According to electronista, Apple’s recent MacBook lineup and the iPhone may make it one of the better positioned companies to survive a likely steep drop in spending during the holidays.
Initially reported by ChangeWave, the study shows that a full third of all studied US notebook buyers, or 33%, plan to buy some form of Apple notebook during the season or within the next 90 days from the start of November. This study indicates a slight increase from 29% in September and places Apple’s demand on par with Dell. Additionally, it shows that the demand may also favor Apple’s higher end notebooks, including the MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro with about 23% out of the 33% skewing towards the pricier laptops.
Unfortunately, Apple projected desktop sales continue to trail behind that of competitor Dell. Most of the respondents tell ChangeWave that the Dell systems’ cost is the primary factor and that Dell represents “great value.”
Naturally, Apple continues to lead in portable device demand with the iPhone and has positioned itself to outperform RIM based on early ChangeWave polling. Portable media players also see Apple continuing to be unopposed, even with most of the overall group having no intention to buy (probably because they already have one, or many.)
In conclusion, the net gain for Apple is expected by ChangeWave to be critical for the winter. 59% of all study members say they plan on spending less in the next 90 days regardless of the onslaught of the holiday season. Lets hope the remaining 41% plan on stopping at the Apple store for stocking stuffers, or the soon-to-be-released new MacBook Air for the dearest loved one.
