New and updated iMacs, as well as Mac minis could turnaround sagging Apple desktop sales, providing a “tailwind” heading into the all-important December quarter, Wall Street analysts told investors. Desktop sales were down 16 percent during the quarter ended September 30, the Cupertino, Calif. company announced Tuesday.
In a note to investors, Piper Jaffray senior research analyst Gene Munster said the new iMacs is helping desktop sales reverse course. “The headwind that existed in the Sept. quarter due to aging Mac desktops has now been turned into a tailwind for Mac units in the December quarter.
Earlier this week, Apple announced two updated iMacs, including a 21.5-inch and 27-inch desktop. Cupertino also unveiled faster Mac minis, along with a server version with two 500GB hard drives.
Munster expects Apple will sell 2.86 million Macs during the first quarter of 2010, a 13 percent increase. Apple announced Mac sales over all rose 17 percent during the September quarter.
A similar refrain came from Kaufman Bros. analyst Shaw Wu who told investors the new iMacs could be a “sleeper hit” for Apple.
“We believe this refresh will ensure that strong Mac momentum is maintained and allow desktop Macs to once again be a growth business,” wrote Wu.
[Via AppleInsider]
