Windows 7 is a threat to Apple's market share

[JFreak]

After 7 is released it will be like all the rest of the Windows versions released. It's Windows, what do you expect? The cycles will be the same.

No, it's not. Microsoft does know how to make good products every now and then, and Windows 7 is really important for them after the disaster they call Vista. W7 must be great. If it's not, MS is in big trouble 'cause companies do not generally want to be supporting XP anymore but it's still better choice than going to Vista. But in two years if the best choice MS desktop is a 2001 model, it's not going to fly.

That said, here are the great MS products I was referring to:
- NT 3.1...4.0SP3 (iow, the original before they broke it)
- Windows 2003 Server
- Excel

 

[nick9191]

Windows 7 is not a threat to Apple's marketshare.

Apple's marketshare started skyrocketing because of the Intel transition, it does not speed up nor slow down at the release of Vista.

Combine that with the best advertising department in the history of television, and you have yourself sales.

 

[kolax]

MPlayer? You have to be kidding me...

I have tried everything that exists on Mac OS X for m2ts FullHD playback. Nothing comes close to the performance and experience I get on the Windows programs. Sorry. That is a fact.
That has nothing to do with the OS but the fact is that when using Mac OS X I dont have choices. I dont want to convert everything to 720p mp4 so that Quicktime can play them.
I have a FullHD camera and I use Premiere to edit my videos and then encode them as m2ts files. On the Mac I had to also convert them to mp4 just to make them playable. I have a PS3 and play the m2ts files there. Now, I don't need to do that since Windows plays the m2ts files very good. The picture quality is also a big difference when playing these files. On the Mac they look interlaced and on Windows they look exactly like on my FullHD TV.

I do not want to focus the discussion on Video playback. That is not the main reason for me switching back to Windows.

Well I don't encode anything to .m2ts - can you PM me a demo file that is say 10 seconds long, so I can see this for myself?

Not that I don't believe you, I'm just interested/curious..

 

[petvas]

Windows 7 is not a threat to Apple's marketshare.

Apple's marketshare started skyrocketing because of the Intel transition, it does not speed up nor slow down at the release of Vista.

Combine that with the best advertising department in the history of television, and you have yourself sales.

Even Apple admitted that they were seeing gains because of Vista's bad reputation

 

[HSJR]

I migrated from the PC world three years ago, disappointed from Microsoft and of course, Vista. (how original!)
I was impressed by Apple's products and Mac OS X. I bought all possible computers (Mac Pro, iMac, Macbook, Macbook Pro - you name it I had it).

Three years after I decided to test Windows 7 on my Mac Pro. I was very impressed. Everything works much more smoothly than any OS currently out. At first I thought that the new taskbar would be a copy of the dock, but I have to say that the new taskbar makes using the computer much easier. I am more productive, there is no windows clutter, the speed is amazing and the stability phenomenal for a beta OS.

I am a Microsoft IT Consultant, my work has always been around Exchange Server and Windows Server. I am used to using Outlook. I never found a suitable alternative for the Mac. Entourage isn't that good...

After a lot of thought I decided to go back to Microsoft. I changed my default OS to Windows 7 and have a dual boot system (Mac OS X - Windows 7).
The last 10 days I haven't gone back to Mac. I don't miss it....
I enjoy using all my favorite programs for Windows and the knowledge that for whatever I want there will be a Windows version, makes everything much easier for me. I migrated from Mac to Windows and I don't think I am going back...
I am a power user and I do not mind configuring everything to work for me..I do not like having someone dictating me what my computer should do...
My only fear in migrating back to Windows was finding an iPhoto equivalent. I found Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 which is by far the best Photo Management Software out there.
I enjoy using my Mac Pro in Windows! The speed is amazing...

I will install Snow Leopard when the time comes and if it is better then I will consider migrating back to Mac, but I have to say that the chances aren't that good. I came to the realization that the important thing when choosing an OS is using the applications I want to have or even need. Outlook is first on my list...
I do not want to start a war here. I like Apple and its products, I have two iPods, I had the iPhone and I am preparing for the new revision...
I am interested to see how others think about going back to Microsoft. I am sure there are many like me, having migrated to Mac because of Vista. Windows 7 is soon going to be a reality which we cannot ignore.

Is that part of windows campaign against mac?

Windows is about third party; antivirus, antispyware, antivista, etc ; OS X is very stable system, it never crashes by itself after you downloading an update. The only thing that made me use windows is games.

 

[Tosser]

Is that part of windows campaign against mac?

Windows is about third party; antivirus, antispyware, antivista, etc ; OS X is very stable system, it never crashes by itself after you downloading an update. The only thing that made me use windows is games.

Is it possible to be more fanboyish? Or perhaps I should go "Is that part of the "We want to live in a vacuum"-campaign (i.e. RDF-campaign)?

1) why plant the idea that an opinion is part of "a campaign"?

2) When you state "third parties", you mention "antivirus, antispyware, antivista, etc ", but not, say, CS4 64bit, ripping software, CAD apps, Adobe Audition and what have we.
3) Many people have had their macs crash after an update.

4) Just because you have no use for windows other than games doesn't mean that that is the only use for windows.

 

[skaertus]

Windows 7 is not a threat to Apple's marketshare.

Apple's marketshare started skyrocketing because of the Intel transition, it does not speed up nor slow down at the release of Vista.

Combine that with the best advertising department in the history of television, and you have yourself sales.

I don't know about that. I can't see no factual data to support this statement of yours. Let's see how Apple market share behaves after Windows 7 is released.

 

[skaertus]

Is that part of windows campaign against mac?

Windows is about third party; antivirus, antispyware, antivista, etc ; OS X is very stable system, it never crashes by itself after you downloading an update. The only thing that made me use windows is games.

Both Windows and MacOS have its advantages and its disadvantages. Both are stable systems, but both crash.

 

[petvas]

Both Windows and MacOS have its advantages and its disadvantages. Both are stable systems, but both crash.

very true

 

[HSJR]

I don't know about that. I can't see no factual data to support this statement of yours. Let's see how Apple market share behaves after Windows 7 is released.

in all windows based computers I've used; they all crashed & I lost all of my files. I am using mac since 2007; but my system never had unexpected crash. Their is no way I get back to windows. I respect windows & its software; but I thought I will see better performance for windows.

 

[HSJR]

Is it possible to be more fanboyish? Or perhaps I should go "Is that part of the "We want to live in a vacuum"-campaign (i.e. RDF-campaign)?

1) why plant the idea that an opinion is part of "a campaign"?

2) When you state "third parties", you mention "antivirus, antispyware, antivista, etc ", but not, say, CS4 64bit, ripping software, CAD apps, Adobe Audition and what have we.
3) Many people have had their macs crash after an update.

4) Just because you have no use for windows other than games doesn't mean that that is the only use for windows.

I applogize for what I've said; I followed my emotions.

 

[Tosser]

I applogize for what I've said; I followed my emotions.

No need to apologise, I wasn't scolding you.

 

[trip1ex]

A Microsoft MVP using a Mac? Isn't that like an iPhone developer who uses a Zune and and Android phone?

I can understand how having a windows version that sucks less than the last(finally) might actually pull someone back into the fold... especially since their whole lively hood is based on shilling for MS. Hardly representative of your average switcher though.

Exactly right.

No surprise he mostly found himself using Windows under Fusion and is now permanently switching back. Doh!

 

[Melrose]

in all windows based computers I've used; they all crashed & I lost all of my files. I am using mac since 2007; but my system never had unexpected crash. Their is no way I get back to windows. I respect windows & its software; but I thought I will see better performance for windows.

My experience precisely.

That said, I don't think Apple will be negatively affected by the release of Windows 7 - at least, not to a very large degree. The fact is, the Macintosh system was beginning to see a rise in popularity and general recognition prior to the release of Vista (spearheaded by iPod, and subsequently, iPhone), and it will continue after the release of Win7.

Microsofties will delight in jumping on their favourite bandwagon and saying "Win7 is now used by X amount of people, that means it's more popular than prior releases and more popular than Macintosh." If you look at overall numbers as a judge of preference and popularity, then yes, with an incredibly dominant market share Windows will always be more popular. Windows is sold by default on most most most of the Personal Computers available. When you have an immediate outlet for distributing millions of copies of your software by default, then this is true.

If you had all your Nerd Herd personnel accurately describe the success and Windows-relative stability (...imo) as opposed to the debacle that was Vista and the untestedness of Windows 7 (and that it shares many common features w Vista) and then made all three available at the same charge, I'd lay odds you'd see most people opt for XP.

 

[Boneoh]

"I can understand how having a windows version that sucks less than the last(finally) might actually pull someone back into the fold... especially since their whole lively hood is based on shilling for MS. Hardly representative of your average switcher though."

Just because he makes his living writing apps for MS doesn't make him a shill. He has a Mac and runs OS X, too. IMO the OP has asked a valid question and the responses both pro and con have been reasonable.

We've somehow managed to avoid the holy wars, bashing, name calling, etc. that is usually found in the traditional "MS vs " threads.

I also make my living from software development, design, consulting, etc. At this point, it's 90% Windows and 10% Mac. If the percentages were changed, it wouldn't make me a shill for . I don't consider myself a shill for MS I am very critical of Windows, the old anti-trust legal thing, the cost of their products, Visual Studio in particular.

I agree that he is hardly representative. Neither am I, nor are many of us here at MacRumors. We tend to be much more technically inclined and educated about computers. The hypothetical average person knows very little about computers, operating systems, etc.

 

[petvas]

Exactly right.

No surprise he mostly found himself using Windows under Fusion and is now permanently switching back. Doh!

I am not an MVP. I am an ex MS Employee and work currently as IT Consultant for Microsoft Exchange and Windows Server.

I enjoyed the time with Mac OS X but at the end I couldn't look away from some facts that bothered me about it.

 

[kolax]

I enjoyed the time with Mac OS X but at the end I couldn't look away from some facts that bothered me about it.

What else apart from "lack of software to play .m2st files".. ?

 

[dsnort]

Meh, MS lost me as a customer years ago through shoddy products, ( I was an early XP adopter). It's conceivable that Win7 could change that, but as my satisfaction level with Mac is very high. I doubt it.

 

[dimme]

Windows 7 is not a threat to Apple's marketshare.

Apple's marketshare started skyrocketing because of the Intel transition, it does not speed up nor slow down at the release of Vista.

Combine that with the best advertising department in the history of television, and you have yourself sales.

Let's see if it continues to holds true in this economy. Apple machines are just too expensivefor the average user.

 

[dimme]

in all windows based computers I've used; they all crashed & I lost all of my files. I am using mac since 2007; but my system never had unexpected crash. Their is no way I get back to windows. I respect windows & its software; but I thought I will see better performance for windows.

I use both platforms and both need a good back up strategy, all hardware can fail!

 

[dsnort]

I use both platforms and both need a good back up strategy, all hardware can fail!

+1000. Hard Drive failures can happen to any machine.

 

[lsvtecjohn3]

Windows 7 is not a threat to Apple's marketshare.

Apple's marketshare started skyrocketing because of the Intel transition, it does not speed up nor slow down at the release of Vista.

Combine that with the best advertising department in the history of television, and you have yourself sales.

IMO the iPods are the main reason why people switch over and bought Macs. They saw how good apple products are, how easy they are to use. The iPods open a lot of peoples eyes to apple

 

[gan6660]

I also had windows 7 on my pc and it was terrible! It only allowed me to use 100gb of my hard drive, internet dropped at random times and the dvd player dvd work.

 

[skaertus]

in all windows based computers I've used; they all crashed & I lost all of my files. I am using mac since 2007; but my system never had unexpected crash. Their is no way I get back to windows. I respect windows & its software; but I thought I will see better performance for windows.

Sorry, I still can´t see factual data on it. I see only your personal experience.

 

[petvas]

What else apart from "lack of software to play .m2st files".. ?

The main reason I switched back is because of the big software choice I have on Windows. Apart from that there are small annoying things in Apple and Mac OS X:

• I dont like the fact that the Finder cannot merge folder contents. It always has to replace the contents of a folder
• No cut and paste in Finder. I used Path Finder for it but still I find it really bad that the Finder doesn't have that simple function
• I find the Windows Explorer (especially in Windows 7) to be much better than the Finder
• No Blu-Ray support
• I missed a maximize Window option. Please don't tell me that I can drag a window to its max size...I know that
• After three years with Apple I came to the realization that Apple wants to dictate how my computer will be. I dont't like that. I am a power user and I need to be totally free. This freedom I have in Windows
• On the Mac there is no really good PIM, at least not as good as Outlook. I have used lots of them and every single one of them had its issues.
• Converting Video files for my Playstation 3. I always had to go to the VM and use mkv2vob, the best tool available for the job
• It seems to me that in almost every category, the best software exists on Windows and not on Mac, unless you are a typical user. Apple's software is more consumer oriented. I respect that but I cannot live with that any longer. I need something better
• Choices, choices, choices....On the Mac I have one recording software that is any good (Toast), on Windows there are many more (that was just an example)