Why is mac not as popular as windows?

[snberk103]

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Without trying to beat a dead horse, the same people that won't consider a $1500 mbp are the same people that won't consider a $1500 dell. Both machines will offer the user a similar experience, but it's not worth it to them.
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I wonder if the non-Apple laptop makers have made it too difficult to find their $1000+ units? Apple has shown that there are lots of people who will buy $1000+ portables, and Apple owns that market (confirmed by 3rd party studies.)

If I'm looking for a $1000+ Apple system, I don't need to go looking for it... I go to the Apple store, the Apple website, or any 3rd party outlet with Macs. Apple doesn't hide their $1000+ behind the less expensive ones, nor do they use their entry level systems as lure to get people into the store. People know going into a store that they are going to dropping some serious bucks.

On the other hand.... If I wanted a $1000+ Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc Where do I start? I know that my local Office Depot, Staples, London Drugs have a good range of units in the bottom end. These stores are always advertizing their low end systems - but do they have the high end ones for me to look at? I don't know, and I'd have to go looking, and that takes more work, and starts the sales experience off on the wrong foot.

I just looked at the Dell.ca site. I found the page with the more expensive home-use laptops, but I had to go looking for it. It was hiding behind the "Dell Deals" and other pages selling the cheaper units. Once I found the right page, even then all of the first listings for $1000+ units are on sale for less than $1000 (note to Canadians, there appears to be some hot deals for a couple of days on the $1000+ Dell laptops!).

My point is..... if I've got a whack of cash in pocket, and am determined to spend $1000+ on a laptop because I'm convinced a portable computer that costs that much will give me a superior experience - then Apple makes it easy, and Dell etc makes me work a little harder to give them my cash. This might help explain why Macs are continuing to increase their sales against the non-Macs, and why Apple owns the premium portable market.

 

[MagnusVonMagnum]

I seem to get plenty of replies, as does the rest of the world who uses correctly formatted single-spaced Numbered Lists (Which just look after your posts, is quite a few members here). You are the only one who can't read, and is complaining over something that is not just irrelevant, but shows you have a lot of growing up to do before you'll be accepted by the rest of the world. I mean seriously, you are moaning because you don't like standard accepted forum formatting style.

I simply made a comment that your post looked like a giant single spaced blob (It looks the same as a full page single spaced paragraph regardless if it's numbered points) and was therefore nearly unreadable without extra effort. You are the one getting all bent out of shape about it and throwing the immature insults. If you think your posts look great, why fuss or even reply?

I only replied in the first place (as a joke) because I thought it was funny that the giant blob was in reply to someone complaining about the world's largest run-on sentence and that blob was your defense despite saying you didn't care about grammar. I still chuckle thinking about it. If there was more to the reply than that, I wouldn't know because I'm serious about it being horrible to look at and only made it to point 2.

Seriously, if you cannot see the readability difference with some spaces added between points (regardless of whether you think someone somewhere thinks it's 'correct' or not), I cannot help you so we'll just leave it at that. This has turned into more of a waste of time than actually reading it as-is.

If I'm looking for a $1000+ Apple system, I don't need to go looking for it... I go to the Apple store, the Apple website, or any 3rd party outlet with Macs. Apple doesn't hide their $1000+ behind the less expensive ones, nor do they use their entry level systems as lure to get people into the store. People know going into a store that they are going to dropping some serious bucks.

On the other hand.... If I wanted a $1000+ Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc Where do I start?

I don't know about you, but I start my search for a PC or Hackintosh by looking at the features I want, not the price. The goal is to get what I want in a machine and then look at the price to compare, not to just see what they might offer at a given price. That could take all day since it's possible in the PC World to offer all kinds of combinations for a given price level. It's easy to see with Apple because they don't offer hardly anything at a given price level so as to "not compete with themselves". The problem there is that a customer has needs that have more to do with options than price levels. I don't want an iMac even if it is in the $1500 range. I've got monitors. I want a tower in the $1200-1500 range and Apple doesn't offer one.

So I would start with the CPU set I wanted and motherboard features I wanted and then pick a case it would fit in with enough space for my hard drive and presumed expansion needs. I would then pick out the hard drives, graphics card and ram I wanted and look at my power supply needs. I would then pick an appropriate power supply with room for expansion. All along the way I would make sure these parts had drivers in OSX if I wanted to use it as a Hackintosh (otherwise it doesn't matter). I would do these comparisons over a number of sites to see what the prices are and build it myself if need be to save money.

 

[snberk103]

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I don't know about you, but I start my search for a PC or Hackintosh by looking at the features I want, not the price.

I suppose, but I was speaking hypothetically. The fact is, Apple sells more $1000+ portables than the PC makers. I was speculating as to why. I'm not saying that what you do is wrong, just that I don't think you are a representative sample (i.e. you are special, but in a good way ).

I think there are a lot of people who buy systems simply on price. Apple makes it easy for people to buy expensive systems, the others don't. Apple is incredibly profitable, the others - not so much. Note that I am actually talking about value for money, simply the success (or not) of selling high-margin computers in this market. Apple makes it easy.

The goal is to get what I want in a machine and then look at the price to compare, not to just see what they might offer at a given price. That could take all day since it's possible in the PC World to offer all kinds of combinations for a given price level.

Interesting. I spend an hour, buy my Mac. I'm done. I go spend time working or spending time with my family. It comes to the door, and I get my work done. Not sure if your way is really that appealing, anymore. I used to build my own systems. There are a lot of hours and days that I won't get back anymore. Oh sure, it was fun going to the shop and talking over the various MB/CPU/GPU/Sound Card (way way back) choices. But I didn't actually get any more work done when they were finally running. And certainly not when I was running down the IRQ conflicts - Ack!

Now - I just turn it on, I work, I play, I turn it off, I spend my time baiting Mac-bashers.

It's easy to see with Apple because they don't offer hardly anything at a given price level so as to "not compete with themselves". The problem there is that a customer has needs that have more to do with options than price levels. I don't want an iMac even if it is in the $1500 range. I've got monitors. I want a tower in the $1200-1500 range and Apple doesn't offer one.

And I want a house in the sub-$300k range (for a friend - we're set); A fast food joint that sells a great burger and fries that are actually healthy for you; A new car that gets great fuel economy, has a ragtop, is less then $16k, and can tote 8ft pieces of lumber (our Smart Car gets 3 out of 4.) I'm not sure what your point is. Lots of companies don't make the things people want. Move on.

So I would start with the CPU set I wanted and motherboard features I wanted and then pick a case it would fit in with enough space for my hard drive and presumed expansion needs. I would then pick out the hard drives, graphics card and ram I wanted and look at my power supply needs. I would then pick an appropriate power supply with room for expansion. All along the way I would make sure these parts had drivers in OSX if I wanted to use it as a Hackintosh (otherwise it doesn't matter). I would do these comparisons over a number of sites to see what the prices are and build it myself if need be to save money.

I remember those days..... fun for awhile. Too much time spent "saving" a few dollars, or creating a faster system that would do things faster. I once figured out, for one particular system I was building, that the "faster" system would pay for itself (in time) in about 35 years, compared to the time spent building it.

My point is.... for some people building systems (themselves or having a shop build to their specs) is fun and educational. And not mainstream. It certainly is not "better" for the majority of people. I don't build my toaster, my stove, my car, my phone, my camera (I used to - but not anymore).... and I don't build my computers anymore. Most people don't want to. And I think that is why Apple is mopping the floor the Dells, and HPs, and Lenovos right now. (Latest figures continue so show that over-all PC sales are down, except for Apple, in all global market regions.)

The PC makers are still trying to sell to people who care what the CPU/GPU/etc specs are. Fewer and fewer people care. I have no idea what compressor is inside my fridge. Don't need to. I bought the fridge based on what it does, not what makes it work.

Compare the Apple webstore and the Smart Car webstore. I think these are the way of the future. Certainly is working for Apple, eh?

 

[MagnusVonMagnum]

You can go to Best Buy and look at prices there and see what you can get, but you might end up getting something that isn't quite what you want. That's why I'd rather build it from the ground up to get the most for my dollar and have exactly what I want, be it a PC or Hackintosh. I wish I could do the same for a Macintosh, but the only expandable model is the Mac Pro and it's just too high to start and doesn't offer many options to begin with (and no USB3 or TB right now period; at least if I build a Hackintosh with USB3, I can probably get a driver to use it at USB3 speeds in the future; I'd have to add a card to a MacPro, if there's even one offered).

If Apple offered a tower with a normal I7 and no memory protection in the $1200-1500 range, I'd seriously consider it even if it were a few hundred more than say a Dell with similar features just to have a real Apple brand product. But I'm not spending $1000 more to get features i don't need like memory protection and Xeon processors. I'd rather put that money into a gaming level GPU card to use in Windows (and maybe some in OSX).

 

[tripjammer]

I use both...and when OSX Lion comes out this summer..I am all Mac at the crib.

The Mac hardware rules over all!

 

[manapple]

Don´t you have sympathy for Apple, being alone in the competition? Yet so many people still bashing them?

I am on your side!!

 

[manapple]

Your basic assumptions is wrong, I think. You are equating absolute numbers sold to "popularity". And I believe, you think more units sold is better.

More number means popularity, dont you think? (but not the better part...no, just like justin bieber and britney spears, popular doesnt mean better)

 

[RichardBeer]

Watch Pirates of Silicon Valley.

 

[manapple]

It's not as popular as Windows for two major reasons.

1> The lack of software compared to Windows means you cannot always get your favorite software title and it may cost more and not perform as well (games, in particular). Although some of that performance has to do with reason number #2. The lack of software itself has a lot to do with the smaller user base, though so it's a catch 22 and that is based on history as much as anything, but also reason #2.

2> Apple pushes price over volume and concentrates on areas that interest them, not the consumer. In other words, Apple would rather sell 10 Macbook Pros at $2000 each than 100 at $1200 because it's more profitable. This limits their user base because it turns people off to pay $300 for $42 of ram expansion. You also cannot always get the options you want (e.g. no matte option for an iMac) They may or may not offer things like matte screens at any given moment, but the point is you cannot count of them offering the hardware YOU want whereas someone will have it for the PC and probably at a much lower price. There is NO mid-range tower (the #1 traditional PC desktop) for the Mac and this turns off anyone who wants expandability and ease of access to their hardware (e.g. try opening an iMac to change a hard drive).

So between overpriced, inaccessible hardware and a lack of software titles including terrible gaming performance for the same title running Windows on the same machine (IF you can even get that title for OSX), this turns off a LOT of users. In the past, Windows compatibility was also a huge factor but now you can run Windows in Boot Camp and that HAS helped Mac sales. But the fact remains that a bottom of the line Mac starts at $699 and the notebooks at $999 whereas you can easily get a functional PC for $399 and a notebook for $499 with Windows on the bottom end and that appeals to a LOT of people who just need to surf the web and run e-mail, etc. You can get a gaming PC for $800 that will run circles around a $2400 Mac Pro for gaming, so there's a distinct lack of appeal in those areas and this is largely Steve Jobs fault (he doesn't give a crap about Mac gaming).

The Mac's saving grace has been its operating system. OSX was night and day better than Windows for years, but IMO Windows7 is catching up (and even surpassing) in the areas that count and all Windows versions have been better in gaming since OSX's inception. The truth is Apple has spent the past several years concentrating on iOS devices and largely letting OSX and the Mac stagnate in many areas (it's not enough to just update the CPUs; there's no Blu-Ray support from the OS, OpenGL is ancient on the Mac and thus far Apple refuses to support USB3 or advanced graphic hardware like SLI).

I still prefer OSX for day-to-day activity due to it being more secure (at least for now) than Windows with far less malware, etc., but I have to keep a PC around for PC gaming. The Mac simply isn't a replace-all for Windows and it's sad because it could be. Apple has more than enough capital to keep the Mac at the top of its game, but Steve needs control over everything and won't hire enough people to do it right, IMO.

i am curious...how has windows running boot camp helped mac sales? i have heard windows is going open source, what effect will this have? and mac keeps advertising on its site how awesome it is for graphics (2.2x faster and things like that). yet it is not good for games?

 

[MagnusVonMagnum]

i am curious...how has windows running boot camp helped mac sales? i have heard windows is going open source, what effect will this have? and mac keeps advertising on its site how awesome it is for graphics (2.2x faster and things like that). yet it is not good for games?

It helps potentially in two different ways. One is that people that are on the fence about buying a Mac due to a need to run Windows software for home or work can now buy one machine that does both. Otherwise, they might have just stayed with a Windows PC. This accounts for the huge influx of new Mac users after the Intel switch, IMO since little else changed to account for it (first Intels were Tiger and Leopard was slower than Tiger so it wasn't a good reason, IMO).

The other is that some people actually prefer Mac hardware (either iMac or MBP or whatever) and just want to run Windows on it. In 2008, the MBP was rated the fastest notebook for Vista (not counting desktop style notebooks with no battery life). More than a few people bought a MBP to just or mostly run Windows. I find the hardware less competitive now so I don't know how many sales they get in this area, but it's more than they would get without Windows.

The idea of Windows going open source is absurd. Microsoft makes most of their money from the OS.

 

[ActionableMango]

Why is mac not as popular as windows?

• Windows is more commonly available in stores.
• Windows is bundled free with nearly every PC.
• People already have Windows software they want to keep using.
• People need Windows-only software.
• Ignorance. "Them Apple mice have only one button dontcha know..."

 

[applefan289]

• Windows is more commonly available in stores.
• Windows is bundled free with nearly every PC.
• People already have Windows software they want to keep using.
• People need Windows-only software.
• Ignorance. "Them Apple mice have only one button dontcha know..."

You're either under the Apple umbrella or the "everything else" umbrella, which includes all PC companies that ship their computers with Windows.

Apple has such good marketing and they're so unique that they create that mindset.

Also, this is unrelated, but why would Apple accept Paypal payments through iTunes but not their online store?

This is the only thing I don't like about their online store! I use Paypal whenever I can.

 

[Flavor]

I think it's steadily growing. It's nowhere near as dominant as Windows, certainly, but just go to a major place with free WiFi and you'll notice a greater number of Apple logos on the back of laptops than you did even just 5 years ago.