MacBook Air Now Makes Up 28% of Apple's Notebook Sales

Tweet

Mobile devices are growing in popularity, and have actually outpaced their traditional counterparts in terms of sales growth. For Apple, the most mobile of its notebook computer product line is likewise its best-seller.

Apple is in a unique position in the computing industry. While its line of computers — including the MacBook, iMac, Mac Mini and Mac Pro — only have a market share of about 14%, its line of iPad tablets commands a majority of the tablet market, way beyond competitors running Android and other platforms. But as for its line of MacBook computers, Apple’s MacBook Air is reportedly the company’s best-seller among its own MacBook computer line.

Morgan Stanley research, using NPD figures, indicate that Apple’s MacBook Air series — both 11 and 13-inch models — are among Apple’s top-selling computers, which already account for more than a quarter of shipments this October 2011. The MacBook Air’s market share among Apple computers has risen dramatically from 8% this June, jumping to 22% in July when Apple refreshed the product line, and has since been growing.

Even with limitations, analysts say the MacBook Air holds its own, given that it has certain advantages that other Macs don’t enjoy. The MacBook Air doesn’t have a built-in optical drive and lacks user-expandable options (like memory). However, it features fast SSD storage and instant wake capabilities.

Apple’s market share in the computer industry has also risen overall, and has also outpaced the industry with a 20% growth in PC shipments, which is about twice the average industry growth. Retail shipments have grown 18%, while commercial shipments has grown 34% since last year. Overall, Apple’s market share in the retail PC industry is now at 17.3%, while commercial shipments account for 5.7% of the market.

With these trends, there is a question whether Apple will refocus its efforts into its mobile product line and eventually abandon desktop form factors. There have already been rumors of MacBook Air models in the 15-inch form factor. and with Thunderbolt displays allowing notebook computers to daisy-chain into multiple outputs, the use of dedicated desktop computers might soon be obsolete.