In a Reuters report about what is expected to be a slow back-to-school season for the PC industry, Apple CFO Fred Anderson is quoted as saying he doesnit think Apple will see strong back-to-school sales this year. The article is about the PC industry at large, and includes quotes from most of the major PC vendors. We are only concerned about Apple, however, and this is what Mr. Anderson had to say:
"Normally you do get a little bit of a seasonal bounce with back to school, but we think it is prudent not to count on that this year," said Fred Anderson, chief financial officer of Apple Computer Inc., known for its appeal to students.
Whether or not Mr. Anderson is simply being cautious, the article also includes a quote from an analyst that we think sums up the industry, not counting Apple, nicely. From the article:
"People are bored," said Brett Miller, PC analyst at A.G. Edwards & Sons. "Itis not that they donit have the money. Many of the kids already have PCs. Manufacturers are not offering anything new and interesting in terms of form and applications to the consumers," he said. "Prices are good but interest levels are pretty low."
There is a lot more information in the article that we did not quote.