E-Christmas: Will the iMac trend continue?

The Apple phenomenon has held this No. 1 position since its introduction in August as Mac loyalists have made it known that the Mac platform is far from dead. So, what is about the iMac that has made it so dramatically different from the rest of the Apple retail products over the last few years that have done nothing but lower Apple's share among consumers?

Engineers might argue that the product's design and technical differentiation is a dramatic leap from the previous Macintosh product line while those in the advertising field will point to the immense marketing campaign that has bolstered the Mac platform in the public's eyes.

There's no doubt that both engineering and marketing have helped the success of the iMac, but analysts at ZD Market intelligence believe the primary reason for the success of the iMac lies in its low price.

Never before has Apple introduced a complete Macintosh system at such a low price. This low price offering put Apple back in line with the other top vendors in the retail desktop market and made the iMac a viable competitor against other top vendors' products.

It is apparent that Mac users have simply been looking for a price comparable system and once Apple got within the ball park the sales poured in. What is interesting is that the iMac is selling so well despite the fact that it is still priced above the average system. If Apple introduces a low cost iMac in 1999, as has been announced, we may see the iMac continue to proliferate and possibly even start to take a chunk out of the Wintel vendors.