1998.09: Apple’s iMac probably had the most successful rollout of any computer in history. Sales are estimated at about 360,000 units from its launch on August 15. (Today ends Apple’s fiscal year – maybe we’ll see some hard numbers soon.)

Unfortunately, HP’s Pavilion 6330 was even more popular in August, but it makes you wonder how iMac would have fared if it had been available all month.

Here are the top selling personal computers for August along with their configurations and prices:

PC Data Hits List of Top-Selling Hardware
Desktop PCs, August 1998

1. Hewlett-Packard Pavilion 6330 A6-2/300 48/4.0 24X 56K MT W98, $908
2. Apple iMac G3/233 32/4.0 24X 56K DT w/15″ Monitor, $1,268
3. Compaq Presario 5030 T6/300/MMX 64/8.0 32X 56K ZIP MT W98, $1,235
4. Compaq Presario 2256 A6/300/MMX 48/4.0 32X 56K W98, $875
5. Compaq Presario 5020 Cel/300 64/8.0 32X 56K MT W98, $1,042

Source: PC Data, Inc., 11260 Roger Bacon Drive Suite 204, Reston, VA 20190. Phone: (703) 435-1025. Fax: (703) 478-0484.

• All models have a 56k modem, 24-32x CD-ROM, 32-64 MB RAM, and 4-8 GB hard drives.
• Only the iMac includes a monitor in its price, which adds $150-250 to the others.
• None of the top sellers for August include an Intel Pentium II. None. Two 300 MHz A6 chips, one 300 MHz T6, one 300 MHz Celeron, and one “up to twice as fast as the Pentium II” 233 MHz G3.
• According to PC Magazine, none of these “alternatives” to the Pentium II offer comparable performance.

Comments

The iMac has less standard RAM than the others, along with the slowest CD-ROM and the smallest hard drive. From a marketing standpoint, Apple should consider an iMac with 64 MB RAM, 32x CD-ROM, and a larger hard drive – but only after they catch up with demand for the current model.

But as I’ve maintained for some months, the iMac’s chief competition isn’t sub-$1K computers; it’s more costly systems. For instance, after you add a monitor none of the above systems is under $1,000. And PC World’s surveys continue to show that the best selling systems all cost more than the iMac.

Now let’s see how September sales shape up!

Further Reading

• iMac v. $999 Windows PCs, 6 August 1998
• iMac v. the ‘Top 10’ PCs, 2 August 1998
• iMac a True Bargain, 10 June 1998

keywords: #imac #imacsales #imacvalue