Analysts cast doubt on '20 per cent' Mac market share claims
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09 Aug 2007, Shaun Nichols , V3
Data from two leading research firms has cast doubt on claims that Apple's retail market share has reached 21 per cent.
In a release praising Apple's use of Firewire 800 ports on the new iMac, industry group 1394 Trade Association claimed that Apple's share in the consumer market had reached 21 per cent.
A 1394 Trade Association spokesperson confirmed the figure to vnunet.com, citing a CNBC report that also listed HP's consumer retail market share at 37 per cent and Dell's at 11 per cent.
The group contends that the figures are only for retail sales, though that would not account for an 11 per cent share from Dell, which does virtually all its business directly.
A spokesperson for CNBC could not be reached to confirm the figures, and vnunet.com could not find a report containing the referenced data on CNBC's website.
Data from other research firms, however, appears to contradict 1394 Trade Association's claims. IDC analyst Doug Bell told vnunet.com that his firm recorded Apple's consumer market share for all of 2006 at just 6.3 per cent, with HP's at 27.5 per cent and Dell's at 25.5. In the first quarter of 2007, Apple saw its market share grow, but only to 7.6 per cent. IDC does not yet have data from Q2.
Research firm Gartner also cast doubt on the possibility that Apple's market share had exploded. The firm did not yet have consumer-specific data for Q2 available, but the company did not have Apple among the top five in total sales.
Apple said that it sold 1.517m Macintoshes in Q2, representing just 2.5 per cent of the 61 million PC sales logged by Gartner. HP's market share was listed at 18.2 per cent and Dell's at 15 per cent.
Do you agree?
mac fanatic?
I suppose I'm a mac fanatic, but a 20% increase in share is pretty impressive. If Apple continues that trend - meaning if it doesn't accelerate, they will have about 18% marketshare in 5 years. But to tell you the truth, I could care less as long as Apple continues to be on the cutting edge of product development for PCs and other devices. it's a lot better than the 'we don't do product development - we just let others take the risk' mantra from Dell's CEO, which is why Dell nowadays is an assembly house with a big marketing/sales/support staff and zero innovation.
Posted by roger, 11 Aug 2007
Mac Fanatics?
Won't it be nice when Apple is at 20+ percent. The world will be a much less virus prone place and Microsoft will finally have some serious competition. Please don't call us Mac fanatics when negative comments like the one you made show me that you are truly bitter that Apple is succeeding and Dell is losing Market share. The real battle is a Microsoft / Apple one. Right now Apple is growing and that is good for all of us. It might even cause Microsoft to get off their ends and try to innovate again. That would give us another hearty chuckle.
Posted by Brad, 11 Aug 2007
In reference to "Sloppy Thinking"
It was the 1394 Trade Association that quoted a 21% consumer retail share. NOT Apple fanboys, as you mistated. The 1394 Trade Association is responsible for promoting the 1394 standard for the entire industry, not just for the Mac industry. That includes the PC market as well. So let's not jump the gun and start blaming Apple fanboys. And let's face it, no matter where you are getting your numbers, Apple's market share is on the rise. And as usual, it's Apple who is willing to adopt a new, faster standard before the rest of the industry. (Kinda like the original 1394 standard).
Posted by Lance, 10 Aug 2007
Sloppy thinking
Let's see. Used to have 6.3% now have 7.6%. Now isn't that a 21% growth in share, rather than a 21% share. I am always impressed by the immensity of wishful thinking from the Mac fanatics. They seem incapable of handling percentages. Maybe that's just my perception. : )
Posted by Wandering, 10 Aug 2007
Consumer Sales
I actually think that the 21% number isn't far off. Remember that they aren't talking about sales made from a retail location. They are talking about sales to consumers as opposed to business customers. Dell did not attempt to cater to that market until business sales started to slow. And they have never been hugely successful in the consumer market. So if you remove all sales to business customers, all POS machines, all server sales, etc. then Apple is doing quite well. Apple of course has not even tried to push enterprise sales for many years now.
Posted by Kevin Thomas, 10 Aug 2007
sloppy math at CNBC
Rather than the work of over-zealous Mac fanboys, the mistake appears to be that of inattentive writers and editors at CNBC. Some remedial math may be in order for the finance department :-)
Posted by Todd A, 11 Aug 2007
re: Sloppy thinking
previous comment: "I am always impressed by the immensity of wishful thinking from the Mac fanatics"
Perhaps its wishful thinking (or simply a mistake), but it takes some "sloppy thinking" to attribute the figures to "mac fanatics." It's the 1394 Trade Association. According their website, members include "Sony, Microsoft, JVC, Matsushita, Apple, Samsung, Canon, Pioneer, Nissan, Shure, among other well respected electronics institutions."
Yeah, just a bunch of Mac fanatics!
Posted by dennis, 12 Aug 2007