According to The Daily Gleaner, NPD attributed the "topsy-turvy sales numbers" to the fact that October was a down month for PC dealers prior to the launch of Windows 7, which replaced the much-maligned Vista operating system. Whatever the reason, it's a bit surprising considering that only a few short years ago Apple's computers were all but written off by some as a growth centre for the corporation, which was making its millions more and more through iPods, iTunes and iPhones, the article adds.
"Apple computers have seen a renaissance of sorts in the last two or three years," agrees Harvard Business School professor David Yoffie, a veteran Apple watcher, told The Daily Gleaner. "That's been a function of many things. One is they've done a great job on design. Two is they've benefited enormously from the weakness in Microsoft. The failure of Microsoft Vista opened up the opportunity for Apple to gain significant share in the U.S. retail segment."
