A ChangeWave Research survey reveals that Appleis notebook computer sales are soaring and that there is ominous news for Dell on the consumer front.

The study, obtained by TMO, was conducted in the first week of August. It detected a major shift in notebook buying patterns by consumers.

"We began by asking consumers who bought a computer in the past 90 days to tell us about their purchase. Then, we asked those planning to buy a computer in the next 90 days to tell us which manufacturer they’d be buying from," the report said.

Characterized as "an increasingly dramatic transformation," Apple notebook sales in the 3,665 member sample have gone from 5 percent in October 2005 to 17 percent in August, 2007. However, Apple desktop sales have remained relatively flat at around 7 to 8 percent.

One of the most impressive findings was that 86 percent of the Apple purchasers were Very Satisfied. Another impressive finding was that, for those who plan to buy a computer in the next 90 days, 28 percent mentioned an Apple notebook computer, up from about 19 percent in March.

The Bottom Line was as follows: "Apple computer sales are exceptionally strong. Over the past 90 days Mac Laptop share has leaped in the consumer marketplace, and there is considerable momentum going forward. Apple desktops also appear to be holding their ground."

In serious contrast, similar findings for Dell show a dramatic drop from October 2005, when 42 percent had bought Dell notebooks. That number is now down to 24 percent. The report also found that only 44 percent of Dell purchasers were Very Satisfied with their purchase. In fact Dell ranks at the bottom of the manufacturers mentioned for that category of Very Satisfied -- which included Toshiba (59%), HP (53%), gateway (52%), and Lenovo (45%).

The percentage of people who plan to buy a Dell notebook or desktop in the next 90 days has also fallen precipitously from 42 percent on October 2005 to about 30 percent in August, 2007. However, the reported noted that these numbers are for consumer sales, and that most of Dellis revenue comes from corporate sales.

In the OS part of the survey, the questions was asked, "Which operating system would you like to have preinstalled on the computer(s) you plan on buying in the next 90 days?" The results were as follows:

1. Windows XP Professional -- 30%
2. Mac OS X -- 26%
3. Vista Home Premium -- 21%
4. Windows XP Home Edition -- 8%
5. Vista Home Basic -- 8%
6. Vista Ultimate -- 7%
7. Vista Business -- 6%
8. Windows XP Media Center Edition -- 5%
9. Linux -- 4%

Based on these findings, appears that Apple is benefiting greatly from the synergy of the entire company, and that is propelling notebook sales in the consumer sector. While Dell still does well in the enterprise, the deterioration of their consumer sector should be a source of concern.

Finally, Appleis relatively flat sales of desktop computers for the last several years could be simply notebook mania. However, it could also be symptomatic of trouble in the structure of Appleis desktop lineup because it is not benefitting from the general upswing in the companyis success.