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Apple Mac Quality Doesn't Sell in Hard Times

February 19, 2009 RSS Feed Print

Love isn't enough to sustain Mac desktops

Reports show that Apple's Mac sales are suffering more than competitors as consumers pinch their pennies, even as consumers love their Macs more than competitors.

NPD Group says Apple sales have fallen more than 30 percent over the past four months, according to ChannelWeb. The issues have nothing to do with quality, says NPD analyst Stephen Baker:

"Right now buyers are not looking for price and value," he said. "Something may not be the best product out there, but if it has a low price point they will be willing to spend."

That conclusion is reinforced by a report from ChangeWave Research that shows Apple customers much happier than others:

In terms of customer satisfaction, there’s no question which company is the industry leader.

Among respondents who bought an Apple Mac over the past 90 days, 81% say they are Very Satisfied. This compares to a 55% Very Satisfied rating for Dell and 52% for H-P.

It's sad to think that value is a luxury that we can't afford in a recession. Or maybe out-of-work buyers simply have more time to wrestle with Windows.

Tags:: Apple Inc.,; technology,; computers

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I wish Apple would lower prices too, but I don't see the "identical machines" around that Brian references.
I guess things like the rigid unibody Aluminum construction, backlight keyboard lighting, elegant lines and attention to hundreds of little details on my Macbook Pro pleased me enough to convince me to pay more for the experience, even though yes, the internals are mostly the same. Hey I like what I like, and I shouldn't have to apologize for being willing to pay for it.
There is a reason people convert to Macs, and it's not because they suddenly lost the ability to add--it's because they perceived the value in things other than the internals common to all computers. That's where Apple tries hardest, and where they often succeed in distinguishing themselves from the competition. If you don't think the value added by this is worth it, don't buy from Apple. But if you won't even acknowledge that differences exist, you have a different grasp on what is "reality" than I do. To wish Apple would lower prices to a reasonable level so that you can then take advantages of the differences you claim don't exist is a little contradictory, don't you think;-)
Respectfully,
Dan

Daniel Beck of OH 6:54PM February 22, 2009

Here's the reality:
The hardware that Apple sells for $2,000 is identical to the hardware that HP and Dell sells for $600.
If Apple wants its sales to grow, rather than talk trash about the competition (whose machines are identical), or Windows (which improves every month), why not lower prices to a reasonable level and stop playing "super-cool ultra expensive elitist?"

Brian of CA 1:09AM February 22, 2009

Please note that the original Channelweb article you link to was pretty selective about what it was reporting, skewing your conclusions. The quarterly decline of 30% was only for desktop Macs, not ALL Apples as you mistakenly reported, and no mention was made about upbeat sales of MacBooks, which are doing far better than notebook offerings of competitors.
I think people certainly are being more selective about their money, but far from the conclusion you draw, I think people are doing their homework and discovering that Apple's notebook offerings provide the long-term value that really IS desirable in downbeat economic times. While EVERYONE is going to have lower sales, I don't think Apple is going to suffer as much as others, because looking for better value in long-lasting quality tools is becoming MORE important, and as the customer satisfaction survey you quote makes clear, Macs make more sense than anything else out there for more and more consumers.
Of course, I'm not talking about the DIY-ers who can select quality parts and build their own high-value systems--for them Macs probably offer little--but they're in the same category as those who grow their own vegetables: they can get by more cheaply with better quality because they have invested in a special set of skills and possess the patience to do the necessary work. Most consumers have other priorities, I suspect.
As this plays out, it should become pretty clear whether folks are paying attention to long-term value or not. I hope your pessimism about this is unwarranted, but in any case, I don't think it is supported by the reports you cite.
Sincerely,
Dan Beck

Daniel Beck of OH 1:24PM February 20, 2009

Apple Mac Quality Doesn't Sell in Hard Times

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