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"nospam" <nospam@nospam.invalid> wrote in message 
news:170720100343562404%nospam@nospam.invalid...
> In article <iQc0o.12771$wm1.3124@newsfe01.iad>, Todd Allcock
> <elecconnec@AnoOspamL.com> wrote:
>
>> Here's one from January 2010, that shows Apple's market share relatively
>> flat; 7.9% in 2008, and 8.0% 2009.
>>
>> <http://arstechnica.com/hardware/news/2010/01/while-pc-market-rebounds-
>> apple-slips-into-5th-place-in-us.ars>
>
> now go look at the economy for that time. sales were down overall, and
> apple has a lot of educational sales which cut back dramatically during
> that time. nevertheless, they didn't drop as much as some thought they
> would.

PC makers increased sales and share at the time.

>> > >   Amazon represents a tiny portion of
>> > > all computer sales.
>> >
>> > maybe so but it's a good indication of what's selling and what isn't.
>>
>> Individual models, yes, but this is another example of where selling a
>> limited number of models skews the data.  Apple sells how many laptop
>> models?  A half-dozen?  How many models does HP sell?  Thirty?
>
> which makes it all that much more impressive.

You missed the point.  A larger pool of models cannibalize sales from each 
other.  If Apple sells 1000 $999 Macbook model X on Amazon, and HP sells 500 
$899 model X, 500 $949 model Y and 500 $999 model Z, HP sold 1500 laptops, 
but Apple has the "best selling model."


> apple has 28% of the smartphone market (june numbers) with *one* model
> phone, and in the usa, only on one carrier.

Yes, because there only is one model.  If RIM sells 1.5 million Curves, 1.5 
Bolds, and 1.5 million Storms, and Apple sells 3 million iPhone 4s, Apple 
has the largest selling MODEL, but RIM has the higher sales.  (All numbers 
pulled firmly from my backside for illustrative purposes only.)


> nokia, rim, motorola, htc, etc. have how many different models? and on
> how many different carriers?

A bunch.  It's just different means to the same end.  Apple doesn't just 
sell one iPod, so they see value in differentiation as well.

>> I was looking at low-end laptops for my daughters the other day to
>> replace the six year-old Dell Inspiron they're using.  At Office Depot
>> alone there were six models of HP/Compaq laptops (not counting netbooks!)
>> between $350 and $600.
>
> yea and? how many are you going to buy? one.

My point exactly.  If I buy the $380 one, the guy next to me buys the $400, 
and the guy after him buys the $350 one, HP sells three units, but if Office 
Depot had an Amazon-style sales ranking board, it would count each model as 
selling one, letting two entry-level Macbooks sold at that Office Depot 
"lead" the sales ranking.board.


>> > where does it say that the vast majority of computers are under $1000?
>>
>> Simple math would show that.  If Apple sells 91% of computers over $1K,
>> but only sells 8% of computers total, simple math tells us the vast
>> majority are under $1K.
>
> no, because a lot of those pcs are not desktop computers, they're
> kiosks, servers, etc, and those are areas in which apple doesn't bother
> that much, or at all.

True, but the market is what it is.  If Apple chooses not to compete, it 
might be because they can't.  Redefine the market enough, and anyone you 
want comes out on top.  Is there some reason a Mac can't function as a 
kiosk, or a POS terminal?  I'm sure Apple also leads the market in sales of 
computers with fruit depicted on them, or sales of brands whose advertising 
includes John Hodgman.


>> > actually it isn't, but more importantly, it's where the profit is. do
>> > you think asus is making a lot of money selling $200 netbooks?
>>
>> Not individually, but in aggregate?  Yes.  If ASUS is selling ten $200
>> netbooks for every $1500 Macbook Air, the question is does ASUS make more
>> on ten netbooks as Apple does on one Air?  (Probably not!)  ;)
>
> the margin on netbooks is paper thin and it's cannibalizing sales of
> more profitable products. it's not a good business model.

The netbook manufacturers have done a lousy job of crippling their netbooks 
so as to not compete with larger PCs, but according to a few studies, most 
who buy a netbook as a cheap laptop substitute are dissatisfied  Netbooks, 
like the iPad, are "bridge" products that are more functional than a 
smartphone, but less hassle to lug around than a laptop.  The problem is 
that netbooks are only "crippled" by their low specs.  They haven't been 
artificially neutered to limit functionality. (Although we could argue Win 7 
Basic was a step in that direction!)  Apple certainly took that lesson to 
heart with the iPad.  Here's a device half the price of a Macbook, and 
specifically crippled as to not compete with Macbook sales.