Sales of Macs sold through retail in the US fell just under 17 per cent in February compared to the same month last year.

Stephen Baker, analyst at NPD, said: "They had a pretty crummy month. Some have noted that they had some tough year-to-year comparisons, but this is a little more concerning than just comparisons."

Baker told Computerworld that Apple's high prices were to blame for the fall. NPD found Mac sales were down 16.7 per cent, while PC sales were up 22 per cent on last year.

Apple's desktop sales are down 36.4 per cent year-on-year. Baker reckons Apple revenue is down even further than unit sales. ®