Yes, you're being a jerk
Posted March 13, 2007
By The Macalope
According to Paul Thurrott, a Bloomberg report that the iPod took 72.7% of the U.S. retail market share vastly understates its position since it doesn’t take into account direct sales or sales at Wal-Mart or warehouse clubs.
OK, that’s not exactly what he said…
Comments
Leave a Comment
Well, if that’s the case then wouldn’t Apple’s number likely be higher? I mean, everyone I know that bought a Mac did so on the web not at a brick & mortar.
In other words, who knows how the numbers would turn out. Dell ain’t exactly sitting pretty, though. They just slashed their laptop sales projections for this year 20% (source) so it’s not like they should be chest thumpin.
Is this a stab at some piece about iPod’s market share? Link us up – I read Mac news all the time and I didn’t get the reference…
Just learn to ignore Thurrott. He’s a troll, looking for web impressions. Put him in the same category as Enderle, and Dvorak, and just hope he goes away.
I believe the Macalope is invoking the point that while Apple’s notebooks, popular as they are, are not on top of the market, a certain other Apple product absolutely pwns.
Thank you, Donn.
Also, no one is quite sure whether or not Apple’s retail stores are included in these totals. From a post at MacNN:
Notably however, it is also the only company in the top five (of either category) to operate its own stores. No information is yet available to determine whether or not these stores were included. Moreover, the results are not considered a definitive reflection of US marketshare: some companies, including Dell, sell most or all of their systems through direct orders, bypassing retail stores entirely. However, the results ultimately confirm HP reaping the greatest amount of extra sales from the Vista PC surge and its virtual monopoly of floor space.
Oh, I *really* don’t want to give the guy more ad impressions.
Anybody care to summarize Mr. Thurrot meanderings?
Who really cares what percentage of the market Apple holds this month, or what place they hold in the pecking order of “top sellers?” The fact is, Apple is making loads of money (record amounts of money), lots of people new to the platform are buying Macs, Mac software development is seeing a renaissance, and Apple is continuing to lead the industry in innovation and brand respect. So what if Dell is on top (or close to it) numbers-wise? They’ve hopelessly compromised their brand by foolishly waging price wars for market share, their quality and customer service has fallen precipitously, and their future looks bland (as their stock performance reflects). Other PC makers may be shipping lots of boxes, but still struggle to make decent money doing so. Whether you’re #1 or #10, who wants to build generic boxes for the Microsoft hegemony? I wouldn’t. Dell is simply working for The Man. Dell builds the boxes, Microsoft makes all the money and calls all the shots. Is that the business you’d like to be in?
I say Apple is in the driver’s seat, despite what the raging fools proclaim.
Still 72.7%? Hay-zeus Marumba. Still, I’m sure an intelligent pundit like Thurott predicted that Apple would own the MP3 player market five years down the road, right? RIGHT?
Would someone kindly explain to me why the fsck this egregious twonk still garners the attention of anyone with a modicum of intelligence? I stopped listening to this odious little homunculus some time in the mid-17th century. This prune has been banging on about matters he knows bugger all about – since before Moses’ press agent got him ten pages in the Old Testament for the Red Sea stunt, in fact. I mean this guy makes me absolutely pu…..
OK, I confess…I love Thurrott! He makes me laugh more than any other person in history, including Hitler. Utterly priceless! He can’t even be consistent, few gawd;s sake: look at how he reported on January’s MacWorld this year. In one article he dismisses it; in another he’s all but puckering up to His Steveness’s fragrant sphincter. You can’t pay for this level of sheer idiocy.
Damn it…shoot me now, Macalope. I’m so full of self-loathing at my admiration of Little T that I feel I don’t deserve to live anymore. I must redeem my self with lustful thoughts of a forthcoming large feline.
=:~)
I’m not going to click the link, ‘lope. I just don’t care. Every time you have a link to one of these Enderle/Dvorak/Thurott types I go read them and start thinking really negative thoughts. Bad Karma. I should try to avoid thinking of people I haven’t actually met as assclowns.
But they are.
Damn. Now I have to go to confession again.
Vinny,
You make a great point: what about Apple’s laptop sales via the web?
Turd-row didn’t even mention that. He just had to let everyone know that someone else was wrong. Which they weren’t: I knew what the sales figures said, because I was wondering what happened to Dell. Then I realized it was retail sales only.
Turd-row is like that annoying kid in grade school who just has to be right, no matter what. He never explains himself, he just likes defending something that he feels needs defending.
Quix, you are also right. Who wants to build computers where you have to be dictated to by a third party. Oh what fun that must be. Have to support M$ in every commercial and ad: “Dell recommends Windows Vista Professional Home Business 2nd Edition.” Dell needs to get some gnads and start selling Linux on their PCs…doh! They can’t, or they would pi$$ off Steve and Bill.
Aren’t we all glad Apple is still around?
For a Windows guy, he sure does spend a lit of time trying to downplay Apple and Linux on his site…
I clicked the link. Dang. I got hung up on one word. He said he knows he is the jerk for pointing it out.
How singularly arrogant can one be?
He isn’t the jerk.
He is just a jerk. (and an assclown). That’s gonna get me some more time with the rosary beads.
well, I’m not going to give traffic to the idiot but two points to consider:
a) He is an idiot no matter what he says
b) the NPD figures also do not count APPLE retail stores or Apple.com store. I think it’s safe the billion or so in sales LAST QUARTER include 40-50% in sales of computers.
(other retailers not counted include walmart & costco)
The actual figure for Mac laptops for January 2007 was 12% in the US.
This comment:
“Note: figures are for retail channel sales only and do not include direct sales, sales from Wal-Mart or warehouse clubs.”
is actually on the Bloomberg page–scroll down and you’ll see it. So, unless it’s been added since the piece was first posted in deference to Thurrott, Bloomberg already knew, and all Thurrott has done is copied the information off their site.
What’s his point, anyway? That the figures for retail channel sales are _not_ of interest?
Thurrott sounds affable enough when he’s chatting on a podcast with Leo Laporte (not that I’ve heard many of those) but really he just won’t do. Having preferences for one company’s products over those of another is all well and good, but he doesn’t stop there. His latest stunt has been to claim that Bill Gates was “compassionate” because he didn’t kill Office for Mac. In claiming that a monster like Gates who has done so much damage to so many in the industry is “compassionate” Thurrott has really put himself beyond the pale*.
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/RDM.Tech.Q1.07/592E3270-32C8-4852-975C-162E788749CA.html
and
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/RDM.Tech.Q1.07/592FE887-5CA1-4F30-BD62-407362B533B9.html
* I used a rather old-fashioned and possibly local expression. In case anyone doesn’t know “pale” is a old word for “fence” (c.f. “paling”) and “beyond” an archaism for “outside”.
He will defend his point and feelings to the end, however all retail data is significant. I understand what he is saying,but he neglects the fact that Apple sells numerous laptops on line as well. He even stated that he was being a jerk. He is just another Mac-basher, proving his insecurities. There is simply no need to bash another product in the manner that he does, especially given the fact that he must believe that MS products are so superior. He is very immature and loses his credibility with his banter. Simply put, the guys is an ass. I am sure that he knows the taste of Bill Gates nads.
I don’t understand the value of the Bloomburg report since it doesn’t include direct sales by companies like Apple and Dell, and sales through stores like Wal-Mart. Their numbers aren’t even a close approximation of market share or sales numbers. No one should be bragging or complaining; their numbers are just too incomplete to base a judgment on.
I disagree. Although it is not the complete laptop market sale, this is just one indicator of market trends and has merit/significance. Obviously those that did the research feel the same way. I must admit, I am not very impressed as well, since I do not think that there are a lot of laptop makers, and Apple was only #5. Also, PT’s comment was about laptop sales, not the iPod.
His own words claim that he likes Apple and wants to see them do welll, or something like that, but he bashes every news of accomplishments, reviews and announcements.Very disingenuous.
@Chas & Rip Ragged
You must not be so hard on yourself my sons. JOBS knows your hearts are in the right place. He does not wish for your self-loathing or confessions. Instead, He wants you to take that energy and put it to a good use, like doing some good missionary work. There are so many opportunities out there: in Best Buy, your local mall with your Macbook or standing outside of a Dell store (do they actually have those?). This is your chance to redeem yourself by bringing Apple to the unguided and showing them how to let JOBS into their heart.
Nick:- I always thought that in “Beyond the Pale” the Pale referred to the English administered area of Ireland in the 14th and 15th centuries, outside of which an Englishman wasn’t welcome. Thus the meaning (from the English point of view) is more “beyond the limits of civilized or decent society. And look: Wikipedia agrees with me, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pale