Apple's Mac Surge: 4 Observations

Apple's record-breaking Mac sales last quarter were a surprise -- but 2015 could be even bigger.



Apple iPad Air 2: Visual Tour (Click image for larger view and slideshow.)

"I usually go through a few updates," Apple CEO Tim Cook said a few minutes into last month's iPhone event. "But we have so much to cover today, I'm dispensing with those, other than to tell you, everything's great."

No kidding. The massive iPhone sales that Apple announced this week as part of its quarterly earnings are impressive but not shocking. But best-ever Mac sales? In a quarter in which the PC market shrank overall? That was a surprise.

Macs supplanted iPads to move up to number two, behind iPhones, in Apple's revenue chain. Granted, iPad sales slid 12.5% relative to last year -- but Apple still sold 12.32 million tablets during the quarter, a sum that exceeds the quarterly PC sales of all but the top two vendors, Lenovo and HP. Even with iPad revenue down, it's no small feat for Macs to have pulled ahead.

Moreover, Apple achieved its record Mac sales despite playing an outsider's role in the Windows XP upgrade frenzy that benefited many Windows OEMs. Viewed from any angle, it was indeed a "great" quarter for Macs.

[Tablet shopping? See iPad Air 2 Vs. Surface Pro 3: No Comparison.]

But what caused this uptick, and is it more than a short-term swing? What does this OS X momentum mean for Windows PCs and their perennial 90%-plus market share? Are rising Mac sales related to sliding iPad sales? Here are four observations about Apple's record-setting Mac sales.

1. Apple outclassed the rest of the PC industry.

According to research firm IDC, the overall PC industry shrank slightly in the most recent quarter -- which makes Apple's big 21% jump in units sold all the more impressive.

Smaller PC makers were responsible for most of the industry's quarterly losses, with the top five PC vendors all increasing shipments compared to the year-ago period. But Apple's 21% increase was almost twice that of any competitor.

What's more, top Windows PCs vendors improved only compared to last year's disastrous sales benchmarks -- not exactly a high bar. Apple, in contrast, earned its best Mac numbers against any historical comparison.

Businesses propelled much of the PC growth during the quarter, with Windows XP's end-of-life deadline driving an obvious uptick in demand for Windows 7 PCs. But Windows 8 and 8.1 PCs continue to post uninspiring sales. In an effort to stimulate consumer interest, Microsoft and its partners have started pushing ultra-cheap devices.

Apple's computers, on the other hand, still cost more than $1,200 on average. Macs have traditionally been more profitable than PCs on a per-unit basis, and if Mac sales volume continues to climb in 2015, Apple will lead the PC industry in profit by a truly epic margin.

Overall, Apple sold 5.52 million Macs, generating more than $6.6 billion in revenue. CFO Luca Maestri attributed the record-setting performance to strong back-to-school sales, particularly for Macbooks. Mac sales also enjoyed double-digit growth across most markets. Sales in emerging markets, where Apple has traditionally been a smaller player, were up 46%.

Apple claims its PC market share is higher than it's been since 1995, though it did not claim to possess a particular share of the market. According to IDC estimates released earlier this month, Apple was the fifth-largest PC vendor during the quarter, with a bit more than 6% market share. IDC underestimated Mac sales by several hundred thousand units,

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Michael Endler joined InformationWeek as an associate editor in 2012. He previously worked in talent representation in the entertainment industry, as a freelance copywriter and photojournalist, and as a teacher. Michael earned a BA in English from Stanford University in 2005 ... View Full Bio

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