from the fourth quarter of 2000. Both the year-over-year and sequential declines in net sales during the first quarter of 2001 were attributable to several factors, including continued deterioration in worldwide demand for personal computers and rebate programs and price cuts instituted by the Company during the quarter that cost the Company approximately $138 million. In addition, the Company implemented a plan during the first quarter to reduce substantially the level of inventory in its distribution channels from the amounts at the end of fiscal 2000 to lower levels by the end of the first quarter of 2001. The Company ended fiscal 2000 with substantially more inventory in its distribution channels than planned due to the lower than expected sell-through of the Company's products during the fourth quarter of that year. The Company reduced channel inventory during the first quarter by approximately 300,000 units. These factors contributed to the 52% year-over-year decline during the first quarter in total Macintosh unit sales that were experienced across the Company's entire product line. These factors also reduced the average revenue per Macintosh unit shipped (a function of total net sales generated by hardware shipments and total Macintosh CPU unit sales) during the first quarter of 2001 to $1,476, a decline of approximately 12% from the same period in 2000.

Net sales rose 30% to a total of $7.983 billion in 2000 as compared to 1999. The increase in net sales resulted directly from a 32% increase in Macintosh unit sales. Driving unit sales growth was a 51% increase in combined unit sales of the Company's consumer and education Macintosh systems, iMac and iBook, and a modest increase of 11% in combined units sales of the Company's professionally oriented Macintosh systems. Combined unit sales of iMac and iBook systems accounted for 52% of total Macintosh unit sales in 1999 and 60% in 2000. During 2000, the average revenue per Macintosh system, a function of total net sales generated by hardware shipments and total Macintosh CPU unit sales, was relatively flat at $1,715 compared to 1999. This was due to increased unit sales of higher priced Power Mac, PowerBook, iBook, and G4 Cube systems offset by increases in unit sales of lower priced iMac systems.

Despite overall increases during 2000 in net sales, unit sales, and profitability, the Company's performance in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2000 was disappointing. Net sales during the fourth quarter fell short of the Company's expectations by approximately $180 million causing operating margin before special charges to fall to 4% for the quarter as compared to the 9% experienced during the first nine months of fiscal 2000. The fourth quarter revenue shortfall was primarily the result of three factors. First, fourth quarter net sales of the G4 Cube, a new Macintosh system announced and introduced by the Company during the fourth quarter, did not meet the Company's expectations. In combination with related displays, G4 Cube sales were approximately $90 million short of expectations. Second, net sales in the Company's education market fell short of expectations by approximately $60 million.