Macs atop Amazon \"Top Sellers\" list
Apple's Macintosh personal computers are becoming an increasingly popular choice for consumers, especially for those shopping online at mega-retailer Amazon.com, which this week lists Mac systems as occupying nine out of ten positions in its frequently updated "Top Sellers" listing for personal computer sales.
Not far behind at the No. 3 position is Apple's sub-$1000 12-inch 1.33GHz PowerPC-based iBook portable, followed by the 1.83GHz MacBook Pro and 1.67GHz MacBook Pro.
The remainder of the Macs in the top 10 of the list are PowerPC-based systems, with the 14-inch 1.42GHz iBook taking the No. 6 spot and the 17-inch 1.9GHz iMac at No. 7.
The 12-inch 1.5GHz PowerBook and 20-inch 2.0GHz iMac round out Apple's presence in the top 10, taking the No. 8 and No. 9 slots, respectively. The 10th most popular computer system Amazon sells is a Sony VIAO laptop.
While it's clear that Apple's Macs are amongst the most popular personal computers Amazon sells, the retailer's "Top Sellers" list is not an accurate indicator of Apple's overall progress in the PC market.
The dominating presence of Macs in Amazon's top seller listings may also be fueled by recent promotions from the retailer, which is offering $100 or more in rebates on all of the aforementioned systems.
23 Comments
No kiddin'.
Clearly this is a good sign. But is there anyway we can quantify this and really use it to get a peek into sales (and give me a little more confidence about buying more stock!)
- Since Oct 2004 (iMac G5 intro), Apple has generally had 5 to 8 items in Amazon's top 10 computers. I don't know if this was true before then. In any case, during that period, Apple has been increasing Mac unit sales and gaining market share.
- Somebody reported last fall that Amazon's electronics sales was #9 in the top 10 electronics retailers in the US, behind companies like Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA, Walmart, etc. I shoulda bookmarked it when I read it as I've not been able to find that article again via Google/Yahoo/MSN. Complicating this a bit is that Amazon doesn't tell us how much of electronics sales are computers. (A large portion is iPod sales!)
Also, MacBook Pro is #11, iMac Core Duo #14 at Apple Online Store. The Macs had disappeared off the Apple list for a long time, altho I don't know when Apple switched from the top 10 to the top 15. I'm sure detractors will say they just did it recently so as to include the two Macs.
Guilty as charged. I ordered my iMac Duo from Amazon because of the $125 rebate, no tax, and free shipping. And I get the 1.57% discount for being an a9.com search user. And I used some Amazon dollars I got from my credit card points.
Other vendors offer free RAM but charge an install fee.
Really, Amazon appears to offer the best deal. Why would a smart shopper buy anywhere else?
- Jasen.
Someone pointed out that http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/profile/735_1526.html says Amazon is in the top 20 US, and lists the top 13 US as Best Buy, Wal-mart, Circuit City, Dell, Radio Shack, Target, Sears, CompUSA, Costco, Sam's Club, Lowe's, Home Depot, PC Richard & Son.
Maybe Amazon was #19, not #9.
Meh... More sales per model is a forgone conclusion when an OEM sells computers in fewer variations. But Amazon is often a good place to get Macs from.