First time PC buyers going for Apple MacBooks – That’s a worry for the PC Industry
Last week, Apple posted its quarterly results and they came in better then expected, thanks to a resurgence in computer needs. The company is doing well, especially in iPhone and iPad sales.
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But the one worry spot — for Windows OEMs — is first-time buyers of the Mac is “just south of 50%” of new sales according to Apple CEO Tim Cook. That number is even higher in China.
There is considerable risk here for Windows PCs, especially since Apple is rumored to be launching a refreshed MacBook Pro later this year with an M2 processor. But there is some greater context, too, that suggests Apple still has a big hill to climb before it truly disrupts Windows PCs.
Apple certainly did well for itself last quarter, pulling in $9.1 billion (vs. $6.86 billion estimated), up 70.1% year-over-year. Nearly half of those sales, according to Apple, were first-time buyers. Apple has a traditionally strong lock-in with its audience, so any sales of devices should be taken with a grain of salt. Many purchases are simply upgrades of existing Macs as the company has a very generous trade-in program.
But as Cook notes, over 40% being first-time buyers is significant, and it suggests the hype around its Apple M1 processor help fueled heightened interest. One could propose that consumers in the US may be put some of those pandemic stimulus checks to good use, but that does not explain the “more around two-thirds” number of first-time buyers in China.
To read the rest of the Windows Central article, click here.
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