Apple Inc (AAPL)

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10:28 AAPL Apple's Mac share inches upwards during first quarter - AppleInsider (100.77 +0.85) -Update-

AppleInsider reports data just released by mkt research firm I.D.C indicates that Apple's share of the worldwide personal computer mkt rose slightly during the first calendar quarter of the year, despite the simultaneous launch of Microsoft's (MSFT) first major operating system upgrade in over five years.

For the three-month period ending March, the Mac maker registered a 2.6% global share, up from 2.5% during the Dec quarter and from 2.1% during the year-ago quarter. "Due to Vista's January 30 release and the PC sales that resulted from pent-up demand after its lengthy delay, we expected a slight sequential downtick in Mac market share," said Gene Munster, an analyst with PiperJaffray.

But strong Mac sales in Apple's March quarter enabled the company to gain share despite stronger than normal PC sales." The analyst expects yr/yr mkt share gains to continue for the co on a quarterly basis, especially as it enters three quarters of significant product releases (iPhone, Leopard, new iPods) and the educational buying season (July).