Posted on 04/01/2008 3:47:34 AM PDT by HAL9000
Excerpt -
The iPhone gets the most press and the iPod sells in the largest quantities, but it’s the Macintosh that really drives Apple’s growth, says Gene Munster.In the second installment of a multipart report on Apple’s “3 Cylinder Engine,” Piper Jaffray’s chief Apple (AAPL) analyst looks at the Mac business over the next couple of years and likes what he sees. In particular:
Growth: After Apple introduced the Intel Macs, Mac sales grew 37% in 2007, more than double the industry-wide rate of 15%. Munster is modeling 2.0 to 2.1 million Macs for the March quarter (vs. the Street’s 1.95 million). He believes Apple will continue to outpace its competitors with upgraded iMacs and Mac minis in the next 3 months and redesigned MacBooks and MacBook Pros in time for the ‘08 education season.
Market Share: According to IDC, Apple’s worldwide market share grew from 2.4% in 2006 to 2.9% in 2007. (See chart below.) Munster is conservatively modeling global market share to remain flat this year, but he notes that enterprise sales account for 70% of the worldwide market, a segment Apple is not aggressively targeting. In the consumer market, where Apple does compete, he estimates the Mac’s share is now 10% worldwide and an impressive 21% in the U.S.
Sales Price: While Apple has gained market share over the past three years, it has also been able to resist the industry trend of decreasing sales prices. In fact, it actually increased its average sales price (ASP) by more than $150 from December ‘05 to December ‘07. “The combination of increasing ASPs and rising market share is evidence of a compelling product line,” writes Munster.
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(Excerpt) Read more at apple20.blogs.fortune.cnn.com ...
How significant an upgrade are we looking at for the MacBook Pros? I am looking at getting a new one, but can gut out a wait if significantly different ones are coming in June or July.
According to the rumors, the MacBook Pros will be getting the newest version of Intel’s Penryl processor this summer. That would be a significant upgrade.
April Fools!
Happy April Fools Day to you too. Apple, Inc. was founded on this date in 1976. Today is their 32nd anniversary.
But I doubt that the Piper Jaffray report is a joke. The SEC and NASD have no sense of humor about fabricating market research.
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