When it comes to tech gifts, most consumers are thinking Apple this holiday season.

The Cupertino tech giant is the top consumer electronics brand for planned holiday purchases, topping Dell for the first time as the most popular desktop maker, according to new research from Parks Associates. Apple is also the top brand this year for tablets, laptops, smartphones, home networking routers, MP3 players, and streaming media devices, like Apple TV.

"Apple topped the list of intended brands for desktop purchases for the first time this year," John Barrett, director of consumer analytics at Parks Associates, said in a statement. "In 2011 and 2012, Dell was the top desktop brand, but Apple has displaced it, making Apple now the most popular brand across even more key CE categories."

Besides Apple and runner-up Dell, those planning to buy a desktop are most interested in HP, Acer, and Asus devices. As for tablets, Amazon ranks as the second most popular brand among shoppers, followed by Samsung, Microsoft, and Acer. In the streaming media device market, Roku follows Apple TV, while Buffalo, D-Link, and Netgear round out the top five.

"Being the 'preferred' brand is certainly an advantage, but consumers can still change their minds," Barrett said. "For example, with streaming media players, Apple is the preferred brand, but many shoppers ultimately end up getting a Roku."

Last year, 34 percent of 18 to 34 year olds planned to buy an Apple TV and 15 percent planned to get a Roku. In a later survey of actual purchases, Parks Associates found that just 24 percent actually bought an Apple TV while 29 percent got a Roku player.

Meanwhile, Apple isn't winning this year across all tech categories. Samsung is the top brand for flat-panel TVs, and Amazon is the No. 1 e-book reader brand. In addition, Sony is beating Microsoft for game console purchase intentions this holiday season, Parks Associates said last month.

From the article, "Sorry Dell, Holiday Shoppers Want a Mac" by Angela Moscaritolo.

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