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Mac Market Share Update
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SPUY767
macrumors 68020
Analog Kid said:
This is precisely the point that so many fail to make. Macs have a much longer useful life than their Windows-based counterparts. I've still got a Sawtooth G4 that I purchased in '00 I think. . . maybe late '99. Still capable of running the latest version of the Mac OS. And at a respectable speed. Try running XP at a reasonable speed on a 6 year old machine. If I didn't need a ridiculous amount of computing power, I'd still be using that. And the majority of Apple customers would be in the latter of the two positions.
Bottom line. Apple customers keep their machines longer on average than PC owners thereby showing an innacurately low market share.
On the nose
This is the essence of why Apple trails PC's. It's about perceived speed, and cost.
Several things of note, though. First, Apple has a bigger "User" percentage than "market share" percentage, because Apple computers stay viable longer. Second, Apples come with everything. You don't need to add anything (that's a little why it bothers me that modems are being left out). That's why they cost more. Take a comparable Dell, add everything that Apple includes, and the costs are comparable. But people like cinch, who are quite typical and normal, don't care. Also, let's not forget that Windows percentage is based on it running on ALL manufacturers machines, while the Mac OS only runs on Apples. If you compare Apple sales one on one with any other single manufacturer, they stack up pretty well. The discrepancy is far less.
Apple is a niche, just like Mercedes is. Don't expect that to change. It is a certain type of individual who appreciates, and is willing to spend the money for, a Mac.
Will running Windows on a Mac help? You bet it will. Every web page designer on the planet will own one, IF-F-F-F one won't have to reboot to switch OS's, and Windows runs as fast as it does now on a Mac, in a true dual boot configuration.
As for having the Mac OS run on PC's, and giving away the OS, that is ludicrous, and death to Macs. I don't even think it warrants consideration, or a reason, as it's too obvious.
Cinch said:
This is the essence of why Apple trails PC's. It's about perceived speed, and cost.
Several things of note, though. First, Apple has a bigger "User" percentage than "market share" percentage, because Apple computers stay viable longer. Second, Apples come with everything. You don't need to add anything (that's a little why it bothers me that modems are being left out). That's why they cost more. Take a comparable Dell, add everything that Apple includes, and the costs are comparable. But people like cinch, who are quite typical and normal, don't care. Also, let's not forget that Windows percentage is based on it running on ALL manufacturers machines, while the Mac OS only runs on Apples. If you compare Apple sales one on one with any other single manufacturer, they stack up pretty well. The discrepancy is far less.
Apple is a niche, just like Mercedes is. Don't expect that to change. It is a certain type of individual who appreciates, and is willing to spend the money for, a Mac.
Will running Windows on a Mac help? You bet it will. Every web page designer on the planet will own one, IF-F-F-F one won't have to reboot to switch OS's, and Windows runs as fast as it does now on a Mac, in a true dual boot configuration.
As for having the Mac OS run on PC's, and giving away the OS, that is ludicrous, and death to Macs. I don't even think it warrants consideration, or a reason, as it's too obvious.
why 4% marketshare
NOTE: PC is used as a neutral term here just denoting Personal Computer ... I would not let them to rob me a good term, even if they have tarnished it
This is in no way a scientific justification, but there are a few reasons why it has been very hard to get above 4% marketshare:
1. Being a lamb. Most MS users are 'lambs', followers: it is the easy path in a sense. You don't make decisions, you follow the crowd (leader). Many people are afraid to part from the crowd, specially in areas where things change fast or where they do not have much information ... I know of many guys who would buy a BMW but would be afraid to buy a Mac (weasels!)... I am a lamb in many areas, but not in computing ... 😉
2. Available points of purchase and exposure to Macs. Any mom and pop could open a PC little shop buying parts and assembling PCs ... (I think it is no longer much profitable as the margins are getting too low for low volume operation ...). Long gone are the days, in many places, when you used Macs (apples) at school, in Math or Computing, before your teens. (iPods, in a sense, are changing that ... halo)
3. IT in the enterprise. Most PCs in any 'shop' are MS machines, and they are in part because that is what IBM's design was targetted to serve: cheap hw in volume with office apps ... Most computing jobs are in (working for) enterprises, so a Mac culture there is not useful and can even be 'detrimental' as quality standards are much lower and you can be seen as snob or self-righteous 🙄 ...
4. Not that many people are 'creative' in the abstract sense. They use their PC to consume, not to create anything (except reports and clone cds) and Windows can be an 'adecuate' consumer experience for that ...
5. Most people do NOT pay for most of their sw. If they did they would realize a Windows machine is not that cheap ... (There is some more free usable sw in Winland lately).
6. Being a Mac user (in a Win world) requires being more 'active' (but much less active in the tiresome maintenance area ...). There is less people (close) around to talk to, less games (IMHO, most Hw-intensive games should be played in specialized hw, aka gaming consoles ...) ... If you are not 'online' (at least outside US) you should not buy a Mac (At last, most people are getting online ...).
7. The kind of pressures that a big player can exert in tech are much higher than those in other industries ... A paranoid (comic book stuff!) example: if Bill got angry and decided he was tired and done with ingrate computer users he could release something that could possibly bring 80% of computers to their knees (OTOH, maybe that was Windows Millenium 🙄 ).
My humble perceptions that point that this is changing:
1. After having had several computers and, if you have tried a Mac (and this is a big IF), people realize it is better. Since PCs appeared in mass volume (late 80s early 90s), people would have had at least 4 machines, so consumers are a bit more computer-savvy.
2. A commodity market. The difference between buying a just passable PC for 900 and a good one for 3000 in the early 90s is not the same as now : 300 vs 1500 . Current 'good' price is not as 'sensitive' as it was, people now realize the very short lifespan of a passable machine. People bought PCs then, in part, because people told them they should have one. People spend more time with PCs now and realize they are a tool they use everyday. To just print some stuff and do some spreadsheets any PC could do, but people do much more now with their PCs and they care more about their longer day experience.
3. Even if you do not have much direct exposure to clients (media and retail presence) you can leverage on some 'tricks' (Apple is an expert at this): internet, word of mouth, status symbols, satisfied customers, key figures in some areas ... I like the new pub of Apple (sadly only through the net): it is going from we are great and different which can be perceived as snob, to simply 'we are better, can we help you?' not avoiding comparison and integration and inviting people to try ...
4. Many people are tired of many undelivered (or very late delivered) promises from MS (Vista, security, stability and .NET ...). Mac leverages on Unix and offers a great user experience that Linux cannot easily deliver.
5. Buying a Mac next year (Leopard) will not be that much of a jump for users to make (For developers with Unix experience it is not that big since OS X): LESS risk than with PPC, virtualization, be able to run Win easily when needed. An iMac with a Leopard window with XP is really a sight I long to see in many places where Macs would be anathema ...
6. With more presence online and the right push of services (iTunes with TV serials for EU and 1 year .Mac account (with tutorials) with a hw purchase) in other countries (growing the online community globally) the mac presence online will recover.
7. And last but not least, the iPod Video PDA Apple is going to launch at Xmas 😛 will increase the halo effect.
There are indeed some risks involved, but Apple is a company that does not take really that many risks anymore, they go little by little, by increments, as price, technology and niche market opportunities appear (but they never stop). Some may not like it, but the late 90s were a lesson to everybody 🙁 ...
Indeed I would like to have Leopard, all apps Universal, high end Intel hw, Xcode 3, iPod PDA and who knows now and watch the sonic wave (and the lawsuits 😀 ...).
There is a risk that I worry about, but is not so easy to explain (maybe it also justifies in part not having gone above 5%, though a 'kind of monopoly' explains it better ...). This is not the 'Macs are gonna dissapear and Apple is going to sell toasters' kind of stuff, but goes a bit in that line ...
It seems (but I do not know) everything has to go through Steve. He is getting older and the rate of change in x86 world is faster and more competitive. Also Apple seems prepared to diversify in more markets: mobile, pda, consumer media ...
Perhaps the type of leadership Apple has that allows it to innovate and give a high quality-experience without much risk (assured 4% of market share, great market value, high quality sw & hw integration, low repair numbers ...), will have to transform into something a bit less centralized to allow it to enter those 'new' markets, without sacrificing quality, and being able to keep the pace of change ... But I am way out of line here as, to evaluate this, I would need to know much more about how the tech market works 'up there' and the insides of Apple ... Maybe Apple is gonna develop some more alliances ... Job postings and patent fillings are all I can see 😕
NOTE: PC is used as a neutral term here just denoting Personal Computer ... I would not let them to rob me a good term, even if they have tarnished it
This is in no way a scientific justification, but there are a few reasons why it has been very hard to get above 4% marketshare:
1. Being a lamb. Most MS users are 'lambs', followers: it is the easy path in a sense. You don't make decisions, you follow the crowd (leader). Many people are afraid to part from the crowd, specially in areas where things change fast or where they do not have much information ... I know of many guys who would buy a BMW but would be afraid to buy a Mac (weasels!)... I am a lamb in many areas, but not in computing ... 😉
2. Available points of purchase and exposure to Macs. Any mom and pop could open a PC little shop buying parts and assembling PCs ... (I think it is no longer much profitable as the margins are getting too low for low volume operation ...). Long gone are the days, in many places, when you used Macs (apples) at school, in Math or Computing, before your teens. (iPods, in a sense, are changing that ... halo)
3. IT in the enterprise. Most PCs in any 'shop' are MS machines, and they are in part because that is what IBM's design was targetted to serve: cheap hw in volume with office apps ... Most computing jobs are in (working for) enterprises, so a Mac culture there is not useful and can even be 'detrimental' as quality standards are much lower and you can be seen as snob or self-righteous 🙄 ...
4. Not that many people are 'creative' in the abstract sense. They use their PC to consume, not to create anything (except reports and clone cds) and Windows can be an 'adecuate' consumer experience for that ...
5. Most people do NOT pay for most of their sw. If they did they would realize a Windows machine is not that cheap ... (There is some more free usable sw in Winland lately).
6. Being a Mac user (in a Win world) requires being more 'active' (but much less active in the tiresome maintenance area ...). There is less people (close) around to talk to, less games (IMHO, most Hw-intensive games should be played in specialized hw, aka gaming consoles ...) ... If you are not 'online' (at least outside US) you should not buy a Mac (At last, most people are getting online ...).
7. The kind of pressures that a big player can exert in tech are much higher than those in other industries ... A paranoid (comic book stuff!) example: if Bill got angry and decided he was tired and done with ingrate computer users he could release something that could possibly bring 80% of computers to their knees (OTOH, maybe that was Windows Millenium 🙄 ).
My humble perceptions that point that this is changing:
1. After having had several computers and, if you have tried a Mac (and this is a big IF), people realize it is better. Since PCs appeared in mass volume (late 80s early 90s), people would have had at least 4 machines, so consumers are a bit more computer-savvy.
2. A commodity market. The difference between buying a just passable PC for 900 and a good one for 3000 in the early 90s is not the same as now : 300 vs 1500 . Current 'good' price is not as 'sensitive' as it was, people now realize the very short lifespan of a passable machine. People bought PCs then, in part, because people told them they should have one. People spend more time with PCs now and realize they are a tool they use everyday. To just print some stuff and do some spreadsheets any PC could do, but people do much more now with their PCs and they care more about their longer day experience.
3. Even if you do not have much direct exposure to clients (media and retail presence) you can leverage on some 'tricks' (Apple is an expert at this): internet, word of mouth, status symbols, satisfied customers, key figures in some areas ... I like the new pub of Apple (sadly only through the net): it is going from we are great and different which can be perceived as snob, to simply 'we are better, can we help you?' not avoiding comparison and integration and inviting people to try ...
4. Many people are tired of many undelivered (or very late delivered) promises from MS (Vista, security, stability and .NET ...). Mac leverages on Unix and offers a great user experience that Linux cannot easily deliver.
5. Buying a Mac next year (Leopard) will not be that much of a jump for users to make (For developers with Unix experience it is not that big since OS X): LESS risk than with PPC, virtualization, be able to run Win easily when needed. An iMac with a Leopard window with XP is really a sight I long to see in many places where Macs would be anathema ...
6. With more presence online and the right push of services (iTunes with TV serials for EU and 1 year .Mac account (with tutorials) with a hw purchase) in other countries (growing the online community globally) the mac presence online will recover.
7. And last but not least, the iPod Video PDA Apple is going to launch at Xmas 😛 will increase the halo effect.
There are indeed some risks involved, but Apple is a company that does not take really that many risks anymore, they go little by little, by increments, as price, technology and niche market opportunities appear (but they never stop). Some may not like it, but the late 90s were a lesson to everybody 🙁 ...
Indeed I would like to have Leopard, all apps Universal, high end Intel hw, Xcode 3, iPod PDA and who knows now and watch the sonic wave (and the lawsuits 😀 ...).
There is a risk that I worry about, but is not so easy to explain (maybe it also justifies in part not having gone above 5%, though a 'kind of monopoly' explains it better ...). This is not the 'Macs are gonna dissapear and Apple is going to sell toasters' kind of stuff, but goes a bit in that line ...
It seems (but I do not know) everything has to go through Steve. He is getting older and the rate of change in x86 world is faster and more competitive. Also Apple seems prepared to diversify in more markets: mobile, pda, consumer media ...
Perhaps the type of leadership Apple has that allows it to innovate and give a high quality-experience without much risk (assured 4% of market share, great market value, high quality sw & hw integration, low repair numbers ...), will have to transform into something a bit less centralized to allow it to enter those 'new' markets, without sacrificing quality, and being able to keep the pace of change ... But I am way out of line here as, to evaluate this, I would need to know much more about how the tech market works 'up there' and the insides of Apple ... Maybe Apple is gonna develop some more alliances ... Job postings and patent fillings are all I can see 😕
yg17 said:
I have to disagree with this "small is good" philosophy. Having worked at several startups over the years, you have to grow to survive. See all the problems Microsoft is going through the last few years -- they are at the top of the world and struggling to grow.
In most competitive markets, not growing means stagnation and death.
Not to mention, where is the challenge for the management and staff teams if they're never going to grow, to aim higher? This may explain the recent high level departures at Apple. For example, the OS guru behind NeXTStep and OSX, what are the challenges to keep yourself interested in? If you're an OS guru, well OS's have become a stable technology and nothing really new or radical is going on. Where's the challenge in that? Now is when the pioneers and innovators go away and the maintenance-mode guys come in.
Being in business just to stay where you already are is not much fun.
celebrian23
macrumors 65816
Well I think keeping the quality control will get harder and harder the more apple grows. What about if apple and MS are 50-50? Or apple gains a monopoly😱 As some things are gained, others are lost. The bigger the company becomes, the less control apple has over their company. What I mean is like how the Romans had to start having princes in individual "regions" because the "leader" couldn't control this entire great mass of land. Same idea.
AidenShaw
macrumors P6
Rotflmao
I can think of two reasons for the change to put the BIOS support *back into* the firmware:
Either way, you can't pat Apple on the back too much for replacing functionality that's been in the Intel platform for at least 15 years.
This is really precious, considering that Apple started by *removing* the BIOS support in the firmware to make the MacIntels unable to boot XP !!Analog Kid said:
I can think of two reasons for the change to put the BIOS support *back into* the firmware:
- (Conspiracy Theory) Apple got so many complaints about the stupidity of crippling the BIOS that The Steve® changed his mind and put it back.
- (Generous Interpretation) Apple planned dual-boot capability, but during testing for the first MacIntel Books they found that it caused problems with EFI. Therefore, the BIOS was temporarily disabled for the first systems, and restored when the problems were fixed.
Either way, you can't pat Apple on the back too much for replacing functionality that's been in the Intel platform for at least 15 years.
Cinch said:
I recently started a new job at a large chip maker. I'm trying to use my personal MacBook Pro for development. I use Linux extensively but I'm ok with telnet, ssh, vnc, etc. I even have a good Fedora Core 5 image on Parallels. However, the thing that's killing me is VPN. There is no working VPN solution for Intel Macs. So until then I'm stuck with the stock Dell the company issues.
My company did business with Apple and as a result has a stash of G4 Powerbooks which people have gotten, but many of them have been left in frustration, especially in dealing with Proxy servers and in particular Mac Skype. There are lots of little annoyances -- like I can't listen to Sirius online with my Mac.
It's a lovely thought, using a Mac in business, but it isn't smooth sailing.
There are good Win machines but they are a minority and not cheap
I still use my '00 assembled K7 with XP at a respectable speed ... (But not to play most games, in less than 3 years my machine was obsolete to play 3D games, not that I care for those). I payed quite some money then for it ... 😎
I cannot use my parent's '02 branded P4 with XP Home for much more than surfing and P2P ... It was cheaper and, theoretically, much better than my K7, better integrated, with more apps, more of everything ... I have added RAM, HDs, dual layer DVD recorder and done everything imaginable to get a decent experience from it except remove a legal XP Home and put a better OS ... But a lemon is a lemon ... 🙁
So, there are good Win machines 😱 , but they are not cheaper than Macs and, most of the time, you have to assemble them yourself not to pay through the nose and to get the 'right' components ... Most people do not own those (but some people do). I do not want to build my machines (and investigate about all the pieces available) anymore, so a Core 2 Mac will retire my trusted K7 ...
SPUY767 said:
I still use my '00 assembled K7 with XP at a respectable speed ... (But not to play most games, in less than 3 years my machine was obsolete to play 3D games, not that I care for those). I payed quite some money then for it ... 😎
I cannot use my parent's '02 branded P4 with XP Home for much more than surfing and P2P ... It was cheaper and, theoretically, much better than my K7, better integrated, with more apps, more of everything ... I have added RAM, HDs, dual layer DVD recorder and done everything imaginable to get a decent experience from it except remove a legal XP Home and put a better OS ... But a lemon is a lemon ... 🙁
So, there are good Win machines 😱 , but they are not cheaper than Macs and, most of the time, you have to assemble them yourself not to pay through the nose and to get the 'right' components ... Most people do not own those (but some people do). I do not want to build my machines (and investigate about all the pieces available) anymore, so a Core 2 Mac will retire my trusted K7 ...
janstett said:
Being married just to keep having sex with the same partner is not much fun? ... 😉
Apple is not a startup!
Fantasizing about taking over a mature market is not ... mature. The time for that is long gone.
Anyway, the idea that everybody is in the market to be the ruler is sooo ... Gateish.
... Two words: dynamic equilibrium 😛
Add to that new markets: iPods and those to come ...
Add to that integration.
And evolution.
...
celebrian23
macrumors 65816
My PC is 5ish years old and still runs XP like the day we got it. 🙂 So not all of them are incapable of working for years.
ulyssespdx said:
That's a stupid argument (aside from the arrogance of associating Apple with Ferrari).
Ferrari is a successful boutique manufacturer but it too worries about market share -- it purchased (and then set free) Maserati, and it has a long-standing close association with Fiat -- precisely for the purpose of market share.
Take the other successful boutqiue car maker, Porsche. They have done design work for Mercedes in the past. Several of their own cars were actually designed for Audi (914, 924). They bought 20% of VW/Audi, and still do a lot of platform sharing (Cayenne/Toureg/Q7).
All companies are businesses and have to worry about keeping cash flow. Be they Apple, Ferrari, or Porsche.
janstett said:
PM if you want to get rid of some of those G4 Powerbooks, I will pay for PnP and the time spent in shipping ... 🙂
Have not used Skype but I have used Coccinella a bit in my iBook ...
I have yet to try harder to use my 'personal' iBook in a corporate env. I have used the wintel machine they gave me when I had to and laptops with Win or Linux when I could. So this is not a problem with Macs per se ... but the way corps organize their internal IT. Some corps officially forbid using other machines except the ones they give you, but most people find a way ... I have not had much problems in smaller companies with more heterogeneous hw and less anal envs ...
Switcher2001 said:
Again with the poorly thought out car analogies.
BMW is fiercely independent, but realizes it needs to grow or it will be gobbled up by a larger manufacturer (the trend in the auto business). BMW picked the carcass of the British car industry and picked up several British vehicles, including Rolls Royce, Land Rover, and Mini. BMW jettisoned Land Rover (which now belongs to Ford), but why do you think BMW is involved with Mini?
Mercedes similarly gobbled up Chrysler and until recently had a large stake in Mitsubishi. While BMW has success with Mini, Mercedes has had nothing but headaches with its Smart cars. Mercedes also has a large commercial truck business.
Both companies have an image but realize they have to make volume and continue to grow.
And one more point, that low market share equals eliteness... Suzuki and Kia have low market share too.
I'm not surprised Apple's market share either hasn't increased, or not by much. One of the main reasons why PCs are preferred to Macs inside most peoples homes is software availability, not least, games. Most people buying home computers buy for family entertainment/leisure purposes, as well as work. The kids, the teenagers, their dads, etc. most of them want that PC rather than an Apple Mac, because "the Mac isn't very good for games".
In this sense Boot camp addresses very little, particularly when Apple's mass-consumer MB doesn't even have dedicated graphics. Things like iSight & different colour MBs may appeal to the girls, but many dudes want dedicated graphics on affordable (but not necessarily, cheap) computers.
I have a 12" Apple which I find ultra-reliable & ideal in many ways. It won't be the last Mac I'll buy. But at a time when 15.4" laptops are flying off the shelves, Apple gives us s**t in the same dept., unless you're prepared to spend well over £1,300 & go MBP. I'm not!
So (unless Apple make a surprise announcement soon) looks like I'll be buying a 15.4" Acer laptop, with dedicated graphics, for under a £1,000 in the next couple of months. My reasoning, I'm sure, will not be an uncommon factor in why Apple, sadly, have blown their chances of significantly increasing market share, for the forseeable future at least. Let's just hope, for Mac OS X's sake, that Vista fails to deliver.
In this sense Boot camp addresses very little, particularly when Apple's mass-consumer MB doesn't even have dedicated graphics. Things like iSight & different colour MBs may appeal to the girls, but many dudes want dedicated graphics on affordable (but not necessarily, cheap) computers.
I have a 12" Apple which I find ultra-reliable & ideal in many ways. It won't be the last Mac I'll buy. But at a time when 15.4" laptops are flying off the shelves, Apple gives us s**t in the same dept., unless you're prepared to spend well over £1,300 & go MBP. I'm not!
So (unless Apple make a surprise announcement soon) looks like I'll be buying a 15.4" Acer laptop, with dedicated graphics, for under a £1,000 in the next couple of months. My reasoning, I'm sure, will not be an uncommon factor in why Apple, sadly, have blown their chances of significantly increasing market share, for the forseeable future at least. Let's just hope, for Mac OS X's sake, that Vista fails to deliver.
inkswamp said:
I have a pc laptop that old. Case closed.
BTW. I have a 1997 pc that is extremely slow that i put linux on to play around with. Just opened it.. nothing is corroded. I also have a non-working imac (one of the first ones ever made, won it on beyond.com.. they had a online competition.. yeah i was lucky).. that **** just up and died three years ago. You have friends whoose old laptops have died, i have friends whoose old laptops are alive and kicking. You have a 6 year old laptop still working, i have a dead imac that died before it got to be 6 years old. Anectodal evidence is useless.
inkswamp
macrumors 68030
wnurse said:
I agree. I didn't say otherwise, did I?
Now, just curious, why did you ignore the other part of what I said--the fact that Consumer Reports consistently shows Apple as having fewer hardware failures than other PC manufacturers (especially in terms of critical hardware failures)? That's not anectdotal. Care to comment?
andiwm2003
macrumors 601
inkswamp said:
i also have lot's of anecdotal evidence that much more than 2% of people have macs at home. i know a number of people with macs, some more who will switch soon. when i fly somewhere there are always a number of mac notebooks used on the plane.
i'm not saying the market analysis is wrong. but could it be that they count all the point of sales PC's and all the other PC's in companies that run only one software or drive machines and stuff?
the day Apple makes OSX for the pc market is the day Apple can no longer say "it just works"! putting together high quality computers with a high quality OS is what makes Macs sooooooooo sweet!
- brofski
- brofski
oh... and why i switched (just 2 months ago actually)
1. the iPod... the iPod... oh, and the iPod!
2. i was impressed with iTunes on my old windows box
3. too many problems with windows
4. tired if Vista's delay
5. once i used my brother's mac for a week i was sold!
also...
i agree with the car analogy. macs are special. they are the "BMW" of the industry and companies who target this area will always have a small share of the market... but that small share will be VERY dedicated and that's the most important thing.
1. the iPod... the iPod... oh, and the iPod!
2. i was impressed with iTunes on my old windows box
3. too many problems with windows
4. tired if Vista's delay
5. once i used my brother's mac for a week i was sold!
also...
i agree with the car analogy. macs are special. they are the "BMW" of the industry and companies who target this area will always have a small share of the market... but that small share will be VERY dedicated and that's the most important thing.
ictiosapiens said:
I'm not sure this is really true. When you buy a Mac, you're essentially getting PC hardware that is manufactured by the same folk who manufacture PCs for the likes of HP, Dell etc. There is no difference. If Apple wants to increase capacity, all they have to really do, is take on more box builders.
Well, I don't believe that Jobs has any particular attachment to the hardware, MacOSX or even the iPod. He'll do whatever he needs to do to keep Apple thriving. If that means dropping the hardware or the operating system, then he'll do it. Whatever happens, I think a lot of Mac fans are going to be very surprised.
The stores are about brand recognition more than anything else. As I said before, even without a whisper of Vista on the horizon, Wintel sales are getting increasingly stronger; I really don't see the situation changing much when (if?) Vista is actually released.
I do find it a bit odd that Dell have decicded to open stores ... but you can't actually buy machines there. Didn't they learn anything from the Gateway fiasco?
rolandf said:
Did anyone believe otherwise? Apple is certainly not going to get the newer stuff over the likes of Dell.
Mmm ... I think that in some ways, some of the newer PC designs have surpassed them. The latest Viao line look incredible (with a price tag to match).
Right or wrong, I think it's time everybody got over this now ... 🙂
Yep, possibly.
andiwm2003 said:
Nobody has said that only 2% of people have Macs at home! ...
What they are saying is that out of all the PCs sold this year, Apple's share of the sales was 2%. Now did the Macs that folk bought last year, suddenly vanish?!
If you want a very ROUGH idea of how many Macs are currently in use, then GoogleZiest used to be a pretty good source. It's a pitty they don't seem to publish the OS use figures anymore, but I vaguely remember that it was a lot less that 16%
javierbds said:
I've never actually been convinced by this argument. You're following a crowd yourself; the only difference is that your crowd is a lot louder and a lot smaller ... 🙄
Folk buy PCs because they are just as capable as Macs, offer more choices and are cheaper (at least in the UK).
PC users don't usually attach the act of choosing a platform, to some inner need to feel superior; if they want to do that, they'll take up skydiving or something.