Apple set to enjoy record Mac sales

By Andrew Couts November 15, 2011

macbook-air-large — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The iPhone may be Apple’s main bread and butter, but the Mac appears to be quickly headed to the top of the heap. John Paczkowski at AllThingsD is reporting that, according to various market research estimates, Apple is on track to sell more Mac computers than ever before.

Last quarter, Mac sales rose to 4.89 million, a 26 percent year-on-year jump. According to market research firm NPD, sales of Mac PCs rose 19 percent during October, compared to the same period last year.

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster predicts Apple will sell a total of between 5.1 million and 5.3 million Macs during this quarter, which will account for about 18 percent of Apple’s total revenue. Based on this estimate, Apple will see year-on-year growth of its Mac segment to hit between 23 and 28 percent during the holiday quarter.

In total, Macs account for about 5 percent of all PCs worldwide.

While Mac, iPhone and iPad sales are all up, the iPod has begun its rapid decline into the pages of consumer technology history. Last quarter, iPod sales dropped more than Mac sales rose — a full 27 percent. NPD predicts that iPod sales are down another 18 percent during the month of October.

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