Microsoft Missteps
Apple is doing just fine. Let's not wish them too much growth too fast, their customer service couldn't handle it right now. I would like to see them gain 5 or 6% a year over the next 5 years and stop. I'll be happy with that balance. This will allow Apple as a company to grow with their market share and not loose sight of being the #1 customer service computer company in the world.
We all can admit to having to use Windows PC's for certain things wether it's logging into a website that has Active X controls or running an app that isn't available on MAC OS.
Everyone must understand that it doesn't have to be M$ or Apple, just in the same respect that it doesn't have to be Toyota or GM. I would like to see a better balance of operating systems in the market, but until Apple sets their sights on the Enterprise, we are always going to see people buying the same computers for their homes. It's the old rule, "Well I use a PC at work and I know how to use it, why not use one at home". I always respond, if you drove a bread truck for a living, would you drive a bread truck when you take your wife and kids out to dinner? Next day we are going to the Apple store together.
M$ has made things really easy for Apple over the last few years.
1. They took a really, really long time to come up with an updated OS for Windows XP.
2. Vista wasn't a home run and Apple jumped on that. Out of the gate M$ was taking a lot of heat for the missteps they made on compatibility and stability.
3. The Zune, people saw that as M$ trying to compete with Apple and it really hurt their image. "Why couldn't one of the largest and richest software companies make a simple music player to compete with the iPod?" Why couldn't M$ secure the domain name for
www.zune.com?
There are more, but my point is that M$ has made some pretty big missteps that allowed Apple to jump in and "Take Care" of those customers that were a bit dis-enchanted with what they were doing OR just completely confused.
If M$ really gets their act together with Windows 7 and comes out with something that rocks, you will see sales of MAC computers dramatically slow down. But their past track record would indicate that they will have more of the same, a weak grounder right to the first baseman.
Just my thoughts, don't shred me!
LanPhantom