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Mac Musings
Apple's 1999 Results
Dan Knight - 1999.12.23
Apple released their 1999 10-K form, which provides an overview of the past fiscal year as well as a look ahead.
1999 was a very impressive year.
Unit Sales Up 25%
In 1997, Apple sold 2,874,000 Macs. Last year, that dropped 4% to 2,763,000. But for fiscal 1999 (9/26/98 to 9/25/99), Apple boosted sales an impressive 25% to 3,448,000 units.
Here's the quick breakdown from the 10-K:
1999 CHANGE 1998 CHANGE 1997
------- ------- ------- ------- -------
Power Macintosh unit sales.. 1,296 2 % 1,266 29 % 981
PowerBook unit sales........ 344 (19)% 427 2 % 417
iMac unit sales(a).......... 1,802 68 % 1,070 (28)% 1,476
iBook unit sales............ 6 - - - --
----- ------ ------
Total Macintosh unit sales.. 3,448 25 % 2,763 (4)% 2,874
Over FY99, Apple replaced the beige Power Mac G3 with the blue one in January, the replaced that with a pair of G4s at the end of August. Clock speeds jumped from 366 MHz to 450 MHz, while sales increased only 2%.
Undoubtedly, some of this was due to the iMac, which dominated the consumer PC market (not just the Mac OS market) as one of the top selling models month after month. The iMac, which first shipped only 45 days before the end of FY98, was the catalyst for a 68% increase in consumer Mac sales over the past year. I'm sure the introduction of colored models and increase in speed from 233 MHz to 333 MHz didn't hurt.
The great disappointment is the PowerBook, which dropped nearly
20% in unit sales. Even adding in the 6,000 iBooks sold by the end
of the fiscal year, portable Mac sales dropped 18% from
FY98.
While the Lombard is a powerful machine, it's price, size, teething problems, and lack of any significant change mitigated against a growing PowerBook market in FY99.
The iBook barely got out of the gate, selling just 6,000 units before the end of the fiscal year.
Still, the once-beleaguered company has made an impressive comeback by selling 25% more computers than the previous year.
Net Income Up
More telling yet, in FY97 Apple managed to lose over $1 billion, then eked out a decent $309 million profit in 1998. Thanks to the profitable iMac, outsourcing a lot of production, keeping inventory very low, and profits from The Apple Store, Apple nearly doubled that in FY99, turning a tidy $601 million profit.
On top of that, Apple increased gross margin to 29% in the last quarter, an increase over the 28% average for the year, which was a strong improvement over the 25% gross margin in FY98, let alone the abysmal 19% in FY97.
Strong From the Gate
Apple has a strong beginning for FY2000, according to AAPL Investors, who projects unit sales of 1.3 million for the first quarter (October through December). Their estimate presumes sale of 650,000 iMacs, 350,000 Power Macs, 230,000 iBooks, and only 70,000 PowerBooks.
Sales of PowerBooks during what should be the strongest quarter of the year are reduced by competition from the iBook (selling at over three times the PowerBook's pace!) and ongoing rumors of a new model. The "Pismo" model has been expected since August, and the current PowerBook G3 is the oldest model in Apple's product line.
Expect Apple to offer some serious promotions on the current PowerBook soon, as it is widely believed they will finally introduce a replacement model at Macworld Expo in early January 2000.
If the trends reported in AAPL Investors continue, along with the introduction of a new PowerBook, Apple could sell over 2 million iMacs in FY2000, along with 1.5 million Power Macs, nearly 1 million iBooks, and potentially a half-million PowerBooks. This would bring Apple unit sales to 5 million for FY2000 - and increase of perhaps 30% over FY99.
The big question is how iBook sales will impact PowerBook sales,
which could end up dropping for a second straight year. It's the
big unknown in the Apple equation, although I suspect the next
PowerBook and possible "thin" PowerBook will achieve total sales of
about a half-million units.
Dan Knight has been using Macs since 1986, sold Macs for several years, supported them for many more years, and has been publishing Low End Mac since April 1997. If you find Dan's articles helpful, please consider making a donation to his tip jar.
Recent Mac Musings
- No High Definition iTunes Video for You, 11.19. The October 2008 MacBooks are preventing users from viewing some high-def iTunes content from being viewed on their external displays. Poor form!
- Anticipating Macworld: Nehalem, Snow Leopard, and Updated Desktops, 11.18. Intel's Core i7 CPU has to make it way into the next Mac Pro, nVidia GeForce graphics will drive the iMac and Mac mini, and 'Snow Tiger' will unleash the animal within.
- One Used Mac Can Make a Difference, 11.12. Instead of scrapping out old Macs for raw materials, what if the Mac community worked to restore them and give them away to those with no computers?
- A Brief History of Portable Computing: From Dynabook to Netbooks, 11.06. 40 years ago Alan Kay dreamt of a two pound handheld computer. Portables have made a lot of changes since 1981, but haven't yet matched the Dynabook.
- More in the Mac Musings index.
Links for the Day
- Mac of the Day: 14" iBook G3/600 MHz, Jan. 2002 - The first 14" iBook ran at a comfortable 600 MHz.
- Group of the Day: Mac OS 9 List covers Mac OS 9 as both a freestanding OS and as Classic mode in OS X.
- December 1 in LEM history: 99: Monitor dot pitch - 00: Macs for new users - Everybody wants to use iMacs - Career options - 03: Pfinder: Panther-like Finder for legacy Macs - 04: Why I use an eMac, iBook, and Power Mac - ThinkFree Office - MacLink Plus 15 - 05: PowerBook 190 still a great laptop - Eudora, the Mac's most powerful email client - 06: Core 2 'Books cooler and faster
Recent Content on Low End Mac
- The Very Best Macs: Sometimes Apple Just Nails It, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job, 12.01. Apple has produced lots of good Macs, a few dogs, and some 'best of breed' models that stand apart from the pack.
- Apple Could Buy Dell, and Linux Is No Threat to Mac OS X, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 12.01. Apple has the cash to buy Dell outright, and the idea has some merit. Also, why Linux still isn't ready to displace the Mac OS.
- Will Snow Leopard Support Some PowerPC Macs?, Simon Royal, Mac Spectrum, 11.26. It just doesn't make sense that Apple would ship a new OS that won't support Macs sold less than three years ago.
- From Ubuntu to OS X, Picking the Right Mac, an Aluminum Mouse Pad, and More, Mac News Review, 11.26. Also changes in Apple culture, OWC rebates on Hitachi drives, Clone X clones OS X, and LaCie SilverKeeper updated for OS X 10.5.5.
- Apple Retail Will Break Records This Christmas, Tim Nash, Taking Back the Market, 11.26. "Despite all the economic problems, Apple Retail can look forward to another successful quarter with sales maybe breaking through $2 billion...."
- iPhone 2.2 Software Update Released and Jailbroken, Advent Calendars for Your iPhone, and More, iNews Review, 11.26. Also making Street View work on the iPod touch, BlackBerry Storm questions answered, Microsoft's forthcoming phone, eco-friendly cases, and more.
- MacBook Slowdown without Battery, DisplayLink and DRM, 256 GB SSD, MagSafe Solutions, and More, The 'Book Review, 11.26. Also Mac netbook prospects, laptop cooling table with 2 fans, solar notebook bag, hard shell cases for unibody 'Books, bargain 'Books from $500 to $2,299, and more.
- Old Macs in the New Economy, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 11.25. "We are the kings of making our computers last, last, and last some more."
- Virtualization Shootout: VirtualBox 2 vs. VMWare Fusion 2, Kev Kitchens, Kitchens Sync, 11.25. VirtualBox is aimed at a different audience than Fusion and Parallels. While it works well, the typical desktop user will probably prefer Fusion.
- Software to Keep Your MacBook Cool, Phil Herlihy, The Usefulness Equation, 11.25. Heat is the enemy of long hardware life. Two programs to keep your MacBook running cooler.
- Another Way to Run WeatherBug, Aspire One Runs OS X, 17" MacBook Pro Hi-res Display, and More, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 11.25. Also finding that 'just right' notebook computer, car, or truck.
- More links in our archive.
Recent Deals
- Best iPod nano Deals, 12.01. Refurb 3G/4 GB, $79; new, $105; refurb 8 GB, $99; new, $115; 3G/8 GB, $134; 16 GB, $174. Prices include ground shipping.
- Best 12" PowerBook G4 Deals, 12.01. Used 1.5 GHz SuperDrive, $481/C$599 plus shipping.
- Best Mac Pro Deals, 12.01. Used 3.0 GHz 4-core, $2,102; new 2.66 GHz 4-core, $1,949 after rebate; 2.8 4-core, $2,099 a/r; 8-core, $2,515 a/r; 3.0 $3,320 a/r; 3.2, $4,099 a/r.
- Best MacBook Deals, 11.26. Used 1.83 GHz, $595; 2.0 SD, $660; refurb 2.1 GHz, $949; 2.4, $999; black, $1,099; new 2.1, $869 after rebate; 2.4, $1,150 a/r; black, $1,194 a/r; more.
- Best iPod touch Deals, 11.26. Used 1G/8 GB, $160; refurb, $179; new, $198; used 16, $200; refurb, $219; refurb 32, $319; new, $340; 2G/8 GB, $219; 16, $289; 32, $379.
- Best Power Mac G5 Deals, 11.26. Used 1.6 GHz single, $450; 1.8, $499; dual, $600, 2.0, $800; 2.3, $816; dual-core, $1,000; 2.5 dual, $1,000; 2.7, $1,050; 2.5 Quad, $1,400.
- Best MacBook Deals, 11.26. Used 1.83 GHz, $595; 2.0 SD, $660; refurb 2.1 GHz, $949; 2.4, $999; black, $1,099; new 2.1, $869 after rebate; 2.4, $1,150 a/r; black, $1,194 a/r; more.
- Best Mac mini Deals, 11.25. Used 1.42 GHz G4 Combo, $429; 1.66 GHz Core Duo, $449; 1.83, SuperDrive $629; new 1.83 Core 2 Combo, $570 shipped; 2.0 SD, $760 shipped.
- Best 15" PowerBook G4 Deals, 11.25. Used 1.67 GHz SuperDrive, $539; hi-res, $800. Shipping additional.
- Best Time Capsule and AirPort Deals, 11.25. Refurb 500 GB Time Capsule, $249; new, $281; refurb 1 TB, $419; new, $462; AirPort Extreme Base Station, $159; Express, $60.
- More deals in our archive.
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