If these are the winners, I’m sure glad we don’t have pictures of the losers!
The Inquirer – Tuesday 19 September 2006:
The limited interest in Apple’s operating systems is starting to dwindle.
According to Techweb, data gathered by Net Applications shows that the Mac OS had 4.35 per cent of the world’s operating system share last December. Now it only has 4.33 per cent.
While this is not much of a dip, it reverses a trend that saw interest in Apple’s operating system actually growing a few years back.
What is worse, from Apple’s perspective, is that its operating system is losing ground in favour of Windows XP, which even Microsoft admits is a bit out of date. XP has 84.18 per cent of the operating systems used by machines accessing the Web sites measured by Net Applications during August.
One has to wonder why Apple can’t compete when the opposition has been blasted for its security holes and has a product that is years out of date. Apple executives might be wondering what will happen to its operating system if Vista takes off, or Linux ever turns itself into a proper desktop.
This seems wrong for some reason. I just got my first mac in july and I just got it to run windows. It may be that all mac people are buying Windows XP canceling out their OS X making a drop in market share. If so that sucks for Apple.
Apple has to change its image by changing its symbol. The apple is a fruit for god’s sake. Only artists and the highly educated can appreciate the Macintosh.
I suggest they start a new line of PCs called the Banana. The name is a little whacky, funny, popular (where the money is made) and it grows from their origin while not excluding the die hard Apple fans.
The Banana. It’s all good.
Math ain’t my forte; but, I have to find Techweb’s analysis and primary source info suspect. Industry sources across the board report that 50% of new Mac sales are to folks new to Apple. And there have been sizable numbers. That has to result in increased market share.
I can only guess the stats reflect sales of OS X apart from computer sales. Surely, there can’t be too many folks remaining who were still using the previous?
Are we back to old Sam Clemens saw about statistics?
Apple is dying.
Wow, it’s like deja-vu….for the past 25 years….and still going.
Though it’s kinda cool to see a new take on the “Apple is dying” line. But after 10 years of it, it was funny. After 20 years of it, it was boring. Now it’s just lame.
“The Banana. It’s all good.”
I think the guy behind Bloom County might have something to say about that!
http://toastytech.com/guis/banana-dream.gif
Now that I’ve gone through Techweb’s info — the article is closer to ridiculous. Apparently, this is based on what OS resided on the computer logging into websites “certified” by Net Applications.
No breakout — maybe none possible — as to who’s logging in using the boss’ computer or how often for each IP. If I was a bored cubicle rat, I’d probably log onto the Web 17 times/day — with the boss’ hardware and OS.
How much of the Web does Net Applications represent? Sorry, this looks like less than useful or reliable sampling methods. I suppose that isn’t required of OS trolling.
SOS.. Same Old…
Typical “Apple is going to DIE” journalism from Mr. Dvorak.
Call us when you get a new song.
That’s because Apple is still run by an executive board that is STILL sleazier than M$.
Re: comments 2 and 5:
Yeah, the Banana PC Jr was a computer in Bloom County years ago… commenter #2 is trying to foist off a previously used idea (and expressed much more humorously, btw) as their own.
I don’t think OSX is the problem. It’s that their hardware is one step behind the rest of the market. Yeah, it’s pretty but it is also limited in expansion and options.
As for the comment under the picture above, give me a break. I’d wager if you take a look at pictures of anyone commenting on this, dvorak included, there’s no room for talking about other people’s looks. I expect information from dvorak, not crap like that.
I bought my first Mac on the day they announced boot camp. I had it booting XP by lunch time. Now about 5 months later I find myself only booting into XP to play games and looking for a way to delete / move the partition to a firewire drive so I have more room for Mac activities. I have a hard time believing that they are loosing market share.
I spend all day in XP at work and actually prefer OSX for most home tasks. I even installed the OSX citrix client so I can connect to work without going into XP.
I am in no way a Mac zealot but this post just does not pass the sniff test for common sense. Again with more and more Windows users moving to the intel macs I can’t see them losing market share.
my guess is that mac users how bought intel macs also run windows. so thats driving the points towards microcrap I mean soft
J – that doesn’t make the hardware limited, that makes the expansion options limited. Wrong terminology.
I actually think the reason Apple has problems is that they are freaking expensive! I really really want one, but I can build two high spec PC’s for the price of a Mac Pro. That’s conservative too. It’s crazy.
Their iMac is a much better deal, but suffers because it’s seen as a lesser machine (which it isn’t compared to PCs) which is because originally that brand WAS, and was market as such.
Apple need to hit the cheap market too, and the Mini doesn’t do that, because to get it to run well you need to pay extra (RAM mostly).
However.. that aside – this study is bull, and very very poorly done.
Re. 9
The New York Times doesn’t run comic strips. I’ve never read a single “Bloom County” in my life, less even heard about it. My brain is just accessing the world’s collective mind (The Mind). What you don’t understand is that what you think is the mind is not just localized in your skull. The Mind is God’s brain of which we are a microcosm of it. What you are in the inside is what is outside. Your mind is playing a trick on you making you believe that you are an individual. If a brain atom could speak it would be asking the same question you ask yourself about existence.
Aren’t Macs twice as expensive as Windows PCs?
I have both XP and OSX running on similar hardware. I pity windows users. It is so painful to do the simpliest things on XP. I’ll never buy vista.
Well to be frank some of these stats are for corporate computers, I am sure, but it does not matter if the numbers are right or not, is Apple going to gain market share? I do not think so. Apple is a small player in the market because they will not divorce the software from the hardware( but I realize that to do so will kill quality) so it is a no win.
If you go into any big box store and check the selectionyou will see tons of PC’s from many different manufacturers running a flavor of Windows XP and 1 Mac model if they bother to show any at all….
And if they do show it, you got a similar PC at a price point that is several hundred dollars lower than the Mac….. get real we are talking about the typical consumer not a tech savvy geek. Money talks and will the Mac do anything the pc will not? (we all know in the end the answer is no, maybe better and simpler but not more) The Mac may have better software/hardware but in the end if you compare features on paper a similar leveled PC running windows costs less.
When Apple can match dell and HP and gateway price points you will see the Mac make gains in the market. Until then it is a mall computer (same quality at an inflated price) for most shoppers.
Let’s just consider it is true. More and more people (computer challenged) are gaining Internet access. What computer should they get? They will ask their “computer literate” peers, sons, daughters etc.
The percentage of people like me (I’m a net admin) that would prefer their mom to have an XP versus a OSX is proportional with the current market share. It is very easy for me to instruct them what to do. They’ll have just as much trouble on a Mac as they have on a win machine by themselves.
Now, people that dear to step out on their own, might chose a Mac because it is appliance-ized. ‘Want pictures – go to iPhoto, want chat – go to iChat and so on. One use – one program out of the box –like the stove, tv etc.
But like I said, I, alone, I’ve put 3 Windows machines on the net for my parents and divorced in-laws. Because we live at great distances and communicating with video and sound works, now – so they finally want a computer – a windows computer.
Very simple. It comes down to cost. Macs are too expensive.
As the other posted said, about twice as expensive for retail, and much more for bargain hunters.
This is just another trolling comment by Dvorak to drive traffic to his site.
He is on record as doing just that. Throw out an anti Apple comment or story and get the mac users to respond and drive his hits up.
I’m out of here…….
“This is just another trolling comment by Dvorak to drive traffic to his site.”
First, no one from this site made a “comment,” I merely passed along an article from the Inquirer. Second, I’m not John. Third, learn how to read a blog!
Actually, I don’t ever see Linux going beyond the hobbyist base. Windows Vista is actually pretty good, since RC1 has arrived. It’s running rather well on my machine. That said, there are still problems, and OS X has had most of those problems solved since OS X Puma, and some since OS 8. I do think that people are starting to get interested in Mac, as I’m seeing it on a daily basis at work (I’m a computer tech). But, for every person who’s fed up with Windows and switches to Mac, there are tens, maybe hundreds who plod along on Windows. If they had more Mac stores in more areas, it would probably help. Putting them in Best Buys may help, if you get an Apple guy to sell them.
I am a computer technician, Electrical/Electronics Engineer degreed type with 23 years experience. All but the last 3 years PC exclusively. But 3 years ago I semi retired and went to work for a shop repairing Macs and PC’s. Everyone of my Mac friends immediately expected a conversion. At first, a little intrigued, ultimately underwhelmed. The problems that come into our shop, are the same problems we see for the PC,(except for the virus and spyware issue, an easy thing to avoid by the way) and that shocked me. The Mac is no more reliable than a PC running XP no matter what Mac diehards say. The biggest difference is cost of repair. Because of constant design changes, Mac replacement parts are incredibly expensive, and the average Mac user has no problem shelling out 800 to 1000 dollars to repair an older machine. The loyalty astounds me. And I would understand it if it was justifiable, but it isnt. So, I applaud them for keeping a loyal following, it just totally baffles me.
damn those bitches are FUGLY (fuckin ugly)
16 Aren’t Macs twice as expensive as Windows PCs?
🙂 Good one!
Back on topic:
If Apple was seriously concerned about XP as a competitor, they wouldn’t be building BootCamp into Leopard. And why attack the 800-pound gorilla of market share, when you have a chance to kick sand in it’s baby brother’s face?
The biggest stumbling block to being a “switcher” – no matter if it is to switch from mac -> win, or win -> mac – has been the lost investment in software [and – until Apple switched to USB – hardware].
Apple will essentially remove that stumbling block for the win -> mac group. An important step for a company with single-digit market share.
When current owners of WinXP computers are ready to upgrade to a new PC – in a year or two – they can seriously consider whether they would prefer it to dual-boot XP-Vista, or dual-boot XP-Mac.
If less than 100% of WinXP users chose Xp-Vista, it is gravy to Apple – because they can crow about an increase in market share at M$’s expense.
If it is 100% of WinXP users choosing XP-Vista, Apple can keep quiet – and still make a nice profit.
Gee, I like Runner up #1 – but I’m partial to redheads!
“Gee, I like Runner up #1 – but I’m partial to redheads!”
From the expressions on their faces I get the impression they have apples crammed up their asses. They look like they’re suffering from a very painful rectal problem. I bet in a more relaxed setting and without a pound of makeup and without an apple shoved up their asses, they’d actually look pretty.
I almost forgot, if they could Legally make OSX run any computer capable of running XP quite well, I’m sure there would be plenty of curious people willing to give OSX a try.
Let’s look at these statistics a little more in depth, shall we?
No one is talking about the “other” category on the right – whilst mac, according to this, is dropping .48%, “other” gained .49% over the same period. I think more likely what’s happening is that Linux is making a mark with people who are O.K. using another OS other than Windows period; it certainly correlates with my personal experience.
I’m gonna reserve other comment until I see some more sets of statistics to back this up – one sample from one company isn’t enough to make a judgement, either way. I’ve seen other trends and heard other things that contradict this, but, it always makes good headlines to bash macs because it’ll guarantee readers (and vice versa).