What does this all mean? To be honest, not all that much — mostly, it means that there are just more computers out there every year. But what’s kind of heartening, to me at least, is that it also means the general public is more and more tech-savvy: An OS release is a huge deal for nerds like us, but it’s starting to be a big deal for Joe Sixpack as well.

Given that Windows 7-packaged hardware sales are actually lower than Vista-packaged hardware in this time period, it means that people are installing a new OS on existing computers, something that’s no big deal for us but could be intimidating for a tech neophyte.

So this is a victory for nerds everywhere. Go us! [Microsoft via NYTimes Twitter]

Of course, many AAA games are still doing quite well. Just last week. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 launched with the biggest entertainment opening of all time, selling about five million copies across platforms and pulling in about $US310 million in a single day. [Silicon Alley Insider via Kotaku]

Traditionally, uLocate is installed on about 10 per cent of launch units. Multiply it out and you’ve got a healthy estimated 250,000 Droids out there. Not iPhone level, sure, but not a bad first week considering the Palm Pre sold 300,000 in one month. [BGR via Electronista]

The numbers, admittedly, are impressive.

• Apple’s total sales in 2001 were $US5.4 billion. Apple Stores this year: $US6.6 billion. (Apple’s total sales this year were $US36.5 billion.)

• They hit 170 million visitors this year, and 10 million people hit Genius Bars for personal training.

• Sales per store — $US26 million, which is just below what Macy’s, Target and Best Buy make per store. But, if you look at the real estate, it’s a slightly different picture. Apple Stores do sales of $US4300 per square foot which is five times the $US872 per square foot Best Buy does.

• Wow — over 100,000 applicants on file for jobs at the Apple Store worldwide, 10,000 people submitted applications for the new Upper West Side store. Just over 200 got a job.

• Apple realised they were going too small with their stores, so now all of their stores will be at least “three tables wide”. In other words, they’re going to be bigger. They’re also going to be opening more stores next year, more like 50. More of them will be “significant stores”, iconic ones like the Fifth Ave store with the Apple Cube. And they’ll be going more international, adding stores all over Europe, like the UK, Paris and two in Shanghai getting those “significant stores”.

• All checkouts are done using an iPod touch now with a new EasyPay system, if you care about the purity of the Apple Store and the old Windows Mobile system offended you.

OK, BIG NEWS. They’re gift-wrapping for the first time ever. And you can reserve presents. Your Christmas is now officially complete. You’re welcome.

The report by Asher Moses has a GfK source claim that the handheld sold less than 1000, although Michael Ephraim, Playstation Australia’s head honcho, reckons the number is slightly over 1000. But given the price of the device – especially when the PSP-3000 is still on sale – I don’t think anyone, let alone Sony, would be too surprised by those numbers. Throw in EB Games‘ refusal to stock the console, and that makes the whole thing an even harder sell.

[SMH]

Acer—which owns Gateway, eMachines and Packard Bell—scored 11.1 per cent of US computer sales between July and September this year, according to IDC. Gartner puts that figure at 13.9 per cent.

As you can see in the chart above, Garner also puts Dell in the top US spot with a 26.2 per cent share. IDC disagrees, placing HP first (25.5 per cent), Dell second (25 per cent), Apple fourth (9.4 per cent), and Toshiba fifth (8.1 per cent).

The two research firms agree on the rankings of worldwide sales, though their numbers are slightly different.

What’s also interesting is that total sales grew by as much as 3.9 per cent compared to last year. That’s pretty surprising when both predicted the down economy would make us all tech scrooges. Maybe Windows 7 has drummed up interest after all, what do you think? [Gartner Research via BusinessWire | IDC Research via Reuters] [Image Credit]

I’m guess the qualifier is that it’s 30% of the computers at retail, not including biz or education, but still, that’s a crazy amount of computers.

Amazon has both the 16GB and 32GB versions backordered, as does Best Buy, while Newegg and Buy.com both have only the 32GB left (and it probably won’t last too long). Looks like the place to get it is Microsoft’s online store, where both versions are available (and you can get those sweet Zune Originals engravings). Great to see the Zune HD getting the attention it deserves.

Total plasma sales went up 31 per cent compared to the first quarter, mostly due to the high value attached to them in this economic downturn. In terms of LCDs, Vizio continues its hold as the number one maker, and in fact grew their marketshare, as did Samsung, Toshiba and Panasonic. Sony, unfortunately, lost more than 3 per cent of its marketshare, though the Japanese giant did retain its third place position. Check out HDGuru for more info and analysis of the numbers. [HDGuru]