Survey Shows Increasing Mac Interest

[MacRumors]

A new survey by ChangeWave Research reveals that Apple is poised to grab more PC switchers this holiday season.

ChangeWave Research surveyed its members which are described as a "group of 9000 businesses, technology and medical professionals who are working on the front line of technological change."

Apple's share of laptops bought July-September was up 3 percentage points to an all-time high of 12% among alliance members. Its share of desktops purchased the past 90 days fell 4 points to 7%. In the next six months, Apple's share of all planned desktop purchases is up 4 points to 18%. Its share of planned laptop purchases is down 2 points to 17%.

Meanwhile, according to IDC, Apple's U.S. marketshare was 4.8% in the second quarter, up from 4.4% a year ago, while its worldwide marketshare remains at 2.5%.

 

[Jesus]

Increased marketshare is good, up to a point. Also, if world marketshare is staying the same, but the US is increasing, somewhere in the world apple is becoming less popular.

 

[Queso]

I'm becoming sure that however many Macs Apple sells, that market share figure will never climb above the magic 5% limit.

Does saying that make me one of those Mac Zealots I keep hearing about?

 

[vincebio]

i cant believe how low the world marketshare is after a good few years now of ipod halo etc etc...

 

[mkrishnan]

It's interesting how large the magnitude of disconnect between the planned purchase estimates and the actual marketshare is for Macs (e.g.. 17-18% of people planning to buy computers state they will get a Mac, but only 5-7% actually do). In contrast the numbers later for HP seem relatively close to their actual marketshare numbers.

They don't offer an interpretation, but one tempting one is that people who are very strongly considering getting a Mac get dissuaded as they get immediately close to purchase, to a much greater extent than PC buyers.

 

[Queso]

i cant believe how low the world marketshare is after a good few years now of ipod halo etc etc...

I can. The iPod halo doesn't work without going hand in hand with the Apple Stores. If people are buying their iPods from shops that don't stock Macs, their opinions on Macs never change. If they buy an iPod from an Apple Store and see Macs all around doing everything their Windows computer can do and more, they become more open to buying a Mac next time a computer purchase comes round.

Apple need to open more international Stores if they want the worldwide share to increase.

 

[swingerofbirch]

People with PCs must not leave their houses much...I've been to coffee shops and airports all over, and it seems about half of the laptops I see are Apple.

 

[cherrypop]

Meanwhile, according to IDC, Apple's U.S. marketshare was 4.8% in the second quarter, up from 4.4% a year ago, while its worldwide marketshare remains at 2.5%.

Everything seems lined up to finally make significant progress (read double market share, from 4%-8%) in the next five years, but I believe Apple still needs to address the general public's price objection issue. Vista will push a huge number of PC users to the Mac platform, but it's not going to happen overnight.

I also think Mac users get the Mac value proposition, but I still have a lot of acquaintances that would rather pay less for a PC because they've never given Apple the chance to prove exactly why there's a premium to own an entry-level Mac.

Apple has done a lot to quell this argument, with high end Macs spec'ing out dollar-for-dollar either equal to or lower than the competition, but Apple still doesn't have a highly desirable and successful Switch machine (or campaign). For whatever reason(s) the Mac mini isn't that machine.

 

[Chundles]

I can. The iPod halo doesn't work without going hand in hand with the Apple Stores. If people are buying their iPods from shops that don't stock Macs, their opinions on Macs never change. If they buy an iPod from an Apple Store and see Macs all around doing everything their Windows computer can do and more, they become more open to buying a Mac next time a computer purchase comes round.

Apple need to open more international Stores if they want the worldwide share to increase.

Amen to that. The Mac buying experience here in Aus is exactly as you describe. 99% of the iPods bought are from department stores or tech shops - not a Mac in sight.

Bring on the Apple Store Sydney - damn it would be good. Such an amazing place to put a flagship store in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

 

[Play Ultimate]

It would be interesting to separate out the corporate vs. personal computer purchases. It is hard for Mac to get much above 5% when corporate puchases are included. BTW, it would be interesting to see how many of those "computers" are just dumb terminals used in stores and schools etc.

Remember, there are lies and there are statistics.

 

[FF_productions]

I think Apple needs to start attracting the business aspect of the world. It is so Windows-dominated right now, it's ridiculous. Am I right?


I don't know many people that own a Mac. Seriously. Off the top of my head, there are 7-8 people I know that have a PC, and half of those are dells.

Why the hell do I own a Mac? Stability. I've gone through 4 years of Windows. I don't need viruses, etc. This is a hassle free OS.


Apple needs to open more Apple Stores, show people there are better things than Windows.

 

[konquererkarlos]

People with PCs must not leave their houses much...I've been to coffee shops and airports all over, and it seems about half of the laptops I see are Apple.

I concurr. Almost every concert I go to now, I see a MacBook on stage. I see mac notebooks everywhere. One thing I hate is when i see people dissuading potential buyers away from macintoshes, simply because Windows is the more common operating system, when most of the time, these are new computer buyers and wouldn't be able to use Wwindows in the first place.

 

[FF_productions]

I concurr. Almost every concert I go to now, I see a MacBook on stage. I see mac notebooks everywhere. One thing I hate is when i see people dissuading potential buyers away from macintoshes, simply because Windows is the more common operating system, when most of the time, these are new computer buyers and wouldn't be able to use Wwindows in the first place.

AND I HATE when people say ALL Macs are SLOW when they are running on a G3 iMac!!

 

[shelterpaw]

I'd like to see a sample in Silicon Valley. There's such a large concentration of computer users and this is the leading technical area. When I walk down University Avenue in Palo Alto, I always see people with Apple laptops in coffee shops and other places. I am thinking if more people in Silicon Valley change to Apple branded laptops, then other area's will follow since these are the tech savvy people. I don't think will see much in the financial sector for some time as there's not much software that works on the Mac.

 

[MacsRgr8]

How many iPods in the US are actually sold in Apple Stores?
We in Holland have "Apple Centres" (look similar to Apple Stores, but are not owned by Apple), and they ofcourse sell iPods. In theory there is no difference in the iPod's halo-effect IF they are bought in a US-Apple Store, or a Dutch Apple Retailer's Stores. Consumers buy iPods while surrounded by great Apple computers.

Trouble is, that most iPods sold are bought in places like Dixons, or other large consumer-electronics store. No halo-effect, 'cause there are no Macs, and if there were any, hardly any salesperson knows enough about them to actually try to push the sales of Macs.

Is that any different in the US? Do the iPod-buyers actually go to an Apple Store to get one? I'm sure the closest consumer-elcetronics store would be much more convenient.

IMHO, it still is a marketing issue. Mac-ads on Dutch TV?? Most people don't even know Apple make the iPods! eek: ) If they see an iMac, some even call it the "iPod-computer", but have no idea it can do stuff their PC can do too.

One of the best quotes I have heard: "Wow.... you can get iTunes on your... eh... Apple-computer?"

 

[lmalave]

It would be interesting to separate out the corporate vs. personal computer purchases. It is hard for Mac to get much above 5% when corporate puchases are included. BTW, it would be interesting to see how many of those "computers" are just dumb terminals used in stores and schools etc.

Remember, there are lies and there are statistics.

The survey was a consumer survey, not a corporate procurement department survey. So that 18% figure for desktops and 17% for laptops appear to be the percentage of consumers that are considering a Mac purchase. As a poster pointed out above *planned* purchase doesn't necessarily translate into *actual* purchase, but it's definitely an encouraging sign to se 15 to 20 percent numbers for consumer purchases. I think Apple would be ecstatic to get 15% of
the consumer market this holiday season. I don't think Apple is even considering any significant corporate push now. Apple knows it has a much better chance of success in the consumer market.

 

[dops7107]

People with PCs must not leave their houses much...I've been to coffee shops and airports all over, and it seems about half of the laptops I see are Apple.

There's something strange about coffee shops and Mac laptops. They seem to attract the same crowd. Hanging out in coffee bars toying on a Macbook - it does have a certain, almost clicheed, image, doesn't it?

 

[lmalave]

AND I HATE when people say ALL Macs are SLOW when they are running on a G3 iMac!!

I think switching to Intel is helping Apple dispel this argument. Before Apple was captive to the Megahertz Myth, but now that Macs are using the same CPUs as PCs, for most casual consumers this will hopefully translate to acceptance that Macs get more or less the same performance as PCs (I am talking casual consumers not gamers which are a small fraction of the overall consumer market).

 

[jellomizer]

I concurr. Almost every concert I go to now, I see a MacBook on stage. I see mac notebooks everywhere. One thing I hate is when i see people dissuading potential buyers away from macintoshes, simply because Windows is the more common operating system, when most of the time, these are new computer buyers and wouldn't be able to use Wwindows in the first place.

Well it is an issue of Risk Manangement. Whie true most people will be better off with a Mac. If they don't know anything better, the PC seems like the safest choice, Just because the numbers show more PC are out there and if you go to CompUSA you get 6-7 iles of Windows Programs and a little corner with Mac Products (often at a higher price too ). If they didn't like their Mac they are stuck with it. At least with the PC if it sucks you can use the programs you have on the Newer System (theroretically). It is hard to explain to them that OS X and iLife is equilvalnt to about $1000 of 3rd party software that you will need to get to match the quality, (not the crap that most PC come standard with) espectailly because all the feature seems to be there. iPhoto vs. Mr. Pic Foto softare, Mail vs. Outlook Express. But for someone new that is tough to explain. When they are computer savy enough they already have already invested into PC and PC Software so getting them to swich is hard too.

At least now with bootcamp you can go. Get a Mac if you really hate it after a few weeks we can put windows on it, and it will run that fine too.

 

[JONNYCHO]

Increased marketshare is good, up to a point. Also, if world marketshare is staying the same, but the US is increasing, somewhere in the world apple is becoming less popular.

Yup I agree, I think more Windows users are actually switching to Linux now and some Apple users too, but I don't know for sure maybe someone canfind a recent survey taken with that.

 

[Queso]

As things stand, Apple have no chance in the corporate market. Microsoft, for all their faults, offer real enterprise level interaction between their software products, and Apple can't match that. Apple also have a problem that there is already a BSD UNIX embedded into the enterprise in the shape of Sun's Solaris, so they can't even push that angle.

Consumers and small businesses. Apple gets a majority of them and they quadruple their current market share. Along with education, scientists and creatives, that base would then allow them to attempt the enterprise. At the moment any push into big business would be money down the drain.

 

[lyzardking]

Wait for Vista

and when people realize that to get the most out of Vista they will need a new machine (anyone with a CPU more than 2+ years old). I see 10% US market share within 5 years.

 

[digitalbiker]

I think switching to Intel is helping Apple dispel this argument. Before Apple was captive to the Megahertz Myth, but now that Macs are using the same CPUs as PCs, for most casual consumers this will hopefully translate to acceptance that Macs get more or less the same performance as PCs (I am talking casual consumers not gamers which are a small fraction of the overall consumer market).

Yes, but Apple also needs to keep pace with the introduction of new cpus.

Right now Apple is already falling behind by not bringing the line up-to-date with Core 2 Duo chips and better GPU card offerings.

Also I think the S...L...O...W Finder is really hurting Apple. I am hoping that Leopard addresses the carbon finder and gets it up to speed.

New users click on the windows "Start button" and a menu instantly appears. They scroll over an arrow and a submenu instantly appears. Then they move to an Apple machine. They hold the button down over the documents folder on the dock. (1...2....3...) a menu appears. Then they move up the menu to say a music folder (1....2....3...) and the file list appears.

These are the first impresssions! 99% of people walk away from macs with equivalent cpus to a windows box thinking that it is slow because of Finder.

 

[chabig]

Right now Apple is already falling behind by not bringing the line up-to-date with Core 2 Duo chips and better GPU card offerings.

Right. The Core 2 Duo's have been out how long...a month perhaps, and Apple is falling behind?

 

[mkrishnan]

and when people realize that to get the most out of Vista they will need a new machine (anyone with a CPU more than 2+ years old). I see 10% US market share within 5 years.

One can always hope. But when has this ever NOT been true for a Microsoft operating system? Windows 95 ran poorly on computers released when 3.1 was out. Windows XP had compatibility issues with many Win 98 boxes. Etc, etc. This has always been true for them. The only difference now is how long XP has been out without being significantly updated.