In a subsequent conference call, Microsoft's chief financial ******r Amy Hood said its "partner ecosystem continued to see growth and share gains in the ******* Premium device category," according to Business Insider. The comment has been interpreted by some as Microsoft stepping up its game against the Mac.
Microsoft reportedly defines "premium devices" as computers that are in the $900-plus price range, which equates to the higher end of the Market traditionally led by Apple products such as the MacBook Pro. By its own definition, this includes Microsoft's latest Surface Book and Surface Studio desktop.
While research firm Gartner Says the worldwide PC market continues to decline, Mac sales grew by 2.4% in the fourth quarter. Le**vo, HP, and Dell, the top three vendors, saw an estimated 5.4%, 4.3%, and 1.6% growth respectively during the quarter as well, while Asus, Acer, and others faced declines, according to Gartner.