iPods claiming market share

Executive Director of Apple IMC in Southern Africa Rutger Jan van Spaandonk says Apple's second quarter results totaled sales of 1.07 million units, up from 749 000 a year ago, and was attributed to a huge demand for Apple's iPod and increases in sales of other Apple products.

In March financial analysts Morgan Stanley confirmed the conversion rate to Mac computers within Apple's iPod customer base was roughly double what the market expected.

The same study found that nearly 90% of iPod owners replacing a PC with a Mac did so, in part, due to their iPod experience. While 37% of the switchers said their iPod experience had a small impact in their decision to go Mac, a resounding 52% said their iPod experience strongly influenced their decision.

The Mac mini was launched at a price of R4 659 making it the most affordable and compact Mac ever. Despite its low price point and the fact that it sells without a keyboard and monitor, the Mac mini retains all the intrinsic functions of Apple Macs - powerful graphics, lightening fast CD writer, and the user friendly Mac OS x "Panther" operating system.

"The Apple Mac Mini is everything you want and need in a computer, at a price that you can afford. Whether it is for use in the home, office, studio or in the school lab, the Mac Mini provides all you need live the digital lifestyle with stylish ease, straight out of the box," Van Spaandonk says.