Quote.com News Item #8691501
Headline: 800,000 iMacs Sold in First 139 Days; iMac Continuing to Attract New
Users and Wintel Converts
======================================================================
SAN FRANCISCO, MacWorld Expo, Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Sales of Apple's
(NASDAQ:AAPL) iMac(TM) continued very strong through the holiday season and
year-end, with 800,000 units sold since the product shipped on August 15.
iMac is the fastest-selling computer in Apple's history, and continues to
attract significant percentages of first-time computer owners and Wintel
computer converts, according to updated buyer surveys.
"During iMac's first 139 days, an iMac was sold every 15 seconds of every
minute of every hour of every day of every week," said Steve Jobs, Apple's
interim CEO. "iMac is truly the Internet-age computer for the rest of us, and
it is bringing a lot of new people onto the Internet."
An iMac buyer survey conducted by the independent firm Audits & Surveys
Worldwide in December 1998 revealed that the mix of first-time buyers and
Wintel converts remains high. For iMacs purchased from October through early
December 1998, approximately 32 percent were purchased by first-time computer
owners, and another 13 percent were purchased by Wintel converts -- totaling
almost 45 percent of iMac buyers who are new to the Macintosh platform. The
remaining 55 percent are Macintosh owners who are either adding new systems or
replacing old ones. These results are similar to the initial iMac buyer
survey conducted in September 1998, which found that approximately 29 percent
of iMac buyers were first-time computer owners and just over 12 percent were
Wintel converts.*
iMac's overall ease of use and easy Internet access remain the primary
reasons buyers are selecting iMac. More than 80 percent of all iMac owners
are using their iMacs to access the Internet, with 65 percent surfing the web
on their first day. Additionally, 42 percent of those accessing the Internet
have already purchased products or services over the Internet.
Sales of iMac, which has garnered numerous "product of the year" awards
for its innovative styling and all-in-one design, have contributed to solid
gains in Apple's market share, and renewed interest from customers, channel
partners and software developers. A wide range of software titles and
third-party peripherals, also announced today, attest to the market resurgence
of the Macintosh.
Apple Computer will formally report financial results from its fiscal
first quarter on Jan. 13, 1999.
Apple Computer, Inc. ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s
with the Apple II, and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the
Macintosh. Apple is now recommitted to its original mission -- to bring the
best personal computing products and support to students, educators,
designers, scientists, engineers, businesspersons, and consumers in over
140 countries around the world.
* Based on the Audits & Surveys Worldwide telephone survey of U.S. iMac
buyers who purchased through a representative sample of regional resellers,
mail order distributors and computer superstores/consumer electronic stores,
during the period from Oct. 1, 1998 to Dec. 7, 1998. A total of
1,315 telephone surveys were completed.
Apple Computer, Inc. ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s
with the Apple II, and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the
Macintosh. Apple is now recommitted to its original mission -- to bring the
best personal computing products and support to students, educators,
designers, scientists, engineers, businesspersons and consumers in over
140 countries around the world.
Apple, the Apple logo, and Macintosh, are registered trademarks and iMac
is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. Additional company and product names
may be trademarks or registered trademarks of the individual companies and are
respectfully acknowledged.
SOURCE Apple Computer, Inc.
-0- 01/05/99
/NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information, visit Apple's PR website
(www.apple.com/pr/), call Apple's Media Helpline at (408) 974-2042, or Emma
Duckenfield at our PR agency, Worldwide, at (650) 968-4033, extension 1034./
/CONTACT: Tami Begasse, 408-974-3156, begasse@apple.com, or Russell
Brady, 408-974-6877, brady2@apple.com, both of Apple Computer, Inc./
/Company News On-Call: prnewswire.com or fax,
800-758-5804, ext. 134496/
/Web site: apple.com
|
