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Most People Who Buy Their Own Premium Computer Buy a Mac

Quick Scan

Macs comprise 66% of Q1 '08 retail sales of "premium" PCs.

Apple laptops have had 50-60% growth.

If you consider that people who buy above $1000 PCs retail are free to choose whatever computer they want, then most people are choosing Macs these days.

Most People Who Buy Their Own Premium Computer Buy a Mac

OK, we know that the Mac has less than 10% of the personal computer market in the U.S., but when you look at people who are buying nicer computers the numbers are strongly shifting to the Mac's favor.
 
This comes from a report on eWeek discussing PC retail numbers, that is PCs sold through the retail channel like Best Buy and Apple stores. Admittedly, this doesn't include Enterprise purchases, which is organisations buying PCs for employees, or direct internet or phone sales like Dell's or Apple's for that matter. These other sales compromise the majority of PC sales.
 
But the two interesting things in this report is that Apple has 66% of the retail sales above $1000 in the first quarter of 2008, and that they've grown from 18% in 2006 to where they are now in 2 years. The growth rate in Mac sales has been incredible and far above the industry as a whole.
 

So what does this tell me? It tells me that when someone is buying a computer for themselves or their family, and they are willing to spend over $1000, buyers are overwhelmingly choosing Macs. And not just by a little: the number is two-thirds.

These are consumers voting with their own hard earned dollars. I think that is a more significant data point than the markets where the IT department decides for you what will be on your desk or what you buy when you've only got $500 to spend. These people aren't the bargain hunters. Ask Dell how serving that market is going. These are people with a more significant investment choosing what will be the computer they want to use.

I like the way this trend is pointing: most people who have the freedom to choose are choosing Macs.

 
 

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Your Comments:

I have to agree with Me on that point. The only reason I spent that kind of money was because I wanted a MacBook. Nothing else.


 MC
 05/21/2008  at  03:54 PM

These stats are quite inventive and, no offence, but your article is pure fluff. Overall Macs have %9 odd of the market yet by ignoring internet and phone sales (ie DELL!!) and putting the price mark up to $1000 (which conveniently includes ALL Macs!) you get a figure of 66%!

9% -> 66% is a HUGE working of the figures!


 Just Looking
 05/25/2008  at  10:34 PM

You could see it that way, or you could see it as leveling the playing field. Apple has only computers in the upper end of the $0-$100 range, so including that will severely impact the sales rates. By limiting it to over $1000, we can see what might happen if Apple did make computers in all price ranges.


 Adam
 05/26/2008  at  08:16 AM

John Gruber from Daring Fireball weighs in here:

http://daringfireball.net/2008/05/sixtysix


 Chris Kerins
 05/27/2008  at  03:27 PM

Who wants to buy a computer for 1000 dollars ?
I got a new tower for 400 dollars :
HD 300 go
2 go ram DDR 2
Core 2 Duo
DvD writer.

+ on new keyboard and mouse

Everything works perfect with my old screen.


 Poleorla
 06/16/2008  at  12:19 PM

Good for you. Check back in 4 years and see if it still works. And does it run OS X? Those two things would make it worth the extra money for me. I still have an eMac (7 years old) showing no signs of wear. My PC, however (2 years old) is falling to crap.


 Adam
 06/16/2008  at  12:22 PM

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