Apple will provide a live audio stream of the earnings conference call with analysts starting at 2 pm PST (5 pm EST). The live webcast (audio only) can be accessed at the company's web site at the following link (QuickTime required to listen).

The following is a summary of Apple's Q1 quarterly Mac Unit Sales for 2007 and will be used as a comparison to the numbers released today:

• Revenue:$7.1 billion
• Net quarterly profit: $1.0 billion
• Macs sold: 1.606 million Macs sold

Key Mac Updates during the Quarter
Apple released revisions to the portable lines on November 1, 2007.  The updates followed revisions to the iMac and Mac mini models in the prior quarter (fiscal fourth 2007 - Q4 2007).

Once again Apple released strategic revisions to the portable models just prior to the holidays.  The company has consistently done this the past few years to ensure that customer demand remains high heading into the end of the calender and fiscal year.  Apple strategically timed the release of the acBook Santa Rosa revision and the MacBook Pro 2.6GHz option to capitalize on portable sales.  It is well known that portables outsell desktops in the industry.  In fact, Apple portables (MacBook and MacBook Pro) have outsold desktops (iMac, Mac Pro, Mac mini) over the past six quarters dating back to Q3 2006.

So from a product revamp perspective not much occured during the quarter to the Macintosh line.  The sales numbers released today will demonstrate that the sales increase was fueled by sheer demand not simply revisions that drove new sales.

Switch To A Mac Projects 2.474 Million Units
Q1 2008 will mark the second straight quarter of at least 2 million Macs sold.  My prediction of 2.474 million Macs will represent and increase of 54% percent versus the same quarter in 2007.  I expect that Apple sold approximately to 1.565 million portables, and 909,000 desktops equating to a total of 2.474 million Macs during the quarter.