Apple Grabs Record US PC Market Share On Strong Mac Sales in Q3 2014

[StoneJack]

I'd say MOST companies, not fancy in the public eye/media ones, simply use a computer as a tool to do a job.

In exactly the same way a mechanic has tools to fix your car.

If you fix cars, or do business, you want a very flexible tool, you can use in many ways, that is compatible with the majority of things that you in your business may every come across.

You are not interested in the computer, what it looks like, what colour it is, how thin it it. It's a device, on/under your desk that you don't care about as you are focusing on your company business.

So you get a PC.

Apple is making no reasons to change that.

As a tool, iMacs and Mac minis are perfect. Much less viruses and malware than Windows, more reliable and software is plenty too, so choosing Mac has less maintenance costs in long run. So businesses do choose Macs, especially now with abundance of iOS devices around.

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I believe that main expansion is still experienced consumers, gamers, DIY guys. These are mainly budget oriented people who don't mind tinkering with their machines. For them, iMacs and Mac minis are too limited; so having a midtower xMac with some customization will be good choice. I don't think it will eat much into low end iMacs, because they are pretty much well priced.

 

[Piggie]

As a tool, iMacs and Mac minis are perfect. Much less viruses and malware than Windows, more reliable and software is plenty too, so choosing Mac has less maintenance costs in long run. So businesses do choose Macs, especially now with abundance of iOS devices around.

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I believe that main expansion is still experienced consumers, gamers, DIY guys. These are mainly budget oriented people who don't mind tinkering with their machines. For them, iMacs and Mac minis are too limited; so having a midtower xMac with some customization will be good choice. I don't think it will eat much into low end iMacs, because they are pretty much well priced.

You still need to fall back to Windows to run software.
And as a business you can never turn away a customer when they sent you something on a computer file as you can't read it as your mac does not run that program.

As we saw I believe in the factory where they make Apple products, using PC's

Take away the ability to run Windows and Macs would fall on their face for many.

But they do, so that's a moot point

Most companies, apart from the management and front desk, just use cheap computers as tools to do the job for the general staff, they often get the old machines the managers/front desk have finished with.

Friend of mine a few years ago used to work in a holiday booking company.
You go in the front door, nice fancy PC on the desk of the girl, nice PC's in the management offices.

You go upstairs to where all the, mostly women worked, taking fight bookings, probably 50+ people, unseen by the public or many visitors.
They just had cheap old PC's on their desks to get the work done as cheap as possible.
They were never in a milling years going to buy these people £1500 iMac's each to use.

 

[OllyW]

I used to go through a Dell every 9 months. My kids got maybe a year out of theirs.

Seriously, what do you do with your computers to get only 9 months life out of them?

We only upgrade our work PCs every 3-4 years and we've still got a few dotted around the works which are twice that age and only run old software. Most of our PCs are Dells and we've never had serious problems over the 15 years we've been buying them.

I guess we must look after our stuff.

 

[polterbyte]

Glad to contribute to those stellar numbers: just got my 2014 RMBP 13", 3.0GHz, 16GB RAM, 512GB-SSD.

It's as if someone was able to adapt an F-15 Eagle engine on a Ferrari: a thing of beauty, a thing of power.

Yup. You bet I'm bragging.

 

[StoneJack]

You still need to fall back to Windows to run software.
And as a business you can never turn away a customer when they sent you something on a computer file as you can't read it as your mac does not run that program.

As we saw I believe in the factory where they make Apple products, using PC's

Take away the ability to run Windows and Macs would fall on their face for many.

But they do, so that's a moot point

Most companies, apart from the management and front desk, just use cheap computers as tools to do the job for the general staff, they often get the old machines the managers/front desk have finished with.

Friend of mine a few years ago used to work in a holiday booking company.
You go in the front door, nice fancy PC on the desk of the girl, nice PC's in the management offices.

You go upstairs to where all the, mostly women worked, taking fight bookings, probably 50+ people, unseen by the public or many visitors.
They just had cheap old PC's on their desks to get the work done as cheap as possible.
They were never in a milling years going to buy these people £1500 iMac's each to use.

Well, iMacs good for manager and his secretary as fancy they are; however, the mac mini is fine value for office work.

 

[djgamble]

The similar situation is when Apple began soldering in RAM on lower-end iMacs a while back, and that's when they also started with those stupid mobile GPUs. Also the soldered-on RAM on MacBook Pros. I don't have to worry about that nonsense with my cheese grater, but if I wanted a new Mac, I'd build a Hackintosh at this point.

Damn I didn't realise, that's such BS from Apple!!! Particularly when machines get old I like to max out their memory (which is always cheap by the time they get old). Putting an SSD in is also awesome.

When I was dirt broke ~3 years ago following a divorce I built a Hackintosh. It had a desktop-grade quad-core i5, 16GB RAM and a 2gb GeForce 550Ti (all for less than $300). I'm not a big gamer but the 550Ti made a MASSIVE difference (and a grabbed it off ebay for ~$50).

I ended up replacing the Hackintosh with an oooold Core 2 Duo mini because I got sick of having to tweak the BIOS/muck around/pray every time there was some kind of software update. Still! IMO that's the issue with all the integrated Macs. You're stuck with sucky graphics that are inferior to a 5+ year old graphics card that you can grab for $50 off ebay (or get for the price of some beers from a gaming friend who upgrades every 3 months).

 

[Frisco]

Unfortunately you'd be surprised at how many business and schools are buying Macs--specifically the iMac and installing Windows on it and never even using Mac OS.

So this may be good for Apple sales, but bad for Mac's OS user base, because this will not increase the number of developers for Mac and many programs still won't be available for Mac or if they are they will be inferior to their Windows counterpart.

 

[62tele]

There's no comparison to the efficiency and throughput possible with a full, textile keyboard. I don't see tablets taking over any time soon. Not to mention the fact of how iOS has a terrible/inexistent file manager for cross platform document management.

I think a lot you are missing Job's point and not keeping it context.

Job's used the analogy of a truck vs a car. He certainly understood that PC's, like a truck, would still be used for "heavy lifting". However, a lot of people don't need a truck and prefer a more agile platform.

Certainly for heavy work you need a desktop or laptop but consumers don't always need to do heavy work. Most folks, away from home or school, use their computer for consumption, pleasure and simple tasks like e-mail, banking, etc.
The tablet is more than capable of doing those things.

Additionally, today's user probably uses their phone for a bunch of their computing need.

No guys, it is the "post pc" era. That's why Microsoft has been flailing about like a fish out of water. They weren't ready for it.

You don't think that IBM and Apple's partnership regarding "mobile" would be happening if they didn't see great potential there.

If I didn't use my iMac for recording with Logic X, I could easily live without a desktop or a laptop. I am retired, but even when I was working I could have gotten buy with the POS laptop that work provided for my work needs because I never used it for anything other than work. My personal time was either on my iPad, iPhone or my Mac (for Logic).

Apple's strategy is clearly paying off so I wouldn't think they are worrying too much about only having a 10-15% of PC market in the US.

 

[kodos]

Unfortunately you'd be surprised at how many business and schools are buying Macs--specifically the iMac and installing Windows on it and never even using Mac OS.

So this may be good for Apple sales, but bad for Mac's OS user base, because this will not increase the number of developers for Mac and many programs still won't be available for Mac or if they are they will be inferior to their Windows counterpart.

I used to recommend to my friends to buy Macs all the time. It would frustrate me that they would keep it booting to Windows and never run OS X. Especially my friends with rMBPs where the scaling was awful in Windows.

But they said that all of their software (read:games) ran on Windows and they fumbled around with OS X (I told them they'd love it if they just got used to it!)


So I do think that many Mac owners just install Windows. I'd like to see an OS X market share update and correlate it against sales of Macs to see if we can figure out how many people are using their Macs in that way.

 

[Swift]

Oh, I was only referring to Jobs saying this (we're entering post pc era) when he first introduced the iPad.

I didn't think there will be a post pc era soon (if ever), and I still think that way.

In the sense that the leading sales won't be in the standard PC (or Mac)? That's already here. In the sense that the leading numbers of people in the world with computing power -- that now rivals the power of desktops -- have it on tablets or smartphones? Already here.

I'm sure the PC will be here for a very long time. It's just not the cutting edge any more.

 

[RickInHouston]

Sure, by playing the lowest price game, which results in cheap products that don't work well, that don't last long and that your buyers will end up hating you for.

Not supporting 2 year old hardware / software and making the software more socially connected won't do it for apple either.

 

[sseaton1971]

If you treat your PC like crap it will be crap.
I installed Vista 64 on my PC in 2008 and if not for a hard drive issue few months ago, I would still be using the same installation. Without any problems requiring fresh installation.
Just stop installing everything under the Sun (ie malware, crapware, god knows what else), make sure to uninstall software before installing a replacement software, etc.

Oh, and while I have stopped using it due to lack of performance, I still have my working laptop from 2002 (Compaq Presario 2716EA) with its original Windows XP installation. Its battery died out about 3 years after I bought it, but guess what, the battery as with 99% of non Apple laptops, is replaceable by the user. As is the hdd and optical drive and memory.
Hell, I can even open a non Apple laptop if I want to clean it from dust and all the crap that gets inside after years of usage. Unfortunately because Apple is going through its anorexic phase and wants to be thinner and thinner and thinner, plus because they rather have you buy a new one than replace one broken part, you cannot do any of them with modern Apple laptops (or desktops now).
That pisses me off.

Apple computers could have been better than they are, with smaller cost too, but they are not. On purpose.

My experience with purchasing and supporting both Macs and PCs for a school district over the last 15 years is that Mac laptops and desktops last far longer than cheap PCs. The problem is with the cheap PCs. If organizations or individuals buy PCs with higher quality construction and components (more expensive), they will obviously last longer and be on par with Macs in terms of longevity. Unfortunately, many schools and other organizations choose devices based purely on price... and you get what you pay for.

 

[fourthtunz]

Is there a way Apple can catch up past the others?

apple is more profitable than the others, I think that's more important.

 

[scottsjack]

The Mac Mini 2014 should bring them over the top with sales .

Definitely yes. The 2014 mini has assured that every 2012 refurb mini is sold within minutes of hitting the online Apple Store. As soon as those are gone whats left of other online site's new inventories will become depleted.

B&H was drained of 2.6 quad minis by the time they reopened from their holiday. A few days later another batch appeared and were almost instantly gone (one to me!).

Go 2014 mini! And yes, some people with buy 2014 minis. They be OK for some users and of course many people, Mac, HP, Dell buyers whatever, have very little idea of what they are buying when it comes to computers.

 

[sseaton1971]

Unfortunately you'd be surprised at how many business and schools are buying Macs--specifically the iMac and installing Windows on it and never even using Mac OS.

So this may be good for Apple sales, but bad for Mac's OS user base, because this will not increase the number of developers for Mac and many programs still won't be available for Mac or if they are they will be inferior to their Windows counterpart.

I would be surprised by your assertion if you backed it up with facts. I don't believe for a minute that there are a lot of businesses and schools buying Macs and only using the Windows partition. Do some do this, sure? But your claim is that a lot are doing this. I don't buy it.

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I used to recommend to my friends to buy Macs all the time. It would frustrate me that they would keep it booting to Windows and never run OS X. Especially my friends with rMBPs where the scaling was awful in Windows.

But they said that all of their software (read:games) ran on Windows and they fumbled around with OS X (I told them they'd love it if they just got used to it!)


So I do think that many Mac owners just install Windows. I'd like to see an OS X market share update and correlate it against sales of Macs to see if we can figure out how many people are using their Macs in that way.

Why would you recommend to your friends that they should buy a Mac if they had Windows software that they wanted to use? I love my Mac, but I would definitely steer a friend to a good quality Windows PC in this situation.

 

[Frisco]

I would be surprised by your assertion if you backed it up with facts. I don't believe for a minute that there are a lot of businesses and schools buying Macs and only using the Windows partition. Do some do this, sure? But your claim is that a lot are doing this. I don't buy it.

I don't have facts or figures, just my personal observation. As a data/statistics person I know personal anecdotes don't facts.

It would be interesting to find out the actual % of people that buy Macs only to use Windows on them.

 

[mdlooker]

There's no doubt that the Macs are the "cadillac" of computers.

There's not doubt that most luxury cars are better quality and thus last longer than most common everyday, see everywhere cars.

But here's the point... Macs can be cheaper in the long-run but many people don't have the finances to make that jump in one attempt like those that buy Macs. If the finances aren't there, they just aren't there.

It's cheaper to buy food in bulk as it's to buy bits at a time.

It's cheaper to buy clothes at Walmart and like stores than it is to buy clothes at Neiman Marcus and like stores.

Unless Apple makes a computer that is both holistic and economic to the average purse, it will not gain market dominance.

The Mac Mini seems to be the "answer" given for the economic route but remember that one piece of hardware needs all of the accessories to accompany it which raises the total price to own hundreds more.

Apple just isn't the company to match economic items in the computer world but THAT'S OKAY. The profits allow them to continue on the stream they're on and as others have said, the margin of profit warrants them to forget about making a more affordable machine.

 

[mdelvecchio]

Oh, I was only referring to Jobs saying this (we're entering post pc era) when he first introduced the iPad.

I didn't think there will be a post pc era soon (if ever), and I still think that way.

you seem to have a misunderstanding of what the word "post" means. It does not mean replacement, it means "after". we're in the period after PCs were the only personal computing devices. that's what post pc means.

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Post PC era my ass...

you as well. post means after, not replacement. we're in the post pc era - personal computing devices after the pc.

 

[Oracle1729]

Is there a way Apple can catch up past the others?

Yes. Offer a box with decent desktop class power, decent upgradability and customizability, and a reasonable price.

Enterprise does not want 20 boxes and adapters strewn across a desk making things easy to break and likely to go missing. Not everyone needs an optical drive, mass local storage, etc. But enough people need something that there should be more room for customization.

They will not pay a premium for tiny notebook parts on a mass deployment.

Large install basis also do not want to always jump to the next best thing. They want a set-up that works and then to keep it for years. Apple doesn't support software from just a couple of years ago, and for enterprise, moving to a new OS is a huge expense (IT people to do the transition, deal with quirks and unique things that break), and an even bigger expense in lost productivity and training when you confuse the computer illiterate masses. At work, we just moved from XP to windows 7 recently, and I'm sure we'll still be on 7 5 years from now. This is normal in enterprise environments and just not possible with Apple.


TLDR; Apple's entire marketing strategy keeps them being perceived as toys by enterprise clients which represent that vast majority of purchases.

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There's no doubt that the Macs are the "cadillac" of computers.

More like the "Miata" of computers. Tiny, a lot less capable, impractical, and overpriced for what you get. But the people who buy them love them and think they're sexy.

 

[lincolntran]

Yes, when they sell more than 5 models of computers, allow more BTO customization, use high performance desktop components in desktops, make an affordable tower and don't r*** customers on upgrades and planned non-upgradable obsolescence.

But they won't because sky high margins are more important than volume, full model category coverage and affordability for customers.

It's a plan that has worked well for Apple and there is no reason for them to change.

If they do this then they'll be doomed. What you described there is not what pc manufacturers are doing and definitely not a sustainable business model. It's a geek wish list for a very specific and very minor group of users. The general population don't know or care about building their own desktop. They usually buy one that fit their budget and call it a day. The problem is wuth a tight bidget, they can only get crappy pc that'll die very soon and give crappy performance. They ended up buying many pc in a short period of time. With a more expensive mac, you get better experience and so much less headache mostly because of osx).

In the end, the amount of money spent is the same but buying a mac will give you a better experience and less headache.

Now, the pc manufacturers are just doing a race to the bottom by building crappy pc with crappy components for a cheap price and hope to be competitive in a crowded market.

 

[ProfessorHenry]

In the end, the amount of money spent is the same but buying a mac will give you a better experience and less headache.

One man's headache is another man's joy - figuring things out makes life interesting.

BTW, Apples have been giving a lot of PC experience to their users recently.

 

[lincolntran]

One man's headache is another man's joy - figuring things out makes life interesting.

BTW, Apples have been giving a lot of PC experience to their users recently.

I'm a tinkerer myself, but the pc is not about tinkering. It usually blocks you from the actual tinkering. An example would be that you're trying to get a new wireless router working for your nsa level home network. You wired and set thing up on your router, then you turn on your pc expected to continue the process. However, the freakig pc takes 5 mins to get to a ready state, then the software update notification popup asking you to update in order to continue , then the virus update popup, then you need to restaurant it again, etc. I'm not saying this happen everytime but you get the picture. After a while, you forgot why you turned on the pc...

 

[Rizzm]

A fabric keyboard?!?

Haha. Fixed.

 

[Trusteft]

My experience with purchasing and supporting both Macs and PCs for a school district over the last 15 years is that Mac laptops and desktops last far longer than cheap PCs. The problem is with the cheap PCs. If organizations or individuals buy PCs with higher quality construction and components (more expensive), they will obviously last longer and be on par with Macs in terms of longevity. Unfortunately, many schools and other organizations choose devices based purely on price... and you get what you pay for.

Oh I completely agree. Most of the time you get what you pay for. My 2002 laptop I mentioned earlier, when I bought it brand new it cost more than a 2014 27" Retina iMac. Also I was careful with it and I didn't do stupid things like drop food or liquids on it, or smoke.
My current 2008 PC, was almost top of the line when I got it, about 1450GBP in September of that year.
Would a PC of 1/4 the cost of them survive as long? I don't know, since before 2002 I kept upgrading PCs/buying new ones every year at most, solely because in the 90's the new tech for PCs was advancing at such crazy rates. BUT, in the 80's and early 90's I had Atari ST and Mega STE and Amiga 1200 computers which compared to Apple and PCs were cheap and I never had any of them break down on me.

If you treat your computers well, they will probably last longer.

 

[H2SO4]

Hopefully not. I say hopefully because to gain that sort of marketshare, they'd need some competitively cheap products. Seeing the new low-cost Mac Mini, low-cost iMac, and the outdated non-Retina 13" MacBook Pro, Apple can't do 'low cost' without the quality/performance slipping.

To paraphrase Steve, they don't ship junk. If you're going to offer a low-priced option, ensure it's competitive and that people get the 'Apple experience' that Tim Cook & the rest can't stop talking about. If you can't do quality across the line, don't offer a low-cost option.

Sadly that's not the case.

There is a massive difference between junk, (2014 Mini), and low priced, (2014 Mini).

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The only ways Apple can catch up with others are by coming up with cheaper options and getting Corporate acceptance.

Corporate acceptance would mean an end to the ridiculous practice of a new, (buggy), OS every year. IT bods don’t like that kind of thing.

Not the Cupertino business model.