No Requiem for the Desktop: Apple's Designs Help Revive the Fading Platform

In our mobile world in which laptops and smartphones increasingly rule, desktops are starting to go the way of eight-track tapes and rotary-dial phones. No one, apparently, bothered to tell Apple (AAPL) -- or its loyal customers. The company posted better-than-expected sales for its computers in October and November, thanks largely to the strength of its desktop models, says prominent analyst Gene Munster of investment bank Piper JaffrayTech.%%DynaPub-Enhancement class="enhancement contentType-HTML Content fragmentId-1 payloadId-61603 alignment-right size-small"%%

Citing figures from sales tracker NPD Group, the noted Apple bull said sales of Mac computers for the the two months are running roughly 21% over the same period last year, well ahead of Wall Street's 14% consensus estimate for sales growth. The new iMac and Mac mini units seem to be leading the charge, with the sales of these and other Apple desktop products up 74% in unit volume year-over-year for the third quarter thus far, Munster says.