The NPD Group has recently issued a report saying that Apple's Macs have gained quite a percentage in popularity among the US consumer population. Now, as a Mac owner and a fan, you don't need the NPD to tell you just how popular Macs are/aren't. But, according to the market trackers, while Apple's overall market share remains almost the same as last year, the market share for systems that cost $1,000, or over 1K is currently at a whopping 66 percent, sources indicate.

Apple's share of the $1,000-plus retail market, according to the NPD Group, was less than 18 percent in January 2006. The same premium model saw a 39 percent increase by September 2007, when the same tracking firm revealed that it had grown to more than 57%. Continuing to grow steadily until the first quarter of 2008, Apple's "premium" computer market share hit the above mentioned 66 percent.

"Apple has got better distribution than it's had in the last 15 years," said Stephen Baker, NPD's vice president of industry analysis in an interview with eWeek. "They're in the right spot right now."

It is easy to explain Apple's dominating the premium computer market, since none of its systems, except the Mac mini, is priced below one grand. Furthermore, the Mac mini is practically the least advertised of the lot, thus bringing plenty of sense to another statement of Baker's that goes a little something like this: "If you don't give people a choice people will spend more."

Of course, if you give them exactly what they want - and Apple does that pretty well - people will, again, spend more than they usually would.

The NPD Group was formerly known as National Purchase Diary. The leading global market research company was founded in 1967. It provides consumer and retail information to manufacturers and retailers using actual sales data from retailers and distributors as well as consumer-reported purchasing behavior. NPD delivers consumer panel and retail sales tracking services, special reports, modeling and analytics, and custom research.