September Quarter Results

For the three-month period that ended September 25, Apple reported record revenue of $20.343 billion and record earnings per share of $4.64. For the fiscal year that ended the same day, Apple reported a 52% increase in revenue to $65.225 billion and earnings per growth of about 67% to $15.15. These rates of growth are extraordinary for a company of Apple’s size.

The iPad’s Sales Performance

In its first six months of release, the iPad had unit sales of 7.458 million units and generated $4.958 billion in device and accessories sales revenue. For the holiday season, the iPad will be available for purchase in the US at roughly 10,000 retail locations including Walmart and Target stores and AT&T and Verizon stores. The sales performance of the iPad in the holiday quarter will assist in achieving a 60% gain in revenue for Apple in the three-month period ending in December. Apple iPad availability at so many retail locations so soon after initial release is unprecedented for an Apple product.

The iPhone

In the September quarter, the iPone sales rose 91%, matching the average unit sales growth rate for the full fiscal year. More than 14 million iPhones were sold in the September quarter, and holiday quarter sales will more than match this unit sales performance. For the fiscal year, the iPhone product line represented almost 40% of Apple’s total recognized revenue. In the current fiscal year, two products that did not exist in the marketplace as recently as four years ago—the iPhone and the iPad—will account for over 50% of the company’s reported revenue.

The Mac

Often overshadowed by consumer fascination with Apple’s handheld devices, the Macintosh line of personal computers continues to report record sales results. In the September quarter, Macintosh unit sales growth represented more than 50% of the reported PC industry sales growth in the United States. In the quarter, Apple reported the sales of 3.885 million Macintosh computers, a new quarterly sales record.

The iPod

The iPod has entered an era of declining unit sales. For the quarter, unit sales were down 11%. Were it not for the inclusion of the iPod touch in the numbers, the outcome would have better reflected the declining sales of dedicated digital music players. Smartphone users have less of a need of a second device to carry and play their music. The falloff in iPod unit sales while Apple reports record revenue and earnings is a testament to the dynamic nature of the company’s revenue mix.

Mac OS X Lion

On October 20th, two days after announcing the company’s September quarter results, Apple held a special event to showcase the next iteration of Mac OS X. Remaining with the big cat nomenclature, Mac OS X 10.7 has officially been named Lion. In addition to new features that will debut with Lion this summer, Apple also announced the opening of the Mac App Store. Apple will now make available Macintosh apps similar to the way iPhone and iPad apps are sold. The Mac App Store will debut soon, long before Mac OS X Lion this summer.

iLife ’11

Just in time for the holidays, Apple has released iLife ’11. The update suite of lifestyle apps includes more sophisticated versions of iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand. The application suite is available now for $49 and with a family pack license for $79.

The $999 MacBook Air

The lowly MacBook is no longer the only Mac portable available at a just under $1,000 price. A new MacBook Air with an 11-inch screen is now also available at $999. The new MacBook Air is notable not only because of the price but also because of its diminutive dimensions and diminished weight.

The 2010 Holiday Season

With a full complement of digital lifestyle products, including a new iPod touch and the new MacBook Air, Apple is set for holiday season sales. At the end of the September quarter, the company had 317 Apple retail stores open for business, with plans for 40 to 50 more stores this fiscal year. The iPad will be available for purchase at a location in or near just about everywhere in the contiguous 48 US states. The popularity of Apple products and increased availability of the iPad sets the stage for another quarter of record revenue and earnings.

Where We Are and Where We Started

ATPM is among the oldest Apple-focused Internet magazines in continuing publication. Our humble beginnings pre-date the return of Steve Jobs to the helm of the company and the subsequent renaissance of all things Apple. Each monthly issue of ATPM is a continuation of our chronicle of the “personal computing experience.” We’re excited about the new products that enhance our digital lifestyles, and we’re even more excited to bring our unique blend of reviews, news, and views to you each and every month.

ATPM on Twitter

In our constantly connected world, we’d like to keep in continuous contact with our readers. We’re happy to announce that ATPM is now on Twitter. Please join us on Twitter at @ATPMezine.

ATPM Wants You!

The editorial staff of ATPM is comprised of talented writers who started their relationship with our publication as readers of our monthly issues. When we say that we “celebrate the personal computing experience,” we mean it. If you’ve ever had the urge to share your personal computing experiences with a large and influential readership, please contact us at editor@atpm.com.

Each issue of ATPM, in its variety of formats, is read by tens of thousands of Apple product enthusiasts around the world. Join us today.

Our November issue includes:

Bloggable

A monthly summary of Wes Meltzer’s blogosphere news, originating from his delicious.com/bloggable feed.

MacMuser: The Outlook Is Cloudy but Clearing

Mark Tennent weighs in on iPods, iPhones, iPads, Tablet PCs, and the Cloud.

MacMuser: Here There Be Dragons

Mark Tennent opines about word processing.

The iPad Chronicles: The iPhone as an iPad Companion

For Robert Paul Leitao, the iPhone and iPad complement each other perfectly.

The iPad Chronicles: Why I’m Glad I Purchased the 3G Model

Having 3G on an iPad goes beyond the “better to have it and not need it” mantra.

Segments: The iPad in the Hands of a Pastor

An iPad + Evernote + Logos Bible Software + GoodReader + YouVersion = the best portable ministry device Kevin Rossen never thought he’d want or need.

How To: Deciding to Run Older Versions of Mac OS X

Sylvester Roque talks about how to get the most from older versions of Mac OS X, no matter what your reason is for not upgrading.

Desktop Pictures: Water Lilies

Julie Ritterskamp shares this month’s photos from Shady Lakes Water Lily Gardens in Albuquerque, New Mexico, near the Rio Grande River.

Out at Five

Matt Johnson’s new series, Out at Five, looks at the workplace and its boundaries from all angles, revolving around many of the same characters from his former series, Cortland.

Review: Chronories 1.0.5

Frank Wu checks out journal software that writes diary entries for you, based on events and activity on your computer.

Copyright © 2010 Robert Paul Leitao. Robert Paul Leitao is a contributing editor at ATPM and is author of the Posts At Eventide and The iPad Chronicles blogs.