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.