How Apple’s Mac outgrew PC market seven fold

Apple Holiday Sale 2009“Needham’s Charlie Wolf was as surprised as anyone when Apple reported that it had sold a record 3.05 million Macintosh computers in its fiscal fourth quarter — a 16.4% increase compared with just 2.3% growth in the PC market,” Philip Elmer-DeWitt reports for Fortune.

“So he took a close look at how Apple did it, and on Tuesday in a detailed report to clients he offered his answer: the home market,” Elmer-DeWitt reports.

The twin drivers of the Mac’s rebound were the home market’s continued share gains in the PC market and the Mac’s share gains in the home market itself. Shipments in the worldwide home market increased 18.1% compared to an 11.5% decline in all other PC segments, while Mac shipments in the home market increased 28.8%. In the Western European home market, shipments rose an impressive 58.9%. – Needham & Co.’s senior analyst Charlie Wolf, December 1, 2009

Elmer-DeWitt reports, “Apple’s dollar share of the home market is growing even faster than its unit share. Today, Apple gets one out every ten dollars spent on home computers worldwide. In the U.S., its dollar share is more than one in five.”

Wolf’s findings are driven home by a series of charts and graphs, see them in the full article here.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “James W.” and “Brawndo Drinker” for the heads up.]


  1. Spell-check, dude !!

    “Cleaver” .. is a kitchen utensil, usually used for cutting meat … (It’s also “Beaver’s” last name)

    “Clever” .. (on the other hand) has several meanings .. one of which is..

    “… superficially skillful, witty, or original in character or construction; facile: It was an amusing, clever play, but of no lasting value……”” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”big surprise” style=”border:0;” />

  2. “Falkirk
    Apple just keeps raking in the money and smashing expectations at every turn. But people keep telling them to stop doing what they’re doing so successfully and lower their prices and go for market share.

    Did it ever occur to those of you that have advice for Apple that Apple is doing pretty damn well without your advice?”

    Welcome to America, dumbass: Freedom of Speech. Just a little while longer, about 2012 it’s all over when Obama channels Caesar and declares himself a God and Dictator for life.

    Opinions are like a-holes, everbody’s got one. Wipe your ass, yours won’t stink so much.

  3. Apple revenue share: 10% worldwide, 20% US

    Assuming Apple’s margins are 2 times industry average (because other companies margins are much lower and some are negative):

    Apple profit share: 20% worldwide, 40% US ???

    Whatever their profit share, it has to be huge at this point. And moving toward 50% in the US which is phenomenal.

  4. Well, more and more people are discovering that Apple makes the best computers around… well until Commodore returns from the dead with the venerable Amiga ” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” />

Reader Feedback
