To put Apple's December quarter guidance in perspective, the company reported along with earnings of $1.78 a share.

Apple sold 3.05 million Macs during the quarter--a 17 percent increase over what it sold for the same three-month period in 2008. That 3.05 million figure sets a record for Mac sales, topping the previous high-water mark of 2.61 million Macs sold during the fiscal fourth-quarter of 2008.

Apple continues to reap the rewards of its June , which featured price cuts on nearly every model. The result has been two straight quarters of growth. During the quarter, Apple sold nearly 2.3 million laptops, with portables accounting for an astounding 74 percent of the Macs sold during the last three months.

"Last quarter was the quarter of the portable," chief operating officer Tim Cook said during a . In response to one analyst's comment that "the [laptop] price cut worked," Cook responded loudly, "Yes, it did!"