Apple’s Year of the PowerBook brings us all to fifth place in the market. Are we thrilled or disappointed?
Seems rather anti-climactic doesn’t it?
An article at c|net News.com has sales figures for vendors of laptop computers, and Apple is holding down the fort at fifth place.
Number one is HP – which I find a little odd because I never see any HP/Compaq laptops at all when I’m out and about. Everyone I know with a Windows laptop has a Dell Latitude or IBM Thinkpad!
Most distressing is that Apple is holding a narrow 7% of the total laptop market, and in the Year of the PowerBook, that can’t be good. When the only vendors Apple can beat in sales is Gateway and Sony, you have to wonder if the strategy was flawed, or what Apple really hopes to accomplish.
Will the likely announcements of improvements to the PowerBook line help Apple finish up the proclaimed Year in higher standing? Don’t hold your breath. I have to wonder if the Year of the PowerBook was a way for Apple to pick a fight it had a better chance at winning – and there is still a chance to gain some ground by the end of the year.
Regardless of the market position of our PowerBooks, we obviously use them because they run a great OS, applications we need, and are as sexy as all get-out. I haven’t seen a Dell force the passer-by to double-take in, well… ever.
Does anyone have the sales figures for PowerBooks this year compared to last year? Has Apple gained any momentum with their sales? I’d love to hear what you discover – leave a comment below! –Emory