Apple Brand on the Rise, Microsoft on the Decline

[MacRumors]

A recent survey of nearly 2000 professionals and students have named Apple has the most inspiring brand and one that respondents could not live without.

The results come in the wake of another poll of about 12,000 U.S. business decision-makers which indicate that Microsoft has dropped from the number 12 ranking of most powerful U.S. company brands in 2004, down to number 59 this past year. Further underscoring the trend, Microsoft previously ranked #1 in a similar brand survey in 1996. The fall in rank reflects a drop in the following ratings: overall reputation, perception of management, and investment potential


Though the survey had no specifics about the nature of the decline, CEO of CoreBrand speculates that Vista's poor reception as well as Apple's "Get a Mac" television ads may have both contributed to the decline.

MacRumors does not participate in April Fools news stories. All stories posted today are real.

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[jhall527]

Doesn't surprise me one, bit.

[elppa]

Though the survey had no specifics about the nature of the decline, CEO of CoreBrand speculates that Vista's poor reception as well as Apple's "Get a Mac" television ads may have both contributed to the decline.

Rather than the obvious explanation: you can only over promise and under-deliver for so long.

[angemon89]

Originally Posted by jhall527

Doesn't surprise me one, bit.

Me neither. Apple is taking over!

[Sky Blue]

Apple aren't even in the second survey

[jellomizer]

I am not to supprising. Apple has worked hard in the last few years to get rid of the remaining legicy complaints about apple products.

Memory Management fixed with OS X
One Button Moue fixed with the Might Mouse
(seemingly) Slow Power PC Chips fixed by going to Intel
Unable to run Windows Fixed with boot camp.
No low end system fixed with the Mac Mini.

That and the iPod Halo Effect helped out too, It got people to go to the Apple Store/Apple Section/Apple Web Site to see the iPods but also they saw their other products. And the growth of the Web for most of our intertainment and work made the need to download applications or buy application less relivlant.

I think Apple will top off at around 25%-30% marketshare assuming that Apple Doesn't mess anything major up. Or Microsoft or an other competitor really makes solid competing product.

[bennyboi]

Read the footnotes

*Note: The 2000 surveyed were surveyed from the site Macrumors.com

[happydude]

well of course. ipods are so much a part of popular culture, they have the best marketing and with the way they make all their products so sleek and "sexy" and spend so much throwing images of them in your face . . . obviously apple's brand image is up. plus, they make a product that delivers, so those that use them fall in love with them and spread the gospel according to steve.

when was the last time anyone proclaimed they "love" vista. it may work to suit people's needs . . . but there's no community dedicated to the greatness of and fanaticism for windows.

[DMann]

Originally Posted by bennyboi

Read the footnotes

If this were true, do you think MS would have scored that high?

[ensee]

and in other news, a bear ***** in the woods.

[Eraserhead]

Originally Posted by jellomizer

One Button Moue fixed with the Might Mouse

Unfortunately the Mighty Mouse is the worst. product. ever. They break a lot, and right clicking is a PITA.

Originally Posted by jellomizer

No low end system fixed with the Mac Mini.

Though apparently they keeping trying to kill the Mini.

Personally I think Apple has done well with the iPod/iPhone, and MS has mis-stepped with Vista. Also Cocoa's brilliance against .NET's meh, has attracted a lot of developers/software to the Mac.

[justflie]

Originally Posted by Eraserhead

Unfortunately the Mighty Mouse is the worst. product. ever. They break a lot, and right clicking is a PITA.

In my experience, I actually don't mind it one bit. The only problem I had was when the "pea" got full of crap and wouldn't work until I cleaned it (on my original wired MM). However, I have since purchased a wireless MM and have not had any problems with. I play plenty of computer games where a quick and consistent right click is necessary and I can't even remember having a problem with that once. But to each his own, maybe I just got a really good mouse

[Eraserhead]

^^ Did you get it second hand from Jeeve Stobs then?

[stoutboy1]

This isnt page one news. It is obvious.

[justflie]

Originally Posted by Eraserhead

^^ Did you get it second hand from Jeeve Stobs then?

Hahaha, from the Jobs Himself. lol. Yeah, it's kind of a curious thing considering the many annoying times when the scroll ball wouldn't work in a certain direction (on the orig. mouse). I'd have to clean it at least a couple of times a month... grrrrrr.

[hypermark]

What other company has made technology sexy? Apple stands alone in that both geeks and suits wax poetic about their Macs, their iPhones, iPods, etc.

It's the only set of products that I can think of where I wonder, "Is there a soul in there?"

TiVo was close, but no cigar.

Mark

[kornyboy]

Wirelessly posted (iPhone: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/420.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0 Mobile/4A102 Safari/419.3)

This is really interesting news. I wonder what groups of people were included in the survey. If you asked many "decision makers" in say the engineering world where CAD is prevalent then you would most likely get a different result due to the fact that companies like Autodesk currently have no intentions of moving away from a Microsoft platform.

[ghall]

Bah! Mac's aren't real computers.

[tmelvin]

I've been in IT for 15 years. Was always bashing MAC. Then my son started using one in school [6th Grade]. He said we should get one. I looked at them several times. Waited and waited, and finally said what the h#ll. I LOVE IT. Got the 20" iMac w/3GB RAM. Already looking at either the 15.4 MacBook Pro, or Air.

I have to use a PC at work, but when I get home I love powering up my Mac!!!

[frankfurter]

Originally Posted by Eraserhead

Unfortunately the Mighty Mouse is the worst. product. ever. They break a lot, and right clicking is a PITA.

The MM is awesome, I LOVE the ball, I have a bluetooth MM and wouldn't trade it for the world. Had one for close to two years with no problems.

PS - lighten up, editors.

[woodekm]

Thank You Vista!

Without you, I wouldnt have just bought my Mini mac and my Macbook Pro ( and two wireless mice, wireless keyboard, Airport express, Airport Extreme, Booq cover, Laptop backpack for MBP). All in the last month. Thank you very much!! (and I mean it).


If it wasnt for my Autocad and Microstation programs (cadd software), I would get rid of the PC all together.

[ruckus]

I wouldn't call it the worst device ever, but I am not a fan of the mighty mouse either. Right clicking doesn't cut it for me. I don't want to have to lift my finger off the mouse ever time, i'm lazy.

[kerryn]

Not surprised!

My wife wanted a laptop in November but wanted to stick with Windows because that was what she was used to. I explained that if we got a new pc, then it would come with Vista and that was totally different to XP. I convinced her that it was time to try OSX.

She still likes XP but is warming up to OSX. I look forward to using the Macbook and almost never use our XP machine anymore. For me it just blows having to use XP at work.

I'm at the point where, unless Apple screws up big time and Microsoft pulls out a miracle, I will never buy another windows machine again.

[Marx55]

The day people know about the Mac, Windows will be history in three years. Someone must be nervous at Redmon...

[ekdor]

Originally Posted by frankfurter

The MM is awesome, I LOVE the ball, I have a bluetooth MM and wouldn't trade it for the world. Had one for close to two years with no problems.

I'm on my second and they both have been dogs. Mind you I bought a more expensive M$ one which was useless altogether. I gave it away to someone who didn't need the middle click which I can't live without. The shape wasn't right either. So even though the MightyMouse (BT) has an annoying right click issue I still haven't found a better mouse. And the lack of wires is something I can't give up.