Morgan Stanley: Apple's share of world's largest PC market -- China -- set to grow from 5% to 21%

Chinese consumers rate Macs as most desirable, although only 7% can afford one

Click to enlarge.

In August, according to IDC, China overtook the U.S. as the world's largest consumer of personal computers.

On Wednesday, Morgan Stanley issued the results of a survey suggesting that Apple (AAPL) is the best positioned of all PC manufacturers to capitalize on the boom.

Summarizing the results of a proprietary Alphawise survey of 1,553 consumers in 16 Chinese cities, Morgan Stanley's Katy Huberty reports:

• Chinese consumers currently spend an average of $600 for their computers (same as Americans)
• Half plan to buy a new computer within the next two years, and they expect to spend 6% more for it
• They rate Apple as the most desirable PC brand, well ahead of other international and domestic PC makers -- including Beijing-based Lenovo
• Asked which brand of computer their next PC would be, 21% of Chinese consumer chose Apple
• Only 7% say they are willing to spend more than $1,000 for a computer, but as the Chinese consumers grow more affluent, writes Huberty, that should change

Based on the survey results, the biggest winners and losers in the Chinese consumer market are:

Loser: Lenovo. 31% own a Lenovo PC, but only 23% plan to buy another.
Winner: Apple. 5% currently own, 21% hope to buy one
Winner: Hewlett-Packard (HPQ). 11% own, 13% hope to buy
Neutral: Dell (DELL). Holding steady at 6%

The enterprise market in China is a different story. There the survey results favor Dell and Apple, while indicating trouble ahead for HP. See the chart below.

Posted in: Apple, China, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, HP, Katy Huberty, Lenovo, Morgan Stanley, PCs, Tablets

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