Comments on: For Better or Worse, Macs Dominate High-End Sales

By: Alan

Alan — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:39:31 +0000

“…Our goal is not to build the most computers, it’s to build the best.”As I was reading this quote, I was utterly shocked. “To build the best.” To build the best and to charge a lot of money for a high-end notebook computer, Apple is in the dark. Apple uses shared video memory for its notebook lines (yes, no real graphics memory!), never reveals the Intel processor class, and other stuff. For a similar configured PC notebook, Apple is so much more expensive (who buy Apple notebook thinking it is the best are suckers because they are making a nice fat profit for Apple). And you are tied up with Apple propriety softwares etc. Let alone you will have to buy separate adapters to attach other devices to your Apple notebook. Also the battery is inside that notebook. What a cool idea. Let the motherboard heat up and melt components inside. Battery should be attached outside so the heat can escape easier.Oh by the way, Apple is behind in the notebook lines. No HD notebooks. No HDMI connector. And Apple notebook does snot support 720p. But if you think Apple is still cool and it is the best, buy it. And buy the extra adapters too.

By: MunchE

MunchE — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 19:58:09 +0000

lol, if you can’t afford a Mac, get a better job? Sounds like a new slogan if I ever heard one.

Good to see that “the poor” are even welcome in your exclusive little club if they save up enough.

By: James Katt

James Katt — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 14:29:30 +0000

If you can’t afford a Mac, get a better job.

Even if you dispute the relevance or truth of the domination of the high end PC market by Macs, what can’t be disputed is that Apple makes a TON of money and profit from the Mac. And sales of Macs have gone up.

Apple is more profitable than Microsoft. For a company which has only 5 percent of the PC Market, Apple makes half of Microsoft’s revenue and profits.

This means Apple’s strategy of only building the best machines works extremely well.

In this recession, Microsoft has lost income, but Apple has GAINED income.

Bottom line: Building the Best Computers and making huge profits on them is Apple’s marching orders.

What is interesting is that Apple may sell the most expensive gear, but they still sell a lot – even to the poor, who will save and save until they can get an Apple product rather than having to settle for a Windows Box.

By: Jason Burns

Jason Burns — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 21:57:41 +0000

For an interesting perspective on these numbers NPD published, take a look at some research I did on Best Buy and how that figure measures into the overall sales of computers….

http://www.philoking.com/2009/07/23/a-look-at-stupid-statistics-npds-flawed-view-that-91-percent-of-over-1000-computers-are-apples-means-success/

Jason

By: Jason Harris

Jason Harris — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:27:40 +0000

I read an opinion article on this which pretty much sums it up:

Apple is happy with their high margin premium laptops.

There’s a lot of Apple faithful who want to evangelize a Mac in every home. There are also plenty of people who like being in their own exclusive little club, if you don’t believe me look at any “Should Apple make a netbook thread?”

Apple is trying to position themselves as a luxury marque in the PC world. You have your glowing white Apple on your laptop at the local coffee shop, and people go “oooo!” and you can sip your latte with pride. Apple goes downmarket, suddenly everyone has them and your $1500 laptop looks basically like the $500 laptop that the guy over there has? Well there goes the appeal of the $1500 laptop.

The reality is, most people don’t give a damn about OSX vs. Windows, they just want a computer that works. And if Apple dilutes the brand image and compares just based on hardware and cost, they’ll lose every time like the Windows commercials are pointing out.

Apple is going to stay a premium brand, imo. The closest thing to a downmarket move we’ll see is some sort of super-iPhone. They want to be the Mercedes of PCs, and have made lots of money doing it so far. I see no need for them to change. The only reason people keep buying a C class over a Camry is because the brand image…lose the image, lose your selling power. Same applies to Apple….once the brand stops carrying a premium aura, there isn’t really much of a compelling reason to buy.

By: Champs

Champs — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:34:39 +0000

I think the desktop, if not the workstation, is doomed. A respectable price drop on the 24″ ACD (and DVI input… $899, are you kidding me?) would go a long way toward killing it for me, and maybe the whole iMac line if a 20 incher were added.