Apple and Overall PC Industry Post Solid Shipment Gains in Fourth Quarter 2009
Research firms Gartner and IDC yesterday released their preliminary quarterly personal computer shipment data, offering up a picture of market performance during the fourth quarter of 2009 and for the year. As usual, the two firms' data sets contain some differences, but both reveal a strong rebound for the PC industry, with worldwide shipments growing between 15 and 22% and U.S. shipments growing approximately 25% between the fourth quarters of 2008 and 2009.
Apple's U.S. Market Share Trend: 1Q06-4Q09 (Gartner)
According to Gartner's report, Apple slipped behind Toshiba into fifth place in the U.S. market in grabbing a 7.5% share, down 0.2% over the year-ago quarter. The number is also down from an 8.8% share in the previous quarter, although Apple typically sees a decline in market share in the fourth quarter of each year as it comes off of the strength of its third quarters buoyed by educational sales.
Gartner's Preliminary U.S. PC Vendor Unit Shipment Estimates for 4Q09 (Thousands of Units)
Apple's U.S. unit growth for the quarter was 23.3% year-over-year, trailing only slightly the U.S. industry growth of 26.5%, but fell victim to astounding 70.7% growth from Toshiba that propelled the Japanese computer maker past Apple for the quarter.
IDC's report paints a slightly different picture, showing Apple gaining market share in the U.S. as it slightly outpaced overall industry performance. According to IDC, Apple's U.S. shipments grew 31% year-over-year for the fourth quarter, ahead of the 24% growth of the overall industry and allowing Apple to move from 7.0% market share in the fourth quarter of 2008 to 7.4% in the fourth quarter of 2009. As in Gartner's study, however, Apple was still leapfrogged by Toshiba's 71.5% growth, pushing the Mac maker into fifth place in the U.S. market.
For the year, IDC's numbers show Apple edging out Toshiba for the fourth position in the U.S. market, claiming 8.0% market share on over 5.5 million computers shipped. That number was up slightly from 7.9% for calendar year 2008, and came on 8.2% unit growth. As usual, neither Gartner nor IDC covered Apple's worldwide performance for the fourth quarter or the full year, as the company does not rank in the top 5 by global shipments.
Apple's U.S. Market Share Trend: 1Q06-4Q09 (Gartner)
According to Gartner's report, Apple slipped behind Toshiba into fifth place in the U.S. market in grabbing a 7.5% share, down 0.2% over the year-ago quarter. The number is also down from an 8.8% share in the previous quarter, although Apple typically sees a decline in market share in the fourth quarter of each year as it comes off of the strength of its third quarters buoyed by educational sales.
Gartner's Preliminary U.S. PC Vendor Unit Shipment Estimates for 4Q09 (Thousands of Units)
Apple's U.S. unit growth for the quarter was 23.3% year-over-year, trailing only slightly the U.S. industry growth of 26.5%, but fell victim to astounding 70.7% growth from Toshiba that propelled the Japanese computer maker past Apple for the quarter.
IDC's report paints a slightly different picture, showing Apple gaining market share in the U.S. as it slightly outpaced overall industry performance. According to IDC, Apple's U.S. shipments grew 31% year-over-year for the fourth quarter, ahead of the 24% growth of the overall industry and allowing Apple to move from 7.0% market share in the fourth quarter of 2008 to 7.4% in the fourth quarter of 2009. As in Gartner's study, however, Apple was still leapfrogged by Toshiba's 71.5% growth, pushing the Mac maker into fifth place in the U.S. market.
For the year, IDC's numbers show Apple edging out Toshiba for the fourth position in the U.S. market, claiming 8.0% market share on over 5.5 million computers shipped. That number was up slightly from 7.9% for calendar year 2008, and came on 8.2% unit growth. As usual, neither Gartner nor IDC covered Apple's worldwide performance for the fourth quarter or the full year, as the company does not rank in the top 5 by global shipments.
Top Rated Comments
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31 months ago
Apple continuing to hold steady despite a crappy economy that has demolished the sale of luxory goods and despite the supposed rise of the crackerjack box netbook is pretty impressive.
31 months ago
Apple has been enjoying record Mac sales, quarter afer quarter, in a recession, outpacing the rest of the industry. It seems that netbook sales were ven stronger, for obvious (and rather disturbing) reasons.
According to IDC, Apple's U.S. shipments grew 31% year-over-year for the fourth quarter, ahead of the 24% growth of the overall industry and allowing Apple to move from 7.0% market share in the fourth quarter of 2008 to 7.4% in the fourth quarter of 2009.
I worry for the other box-makers pushing netbooks. Not a healthy way to do business over the long-term. Vendors making damaging price cuts to increase share is not all that impressive, and a strategy that only results in an inflated and artificial picture of actual performance.
Dell, Acer and HP are in a race to the bottom, and have essentially had zero impact on Apple's ownership of the Premium end of the market.
And since when has Apple ever competed with $300 crippleware? Those who opted for a netbook were never going to buy a fully-featured PC (much less a Mac) anyway. Cheap commodity units always sell, no matter what the state of the economy.
The market is quite ready for a shakeup. Bring on the tablet.
According to IDC, Apple's U.S. shipments grew 31% year-over-year for the fourth quarter, ahead of the 24% growth of the overall industry and allowing Apple to move from 7.0% market share in the fourth quarter of 2008 to 7.4% in the fourth quarter of 2009.
I worry for the other box-makers pushing netbooks. Not a healthy way to do business over the long-term. Vendors making damaging price cuts to increase share is not all that impressive, and a strategy that only results in an inflated and artificial picture of actual performance.
Dell, Acer and HP are in a race to the bottom, and have essentially had zero impact on Apple's ownership of the Premium end of the market.
And since when has Apple ever competed with $300 crippleware? Those who opted for a netbook were never going to buy a fully-featured PC (much less a Mac) anyway. Cheap commodity units always sell, no matter what the state of the economy.
The market is quite ready for a shakeup. Bring on the tablet.
31 months ago
So how many of these Toshiba computers are $300 netbooks?
What about revenue instead of unit numbers?
31 months ago
Yea, but you know those numbers are not the whole truth since a lot of those are $300 netbooks!
31 months ago
Why?:
1) Apple have problem with shipment 27 imac
2) New macbook have some downsides no firewire an remote...
3) Mac pro is expensive compare new hardware (imac i7 score better in some test)
4) Some people waiting for tablet
1) Apple have problem with shipment 27 imac
2) New macbook have some downsides no firewire an remote...
3) Mac pro is expensive compare new hardware (imac i7 score better in some test)
4) Some people waiting for tablet
31 months ago
After having so many problems getting my girlfriend's brand new computer accept any operating system thrown at it (other than Vista 32-bit), I am saddened that we helped contribute to this increase in market share (actually...no...we bought in the UK). The idea that a company who, at this very moment, is still shipping Satellite Pros with Vista 32-bit is both disconcerting and disgraceful. I'm always pushing the Mac, but when people's finances are low and they HAVE to go PC, I have always felt confident suggesting Toshiba. Not any more. UGH!
31 months ago
Why?:
1) Apple have problem with shipment 27 imac
2) New macbook have some downsides no firewire an remote...
3) Mac pro is expensive compare new hardware (imac i7 score better in some test)
4) Some people waiting for tablet
Answer:
No one apart from nerds who hang around here know about any of that stuff.
31 months ago
Yea, but you know those numbers are not the whole truth since a lot of those are $300 netbooks!
A loss of only 0.2% marketshare in the wake of all this cheap commodity junk flooding the market (recession-bait) is pretty damned impressive. Apple sidestepped the whole netbook craze, ended up selling Macs in record numbers, retained the Premium market, retained their overall share, and are now poised to unleash what could be a total mobile computing game-changer.
If you read the numbers behind the numbers, it isn't looking too good for the other box makers.
Why?:
1) Apple have problem with shipment 27 imac
2) New macbook have some downsides no firewire an remote...
3) Mac pro is expensive compare new hardware (imac i7 score better in some test)
4) Some people waiting for tablet
Why what?
Apple ended up selling more Macs, quarter after quarter - record sales, and this quarter that's about to end is expected to be another record-breaker for Mac sales. There has been no problem at all with Apple's Mac sales. Your points don't really add up when it comes to Apple's numbers. It's simply that the flood of cheap netbooks is a reality, and while it's not really hurting Apple, it's definitely hurting the other box-makers. You need to move a helluva lot of netbooks to make even half-decent numbers.
There is nothing Apple or anyone else can do about the onslaught of cheap, disposable junk that has flooded the market during a recession. This is what's so worrying. Netbooks are ruining the industry.
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