When asked about the slumping economy during Apple's fourth-quarter earnings call in October, CEO Steve Jobs said the company's customers were loyal and would postpone purchases in hard times rather than switch to another brand. <P> It looks like he may be right. They are postponing purchases. <P> Sales of Apple's Macintosh computers in the U.S. were flat in November, while sales of PCs running Microsoft Windows grew 7 percent in November, according to a report issued by market researcher NPD Group. That's a marked change from recent years when Apple had been gaining market share against PCs. <P> Apple is taking a hit on the desktop. Sales of Mac desktop computers plunged 38 percent in November, according to the report, while sales of Windows desktop PCs declined only 15 percent. Sales growth for Mac notebooks outpaced that of Windows notebooks, 22 percent vs. 15 percent, but that wasn't enough to overcome Apple's falling desktop sales. <P> Apple has generally taken a premium-pricing approach in its sales and marketing strategy. NPD analyst Stephen Barker told Reuters that while consumers still apparently perceive Apple laptops as providing additional value, that's less true with iMac desktops that he said are in need of a refresh.
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10 Hot Items From CES 2012 Opening Night CRN provides a look at 10 items that caught our eye on opening night of CES 2012. |
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10 Weird, Wacky And Wonderful Things To See At CES 2012 CRN takes a look at the weirdest, wackiest, and intriguing products and events happening at this year's CES. |
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25 Must-See Products At CES 2012 It's that time of year again. Here are 25 hot items on tap for the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show. |
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