Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) just can't stop taking market share in one area or another. The iPod and iPhone maker was found in a recent study by research house NPD Group to have about 66% of the PC market for machines costing more than $1,000. Although the majority of PCs don't sell for over $1,000, Apple's still kickin' it when it comes to those nicer PCs.

Apple's current share of the U.S. PC market stands at 14% which is impressive considering it's grown that figure in every quarter since 2007. The company's retail store presence has been a success, and the brand euphoria from the iPhone's debut almost a year ago has helped Mac sales continue to grow.

This isn't some overnight success story, though. PC competitors such as Hewlett-Packard Corp. (NYSE: HPQ) and Dell, Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) ship millions of sub-$1,000 PCs every quarter, but Apple only has one PC below that price point, the diminutive Mac Mini, which does not even come with a keyboard, mouse or monitor.

A customer can buy a fully-equipped desktop of laptop PC (non-Apple) for that price -- so why doesn't Apple compete better in the sub-$1,000 space? Because it doesn't have to. Its brand and product designs command premium prices and customers seem eager as anything to pay those prices. That's the power Apple has -- one that any manufacturer in any industry would love to have.