Apple desktop market share on the rise; will the Mac mini, iPod help?
There is good and bad news for Apple Computer’s market share numbers in the calendar fourth quarter. The Cupertino, Calif.-based computer company’s desktop market share is on the rise, while the portable market is showing a decline. While numbers are not available that show the impact of the new Mac mini, research analysts expect to see continued good news for the company’s desktop market share in 2005 as mini sales increase. According to market research firm IDC, Apple’s desktop market share in the United States for the fourth quarter of 2004 was 2.88%, up from 2.20% in the third quarter of 2004 and 2.06% in the fourth quarter of 2003. Dell Inc. was No. 1 with 34.68% of the desktop market share in the U.S., followed by HP with 20.86%, Gateway with 7.7% and IBM with 3.04%. While slightly smaller in number, Apple’s worldwide desktop market share shows a similar upward trend. For the fourth quarter of 2004, Apple’s worldwide desktop market share was 1.75%, up from 1.51% in the third quar
