[DigitalToday reporter Chi-gyu Hwang (황치규)] As global PC shipments decline, Apple was the only major computer maker to record an increase in shipments. On Aug. 8, 9to5Mac reported, citing IDC’s latest shipment statistics, that Apple showed relative strength in the enterprise PC market.

IDC said overall industry shipments fell about 5 percent, but vendors’ revenue increased. Demand for AI data centers and expanded fiscal spending in various countries pressured memory supply, lifting component prices and driving broader product price increases.

In the previous quarter, HP, Dell and Lenovo all posted shipment declines. Apple, by contrast, increased shipments by 10 percent. The growth is difficult to explain solely by the launch of the MacBook Neo. Apple delayed price increases longer than other manufacturers, and its supply chain operations are also cited as a strength.

For corporate buyers, a key variable has become which is more suitable between the MacBook Neo and the MacBook Air. The issue is not the initial price but the replacement cycle and operating risk. It is a question of using a device for a shorter period at lower cost or for a longer period at higher cost.

Corporate device replacement cycles are trending longer. In the 2010s, a 3-year cycle was common, but after Apple introduced its in-house chips, some assessments said it could extend to 4 years or more. Even a 4-year-old M1 MacBook Air with only its battery replaced can be seen as fast and stable enough for work use.

Still, deploying a first-generation entry-level product for equipment intended to be run on a 4-year cycle could be a burden. If the first-generation MacBook Neo develops problems after 2 and a half years, the purchase decision itself could be undermined. By contrast, 9to5Mac reported that the M5 MacBook Air was presented as an option already proven in corporate environments.

The possibility was also raised that corporate replacement cycles could extend further to around 4 to 5 years. For that to happen, Apple would need to support major macOS updates even for older chips. A future variable is software requirements rather than hardware durability, and 9to5Mac reported that this trend could change if enterprise applications require higher neural processing performance to run local LLMs or AI.