Even though iPod digital media player remains the main stronghold of Apple Inc., its Macintosh personal computers are also gaining popularity among consumers, according to recently released figures from NPD Group. The reasons behind the growth are not named, though, the main catalysts seem to be overall popularity of Apple brand, Intel Core processors inside along with TV advertising.

The share of Apple’s desktops and notebooks sold through conventional retail stores as well as online stores reached 13% in May, figures from NPD Group market research firm claim. The share of Apple’s desktops was 10.4%, whereas the share of notebooks was 14.3%, placing Apple onto the 4^th place overall, behind HP, Toshiba and Gateway.

“It’s part of a pattern. They [Apple] certainly have been gaining share over the last year to year and a half,” Stephen Baker, vice of industry analysis for NPD, said in an interview with InformationWeek web-site.

In fact, sales of computers from Apple increased at a higher pace than the USA PC industry overall, which indeed means that systems from the Cupertino, California-based company are gaining popularity among consumers. In May sales of Apple’s MacBook and MacBook Pro notebooks increased by 65% annually, whereas sales of Microsoft Windows-based computers grew by 37% year-over-year. Overall U.S. notebook market growth in May was 40% over the same period in 2006.

The popularity of Apple’s Macintosh personal computers increased among customers of conventional “brick and mortar” stores as well as online stores, which means that the company’s Macs gain recognition among various types of consumers and truly become mass products.

Even though the new data from NPD is positive for Apple, it should be kept in mind that the figures do not include enterprise purchases as well as do-it-yourself (DIY) market. Moreover, Apple still has to conquer the markets of Asia and Europe before it finds itself among the leading producers of personal computers.