More Evidence of Apple's Massive Marketshare Growth in Higher Education

[localoid]

This data is from the University of Virginia First-Year Student Computing Survey. It's UVa, not a local community college. Students who are "high achievers" are probably more likely to prefer a Mac. A December 2005 National Bureau of Economic Research study revealed "the UVa to be "the most preferred public university in the entire United States, placing five spots above both the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of California, Berkeley."

 

[AidenShaw]

Is that graph for university students, or users in general?

Why don't you follow the links and find out for yourself?

I'd say Apple is more successful when it comes to students because of their ability to build a perfect sized laptop compared to the larger bulkier PC offerings.

But every Apple laptop - even the MacBook Air - is morbidly obese compared to a typical netbook.

There are also lots of 'tween PC laptops with 11" to 13" screens that are quite svelte.

But, not everyone wants an ultra-portable. Many or most laptops, particularly those that are replacing desktops, spend their days on the desk or on a shelf - not traveling around in a daypack or laptop bag. Most of these users are fine with "larger bulkier", especially when it's also "cheaper and more powerful".

 

[puffnstuff]

There once was a magical time when you could can a 12" mac for $899. I'm sure if you still could get a small mac for that price the amount of students using would sky rocket. If anything I think the amount of students using macs have gone down since the rise of netbooks.

 

[*LTD*]

Not this again!

In fact, Apple is going to have serious problems when WIndows 7 comes out.

It is a very good OS and will appeal to a lot of mac users.

Uh-huh. Riiiight. We've been hearing "Apple is going to have serious problems when Windows (insert version here) comes out." Heard it for Vista, and XP, and . . . well that's about it. MS can't even get two decent operating systems out the door in nearly nine years. Maybe NEXT_VERSION will do it. All the Vista testers were falling all over themselves praising it to the skies during the betas and somehow, mysteriously, it garnered Windows ME status right quick. I suppose Stockholm syndrome-suffering Windows testers have a tendency to take their brains out of their head and put it on the table when doing their testing.

Wait until Windows 7 hits the shelves, and maybe this time Apple will have serious problems. You know, like the kind MS has had . . . seeing its market share plunge from 96%+ to 88.9% in less than three years; its browser share tank; it's stock value eroding steadily, etc. It still sells a lot "stuff" though, that runs on other cheap "stuff", if that's any consolation.

Come back 6-10 months after Windows 7 hits the shelves and THEN tell us about who has problems. Knowing MS they'll find some way to half-ass this release too. Imagine that . . . XP still not dead well into Windows 7's release. LOL!

 

[50548]

I'll take what you're having.

It's chocolate soymilk, want some?

Not this again!

BR Lawyer has been tolling the death bell for Microsoft since 2005. MS isn't dead. In fact, Apple is going to have serious problems when WIndows 7 comes out.

It is a very good OS and will appeal to a lot of mac users. The combination of inexpensive but powerful hardware and windows 7 on laptops, desktops, netbooks, and possibly phones is going to bring serious competition for Apple.

Hopefully the competition will drive Apple to create even greater products for us all.

You MS pundits said the same thing when Vista came out..."a great evolutionary step over Win XP", "Aero Glass is beautiful", "OEMs are gonna adopt it en masse", blablabla...

You geniuses are the same ones that proclaimed Apple dead in the mid/late 90s, when the behemoth that you worship seemed to have it all after so many years abusing its monopolistic position...but now that Apple is LEADER in music players, LEADER in the edu market, LEADER in the smartphone arena and with CLEAR marketshare leaps in the notebook and desktop segments, you try to come up again with "you name it"-killers by MS.

XBox 360 didn't make it, Vista didn't make it, Winblows tablets didn't make it, the Zune didn't make it...just like WMD in Iraq, we're still waiting for them to appear...and Windows 7 is gonna be just that...a forethought for those playing with their new iPhones and Grand Central-powered Snow Leopard.

MS IS DEAD.

 

[Eidorian]

Uh-huh. Riiiight. We've been hearing "Apple is going to have serious problems when Windows (insert version here) comes out." Heard it for Vista, and XP, and . . . well that's about it. MS can't even get two decent operating systems out the door in nearly nine years. Maybe NEXT_VERSION will do it.

Wait until Windows 7 hits the shelves, and maybe this time Applw will have serious problems. You know, like the kind MS has had . . . seeing its market share plunge from 96%+ to 88.9% in less than three years; its browser share tank; it's stock value eroding steadily, etc. It still sells a lot "stuff" though, if that's any consolation.

Come back 6-10 months after Windows 7 hits the shelves and THEN tell us about who has problems. Knowing MS they'll find some way to half-ass this release too. Imagine that . . . XP still not dead well into Windows 7's release. LOL!

We're already using Windows 7 today though. What is this waiting you speak of?

 

[SactoGuy18]

While Macs are excellent machines in the MacBook/MacBook Pro form, they could finally face some serious competition once Windows 7 comes out in early October 2009, especially given the glowing reviews of Windows 7 I've read so far.

Here's the problem with Macs: they don't work well in many corporate environments, even with the increasing use of "cloud computing." The vast majority of corporations have pretty much standardized on Windows, and they can't justify the extra cost to support Macs.

Macs make WAY more sense in graphical design and multimedia companies, but those are only a very small portion of the overall PC market out there.

 

[AidenShaw]

We're already using Windows 7 today though. What is this waiting you speak of?

The download link is: Windows 7 Release Candidate: Download instructions

Other info:

This is pre-release software, so please read the following to get an idea of the risks and key things you need to know before you try the RC.

• You don't need to rush to get the RC. The RC will be available at least through July 2009 and we're not limiting the number of product keys, so you have plenty of time.
  
• Watch the calendar. The RC will expire on June 1, 2010. Starting on March 1, 2010, your PC will begin shutting down every two hours. Windows will notify you two weeks before the bi-hourly shutdowns start. To avoid interruption, you’ll need to install a non-expired version of Windows before March 1, 2010. You’ll also need to install the programs and data that you want to use. (Learn more about installing Windows.)
  
• Protect your PC and data. Be sure to back up your data and please don't test the RC on your primary home or business PC.
  
• Tech details/updates: Before installing the RC, please read the Release Notes and Things to Know for important information about the release.
  
• Keep up with the news. You can keep up with general technical information and news by following the team blog. And, you can get non-technical news, tips, and offers by subscribing to the monthly Exploring Windows newsletter.

 

[Eidorian]

The download link is: Windows 7 Release Candidate: Download instructions

Other info:

This is pre-release software, so please read the following to get an idea of the risks and key things you need to know before you try the RC.

• You don't need to rush to get the RC. The RC will be available at least through July 2009 and we're not limiting the number of product keys, so you have plenty of time.
  
• Watch the calendar. The RC will expire on June 1, 2010. Starting on March 1, 2010, your PC will begin shutting down every two hours. Windows will notify you two weeks before the bi-hourly shutdowns start. To avoid interruption, you’ll need to install a non-expired version of Windows before March 1, 2010. You’ll also need to install the programs and data that you want to use. (Learn more about installing Windows.)
  
• Protect your PC and data. Be sure to back up your data and please don't test the RC on your primary home or business PC.
  
• Tech details/updates: Before installing the RC, please read the Release Notes and Things to Know for important information about the release.
  
• Keep up with the news. You can keep up with general technical information and news by following the team blog. And, you can get non-technical news, tips, and offers by subscribing to the monthly Exploring Windows newsletter.

I used the Beta on a spare hard drive and now I'm using the RC as my primary OS for stress testing.

I backup my data over on Windows to so it doesn't bother me. A free 32/64-bit OS for almost a year and it has the Windows Media Center updates that I wanted in Vista?

Why is Microsoft so kind to me?

 

[*LTD*]

We're already using Windows 7 today though. What is this waiting you speak of?

No you're not. You're not running the full release unless you have a time machine. And you're likely not Joe Average running the full release, either. And the Great Judge, the Final Arbiter of any operating system's success is Joe Average.

But enjoy your beta, or RC1 or whatever it may be. Heaven knows, maybe it'll be the first one that's actually worth the discs it'll be burned on.

 

[Breckenridge]

It's time for Windows IE only web applications to disappear. Hear this InterRealty, wake up and fix your menus and provide us mac users with the ability to use safari to access the MLS.

 

[OasisNYK]

Go Hoos!

I just graduated from the UVA business school last weekend (Darden) - we had about 8 people who used macs in our class out of 318 but it was a business environment and the school didn't sell macs and offer tech support - only pc's with vista. A lot of people were considering switching after graduation.

I formated my laptop and put windows 7 on it an I have to say it is a great OS. Apple has a great OS as well and both are capable of great user experiences, I don see the need for such fanboyism on each side. The one thing I would say is apple will need to be careful with win 7, the vista bashing won't work on it. They have also kept SL under wraps so I bet they have a surprise or 2 up their sleeves.

Considering 7 is vista's SL I see no reason why SL can't be a great step forward as well.

 

[Eidorian]

No you're not. You're not running the full release unless you have a time machine. And you're likely not Joe Average running the full release, either. And the Great Judge, the Final Arbiter of any operating system's success is Joe Average.

But enjoy your beta, or RC1 or whatever it may be. Heaven knows, maybe it'll be the first one that's actually worth the discs it'll be burned on.

I was in the Vista Beta and RC. The features were there but they still needed to be refined. It was a major game a catchup from hardware vendors even with the tons of built-in drivers back then.

We'll have to see the changes made from Windows 7 RC to RTM to see just how complete it is already.

 

[AidenShaw]

Why is Microsoft so kind to me?

Because most people who install the RC will accept the default telemetry settings - so that the system will automatically (and anonymously) report application and system problems back to Redmond. This will help Redmond categorize and prioritize any issues that need to be fixed for the RTM build.

(I'm also using RC (7100) as the main OS on two of my laptops and my netbook, two office workstations, and two of my home systems. I've also upgraded a couple of work servers to Win7 Server (Win2k8R2) without any issues. Everything but the netbook, even the laptops, are the x64 builds.)

No you're not. You're not running the full release unless you have a time machine. And you're likely not Joe Average running the full release, either. And the Great Judge, the Final Arbiter of any operating system's success is Joe Average.

And what better way to find out what Joe Average will see than an open RC with tens of millions of users?

Contrast this with the Cupertino Fruit Company and their secret ADC NDA agreements....

 

[Eidorian]

Because most people who install the RC will accept the default telemetry settings - so that the system will automatically (and anonymously) report application and system problems back to Redmond. This will help Redmond categorize and prioritize any issues that need to be fixed for the RTM build.

(I'm also using RC (7100) as the main OS on two of my laptops and my netbook, two office workstations, and two of my home systems. I've also upgraded a couple of work servers to Win7 Server (Win2k8R2) without any issues.)

Fun times with EULA reading and Test updates.

 

[MacFly123]

As people realize that the "Laptop Hunter" ads from Microsoft point out the poor value of Apples, this will slide too.

One data point, and the fanbois have a collective orgasm!


By the way, note from the same source:

Easy to infer that desktops are dead and gone, no?

Is that in general or in higher education?

I have a MacBook Pro but I still have a desktop. The only reason I still buy desktops is for video work. I am a video producer and I would never do my main editing on anything but a decked out Mac Pro!

Also, I just graduated and my university wasn't as drastic as that chart with Macs, but it is getting there. It use to be only digital media students had Macs, and now I see them everywhere on campus along with iPod Touchs and iPhones to a lesser degree.

 

[Ubuntu]

I don't feel that I really need to comment much on this. Enjoy.

Of course, only the moronic PC-fanboy pundits that continue to infest this forum say the opposite, as if this were a branch of Paul Thurrot's blog pages.

...

MS IS DEAD. DELL IS DEAD. IT'S TIME TO PUT THE LAST NAILS IN THEIR COFFINS. GO APPLE!

...

 

[mattwolfmatt]

In most of my lectures, most kids to use laptops and I've found that almost half are usually Macbooks. . .

Most people who walk into Best Buy . . . I worked their so that's why I can say this.

Wait, so your a professor, a Best Buy employee, and you don't know the proper form of there/their/they're? Something doesn't add up.

 

[AidenShaw]

Wait, so your a professor, a Best Buy employee, and you don't know the proper form of there/their/they're? Something doesn't add up.

It's "you're a professor", by the way.

Sometimes typos happen. I do it - I know the difference between "its" and "it's" - but sometimes that damn apostrophe shows up when I mean to type the possesive...

 

[*LTD*]

Wait, so your a professor, a Best Buy employee, and you don't know the proper form of there/their/they're? Something doesn't add up.

I think he meant in most of the lectures he attends, like the phrase "in my classes", etc.

 

[mattwolfmatt]

It's "you're a professor", by the way.

Sometimes typos happen. I do it - I know the difference between "its" and "it's" - but sometimes that damn apostrophe shows up when I mean to type the possesive...

I'm glad you caught the irony.

 

[LAS.mac]

...and I think they could have a better penetration in the High Education market, offering a slightly better discounts and offers. About 100 USD discounts on roughly 2000 USD of mean price is 5%...doesn not seem so appealing to me. Also, they should start bundling at least iWork with Educational macs.

 

[scottness]

It's "you're a professor", by the way.

Sometimes typos happen. I do it - I know the difference between "its" and "it's" - but sometimes that damn apostrophe shows up when I mean to type the possesive...

Their are just two many people trying to correct the poster's english's...

I hope market share continues to rise for Apple, but not to exceed MS' market share. The competition keeps everyone focused.

 

[blackhawk08]

Uh-huh. Riiiight. We've been hearing "Apple is going to have serious problems when Windows (insert version here) comes out." Heard it for Vista, and XP, and . . . well that's about it. MS can't even get two decent operating systems out the door in nearly nine years. Maybe NEXT_VERSION will do it. All the Vista testers were falling all over themselves praising it to the skies during the betas and somehow, mysteriously, it garnered Windows ME status right quick. I suppose Stockholm syndrome-suffering Windows testers have a tendency to take their brains out of their head and put it on the table when doing their testing.

Wait until Windows 7 hits the shelves, and maybe this time Apple will have serious problems. You know, like the kind MS has had . . . seeing its market share plunge from 96%+ to 88.9% in less than three years; its browser share tank; it's stock value eroding steadily, etc. It still sells a lot "stuff" though, that runs on other cheap "stuff", if that's any consolation.

Come back 6-10 months after Windows 7 hits the shelves and THEN tell us about who has problems. Knowing MS they'll find some way to half-ass this release too. Imagine that . . . XP still not dead well into Windows 7's release. LOL!

I am never leaving XP lol. if your all wondering why i am even here its because the moment this pc flatlines i am going mac =)

 

[LagunaSol]

Because most people who install the RC will accept the default telemetry settings - so that the system will automatically (and anonymously) report application and system problems back to Redmond.

As someone who automatically reports back to Redmond, we'll just have to take your word for it.