Apple Rebounding? iMac LCD Orders Up, Reports Manufacturer


Digitimes reports that Quanta, manufacturer of Apple's iMac and PowerBook computers, has recorded better-than-expected revenue during November.

Quanta, which also builds notebooks for HP, shipped 1.06 million portables and had record sales of NT$14.64 billion.

The Digitimes report adds that part of the record revenue was due to additional orders for iMac LCDs.

Recent reports have suggested that the broader market for smaller LCDs is falling, while manufacturers put plant capacity to use building more highly profitable 17", 19" and 22" LCDs.

Apple CFO, Fred Anderson, noted in his Q4 conference call that iMac 17 sales had been "beyond expectations".

Analysis: Quanta reports iMac LCD orders, but it's probable PowerBook shipments will be strong for November-December, given the prices and features of the newly-released revved models. The iMac 17 sales figures may surprise, but the iMac represents such good value at $1,999, given the price of its display alone. A lot better than the Cube at its original price, dare we say it.

There is much speculation over whether Apple will drop the 15" model altogether (except, perhaps, a budget intro-level spec) and go with 17" LCDs across the range, with a 19" SuperDrive iMac at the top. 19" LCDs may be cheap enough to do this. But only MWSF will tell.