Survey: Mac Demand Slumping As Recession Felt By Apple

The percent of people that intend to buy a Mac within the next three months declined to its lowest point since 2007, a consumer research firm said Wednesday.

ChangWave Research said of those people it contact planning to purchase a desktop or laptop computer within the next 90 days, 27 percent of that group expect to buy a Mac. The figure reflects a six percent drop from January 2008 and the lowest since 2007’s 29 percent demand, researchers said.

The new results found new MacBooks introduced by Apple in October “didn’t explode out of the box,” according to ChangeWave research director Paul Carton.

Demand for Mac laptops continues to outpace desktops. The research found of computer buyers, 22 percent said they purchased a Mac laptop versus 17 percent that chose a desktop.

Along with the poor economy, Apple may suffer from its decision not to offer a low-cost netbook to compete with PC makers.

Dell and HP are among PC manufacturers helped by what Carton called a “long-term secular transformation in how the U.S. consumer spends.” That shift is reflected in nearly 20 percent of laptop buyers reporting they had bought a netbook in the previous three months.

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If there is a silver lining in the survey for Apple, it may be that the Cupertino, Calif.-based company is doing better than the overall PC industry.

ChangeWave said only 11 percent of respondents reported plans to buy a computer within the next 90 days. Just five percent of those purchases will be desktops with six percent picking laptops. The figures represent “record lows,” researchers said.

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