In a nutshell: Apple's new M1 Pro- and M1 Max-powered MacBook Pros have been praised as game-changers, but Cupertino still has some way to go before dominating the US laptop industry, lagging behind both HP and Dell in terms of popularity.
According to data from a Statista Global Consumer Survey (via Finbold), Apple took a 24% share of the US laptop market as of October 2021. That puts it in third spot behind second-place Dell (27%), and leader HP, which holds a 35% share.
Sitting below Apple is Acer on 13%. It's followed by Lenovo (12%), Asus (8%), Microsoft (8%), and Samsung (7%).
The data is taken from a survey, carried out between July 2020 and September 2021, of 4,792 US respondents aged between 18 - 64. The relatively small sample size means it might not be totally accurate, but it still gives a good representation of the laptop landscape in the United States.
Apple showed off its new 14-inch and 16-inch M1 Pro/Max MacBook Pros at its fall event last month. Like the M1-powered Macs before them, the machines have been praised by reviewers and users alike, suggesting Apple could be challenging Dell and HP in a few months for a higher place on the list.
But one element that Dell and HP have in their favor is that their laptops are more affordable; the new MacBook Pros start at $1,999 for the 14-inch model and reach over $6,000 when fully specced.
Dell and HP also make some excellent laptops, including the Dell XPS 13, the Dell XPS 17, and the HP Spectre x306, all winners of various categories in our Best Laptops feature.
It's worth remembering that not everyone loves the new MacBook Pros. In addition to those who simply cannot abide Apple's MacOS, the inclusion of a phone-like notch has been a contentious issue among many. Apple said adding the cutout was a "smart" move, even though it's been causing problems with menu and status options.