RSSAnalysts: PC growth rate eclipses Macs in November
By Jacqueline Emigh | Published December 16, 2008, 11:04 AM
In a surprising twist, Windows PCs regained ground against Macs during the month of November, says a leading analyst firm. Yet regardless of a difficult economy, notebook PCs of both persuasions showed strong sales.
In somewhat of a reversal of recent trends, sales of Apple's Macintosh computers fell flat in November, with no movement either up or down, whereas those of Windows PCs -- specifically, PCs with Windows pre-installed, as opposed to Linux PCs -- increased to the tune of 7 percent, according to new statistics from analyst firm NPD Group.
The reason, according to NPD statistics, is that the decline in desktop PC sales overall is hitting Apple harder than anyone else. Specifically, sales of Windows desktop PCs slid 15%, while sales of Mac desktops took a nosedive amounting to 38%. To make up for the decline, Windows notebooks stepped up by 15% and Mac notebooks climbed by 22%.
Why did Windows PCs fare better in November than Macs? While NPD didn't come out and say so, cost could well have played the major role, in light of the deepening financial crisis.
Meanwhile, the increased notebook sales overall in both the Windows and Mac camps stands out sharply against declining spending on many other types of consumer electronics products.
In a study conducted by NPD Group just before Black Friday -- an event that happens at the end of November -- 33% of consumers who'd previously considered buying a flat panel TV told the analyst firm that "because of the economy now they are definitely not going to buy one." Moreover, 25% of those who'd been looking at buying a higher-end camera on Black Friday had also changed their minds.
In a later report, issued after the big post-Thanksgiving shopping day, NPD found that notebook PC unit growth for the week of Black Friday increased almost 19% from the same period last year. Revenues from notebooks rose by 8%.
In contrast, although a few other categories -- such as GPS, plasma TVs, and digital picture frames -- also did well from November 23 through 29 of this year, overall revenues from consumer technology dropped 8% from last year's Black Friday week, the analysts said.
NPD's numbers somewhat mirror those of analyst group IDC. In a revised forecast issued earlier this month, IDC projected that in the US market, overall PC shipments will fall from 69.1 million in 2008 to 67.1 million in 2009. Desktop and x86 server shipments will drop from 34.4 million to 30.1 million, but portable PC shipments will rise from 34.7 million to 37.0 million.
gee i wonder why?! lets see there is this $700 PC that does what i want but i could also get this mac that also does what i want and looks good but costs $1500+. decisions, Decisions
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|Yup, in this case the decision may be far too kompleekated for you!
YOUR needs may be sufficient for a netbook - or for that matter, from the sound of it, the new Intel lunchbox computer aimed at little kids - but some may need a more powerful computer, be it made by Apple or Lenovo or even Dell or any of the myriad other PC manufacturers who are making and selling laptops that easily push $6K!
So, you sit and ponder just which netbook will satisfy all of your needs...and then go pick up all of your toys and and put them back into the box and pick your clothes off the floor and hang them on the proper hooks with the pictures of giraffes and elephants and tigers above them..
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|Oh my god...I am flabergasted by the sheer number of computer illiterates still out there.
People, Apple is just a marketing company and that's all.
I am truly amazed that people buy these obsolete buggy iGarbage from apple...Hats off to their marketing department for conning and brainwashing so many idiots out there...But, I bought an HP iPaq for a couple of hundred dollars - it came with a phone, full featured GPS with voice directions, and oh yea a full Windows Mobile OS long before Crapple's iPhone ever existed.
And why would anyone pay over $3000 for a crippled, obsolete-out-of the box Apple Mac OS X computer? I bought an HP pavillion laptop, fully loaded, with DVD/Blue Ray, Super Hi-res wide screen, 2 Gig RAM, HD Tuner, built-in web cam etc. etc. etc. for under $1000
And Apple Mac OS X is based on FreeBSD, an open-source Unix look-alike, available FREE for the PC back in 1992, with a artsy-fartsy GUI. Whoopy Doo..
It is too expensive, too buggy, and the only software available is a bunch of dinky puzzles written by 14 year olds. No engineering or scientific applications available for "Mac OS X"...
Apple has a long history of fraud, racism and corruption...Steve Jobs and Nancy Heinen (and her shyster subordinates) are both knowing criminal participants in the stock options scam, and were caught trying to cover it up.
They were caught red-handed in early 2006 when a former employee who was cheated out of all of his stock after being wrongfully dismissed, filed a lawsuit against Apple Con-puter.
In short, dont waste your time and money on apple...
PS: If Apple was supposed to be "invulnerable" to viruses, why are there so many security fixes being passed around? Even with all of Apple's virus and spyware vulnerabilities...which i'Tard would target a virus against an con-puter "OS" used by 2% of people out there?
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|Wow. Reposting the same troll in as many threads as you can?
Neat trick.
When you actually learn to use your brain, get back to us. Until then? Take it back to slashdot.
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|Your best criticism is that OSX is based upon FreeBSD???? Hell, that's the best aspect of the OS!
The GUI that makes it so user friendly that a computer illiterate grandmother can use it is simply candy!
...And no scientific applications are available for UNIX? Really? ...The platform that has dominated scientific tools... You can run them under OSX.
Oh.
Tool is right, when you have anything to say remotely resembling sentience, try again...
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|"In a surprising twist ..." - how is this surpising ... it was an absolute abberation that Apple's toy computers would ever outsell the productive Windows based ones in the first place. Doesn't anybody walk around the any large head office or large company in the world ... you won't find an Apple anywhere except perhaps in the corporate daycare.
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|it was an absolute abberation that Apple's toy computers would ever outsell
Higher growth rate != outsell.
Thanks.
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|That's because Apple is / was trendy with it's unique products. Now everyone makes an iPhone clone and Windows notebooks are styled to look like Macs.
What's better for the masses than being able to afford high priced Apple toys? The appearance of being able to afford high priced Apple toys.
Windows and MS aren't going anywhere, Apple computers have a small cult following and the iPod saled have plateud. They keep trying to get people to replace their old ones with shiny new veneer but in a sluggish economy it's a no go.
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|Paul is right.....gasp ;-))
It should not be surprising that the lower priced computers dominate in a gift season.
What is really surprising is the converse - that the the Macs are able to sustain as much growth as they have -especially as so few Windows users have actually used OSX. Especially with the anemic new MacBooks that are being offered.
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|Windows > *
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
P.S. Somebody give me a MAC!!! ;|
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|Somebody give me a MAC!!!
Here ya go!
08:00:69:02:01:FC
Happy Holidays!
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|I'm going to sue you for making me spill coffee on my laptop... through my nose. ;)
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|Ouch.
Uh...good luck with that? ;)
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|let me say in advance: internetworld7, shut up.
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|May I suggest this is because Laptops are being given as presents to children at Christmas, and adults generally don't spend £800 per child on Christmas presents (the cost of a Mac Laptop)*?
*If you do, you're mad
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|Good points, and PC laptops have never been cheaper, unless you want a Linux netbook for $300-400.
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|Getting one for the wife. One of the EeePCs.
She saw it at the store a month ago and said, "That's so cute! I'd love to have one of those."
*shrugs*
She doesn't do much more than browse the web, so "cute" will work just fine for her I am sure.
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|...Hope she doesn't read this and spoil the surprise... ;-)
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|Unless they repost the comment on craigslist, freemarket, or the like, I believe I am safe. :D
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