131
    backtomacbacktomac Posts: 4,579member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by lundy View Post


    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.
  • Reply 34 of 131
    satchmosatchmo Posts: 2,699member
    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
  • Reply 35 of 131
    backtomacbacktomac Posts: 4,579member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by satchmo View Post


    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!
  • Reply 36 of 131
    mr. hmr. h Posts: 4,870member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by lundy View Post


    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.
  • Reply 37 of 131
    mr. hmr. h Posts: 4,870member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by satchmo View Post


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



    a) SuperDrives across the line

    b) a 15" model OPTION



    Agreed



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by satchmo View Post


    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.
  • Reply 38 of 131
    junkiejunkie Posts: 122member
    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.
  • Reply 39 of 131
    trobertstroberts Posts: 702member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by a_greer View Post


    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!
  • Reply 40 of 131
    palegolaspalegolas Posts: 1,361member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by lundy View Post


    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.}



    The customer then notices that there is no option for the glossy screen.. gets mad and wanders home with a glossy iMac with tears in the eyes. The customer wanted to save a few bucks and went for the more reasonable sized 20" iMac and realized at home that the vertical viewing angle was like 2 degrees..



    The new iMac looks great, but I'm happy I've got the previous version. An xMac would be neat for gamers though.. could work..
Sign In or Register to comment.