The iMac is a product launched by Apple a few years ago that offers users the opportunity to buy a fully functional PC included directly in the case of a monitor. This type of computer is called all-in-one because it eliminates the need to use a separate case to store the hardware necessary for the product to function. An iMac has a starting price of over $1000, but it is not the only product on the market because other major computer and laptop manufacturers have similar PCs for sale.
All-in-one PCs, such as Apple Inc. (AAPL)'s iMac, includes all the parts of the computer — except the keyboard and mouse — within the main chassis. The market grew 39 percent to 14.5 million units worldwide last year, according to DisplaySearch. The iMac accounted for 32.9 percent of shipments in the third quarter, the research firm estimates. Lenovo Group (992), meanwhile, grabbed the No. 2 spot in the all-in-one segment by appealing to customers in China. It had 22.7 percent of sales in the third quarter, followed by Hewlett-Packard with 21.4 percent. The total market may grow to 23.3 million units by 2014, according to DisplaySearch.
Well, in a market where the competition is not that great, Apple succeeded to obtain a market share of 32.9% in Q3 2011 selling over 10 million iMacs. The company would have probably recorded much better sales if the prices of its products were a bit lower, but even so Apple is doing very well. This year Apple will launch a new iMac line and as their products start to be more and more sought after, it is possible that the current market share will grow significantly.
