Apple's holiday Mac sales flatline

Windows PC comeback

By Austin Modine • Get more from this author

16th December 2008 19:25 GMT

There's a good chance little Suzie won't get the Mac desktop she wanted for Christmas, according to industry bean-counter NPD. The firm's US sales statistics for November show Windows PCs retook ground against Macs in the lead-up to the holidays.

Mac sales were down 1 per cent November compared to 2007, while Windows PCs were up 7 per cent year-over-year. NPD credits Cupertino's lackluster performance on Apple being harder hit by declining desktop sales.

The total number of desktops pushed out in November dropped 20 per cent reports NPD, with Windows boxes falling 15 per cent and Mac desktop sales down a whopping 38 per cent year-over-year.

The notebook and netbook market remains red-hot. Apple notebook sales were up 22 per cent in November, while Windows PCs rose 15 per cent, according to NPD numbers.

On Cupertino's lack of growth this month, some are quick to point out that Apple had a fantastic October, outgrowing the market by almost 3X thanks to initial demand for its new model of MacBook.

Then there's the Macworld Expo opening January 5 with its usual promised trill of new Apple kit. While its perfectly logical Apple's premium-priced kit finds fewer customers in today's economy, the numbers could also be somewhat of a reflection of Mac owners doing their homework and waiting rather than a resurgence of Windows love. ®