Apple retail stores generated record revenue and customer traffic in In the the fiscal 2010 third quarter that ended June 26. Revenue was US$2.58 billion, an increase of 73% over the same time period in 2009.

With an average of 287 stores open, the average revenue per store was $9 million compared to $5.9 million a year-ago. The stores saw 60.5 million visitors in the quarter, compared to 38.6 million in the year-ago quarter.

Twenty-four more stores will open this quarter including Paris and Shanghai, London Covent Garden, Barcelona and Madrid. Apple Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer said the stores sold 677,000 Macs during the latest fiscal quarter compared to 492,000 last year, an increase of 38%.

Oppenheimer said that -- wait for it, it's coming -- half of the Macs sold were still to new Mac users. It's always half. Never 40% or 60%. How is that possible?

Not that I'm doubting Peter. I'm thrilled that more and more folks are buying Macs. But, reallly, 50% -- quarter after quarter?

-- Dennis Sellers