RBC Points to Unprecedented Mac Purchase Intentions

RBC Capital Markets conducted a survey of 4,400 IT buyers and found unprecedented intentions for Mac purchase in the next quarter. The result is part of a continued rise in Apple market share worldwide.

Mike Abramsky, an analyst with RBC, reported that in the next 90 days, 34 percent of those surveyed plan to buy an Apple notebook and 30 percent expect to purchase a desktop.

Mr. Abramsky expects Appleis market share, worldwide, to rise to 4.2 percent in 2009, up from 2.9 percent in 2007. Each quarter percent in market share equals US$0.15 in earnings per share (EPS), he said.

The RBC analyst attributed the surged in Mac demand to the so-called halo effect from the iPhone. That is, people are more likely to buy a Mac after hearing about the iPhone 3G.

Worldwide market share for Apple has lagged behind U.S. market share which, according to Gartner, is now at about 8.5 percent and also growing rapidly. Double-digit U.S. market share is not far away.