Surging Mac sales put Apple among top five global PC vendors for first time, IDC says [AppleInsider]

A positive trend for Apple, with new Mac introductions expected next week

"Mac shipments were up an estimated 8.9 percent in the third quarter of calendar 2014, IDC reported on Wednesday, to nearly 5 million total units. That was enough to overtake Asus and place Apple in the No. 5 position with a 6.3 percent share of the total worldwide market.

While Apple has consistently remained among the top five computer makers in America, it has not gained that status worldwide, where cheaper Windows-based PCs have continuously dominated. But a particularly strong back-to-school quarter for Apple, led by refreshed MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models, appears to have propelled the Mac into the elite class."

Surging Mac sales put Apple among top five global PC vendors for first time, IDC says