Apple Grows its Mac Sales....Will Your Next PC Be a Mac?
The most interesting tidbit out of Apple's revenue announcement today had nothing to do with the fact that Apple's fourth-quarter profits are up. That, to me, seemed a given: Between the new iPod line launched in September and the iPhone's ongoing success (1.2 million burgers, er, iPhones, sold!), news of Apple's financial success seems positively anticlimactic.
More enlightening is how Apple continues to build on the strength of its peripherals--iPods and now the iPhone--to grow its core Macintosh notebook and desktop business, too. The company said it sold 2.2 million Macs during July, August, and September--a new high watermark for Apple. That's a 34 percent growth over the year-ago quarter, and up by 400,000 over the previous quarterly record on file.
Funny that I still think of Apple as a computer company first. Apple sold 10.2 million iPods--nearly four times the number of Macs--during the same period. And yet, somehow it works: Without the Mac computer, many of the innovations that Apple has brought do the level of its iPhone and iPod lines wouldn't have happened. It only makes sense, then, that the popularity of such devices would help drive the growth of Mac notebooks and desktops, too.
Apple's ongoing growth in its computers actually continues its growth trend: Apple has been gaining market share over the last year and a half, according to data from market research firm The NPD Group. Earlier this summer, NPD reported Apple's notebook growth, in particular, was outpacing that of Windows-based notebooks, 65 percent to 37 percent.
Are you thinking about buying an Apple notebook over a Windows notebook for your next computer? If so, what led you to consider the switch?
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That just about goes along with my experience, most of my work colleagues have bought Mac's to compliment or replace their windows based machine. I even got a call from my completely non tech sister who struggles with the on/off buttons saying she was going to by a Mac, cause even she found it easy to use.
I find it extremely odd that anyone would ever choose a mac. I have used them from time to time, and found them extremely limiting, in terms of software offerings, Operating system configuration, stability, and upgradability. Its a nice looking system, almost as nice as vista, but that alone is not a reason to buy a platform. Steve Jobs has crafted this operating sytem as his vision, to be a 'mac" experience for the user. But just like the iphone, users are only allowed to experience the ride, but not drive the system. That is why I opt out of the mac. I'm sure all the mac bigots out there will flame this post, since they are avid prostelizers of their limited system, and take any attempt of criticism as heretical. I for one will continue to enjoy my PC experience, that has always been open to any configuration, be it software or hardware option, that I have ever desired. I will not be limited by the vision of Steve Jobs, and neither will 500 million other PC users.
"users are only allowed to experience the ride, but not drive the system. That is why I opt out of the mac. "
HUH? Wow. Did you, like, get frozen in 1995 and just now return? Macs are UNIX boxes. A hell of a lot more customizable than Microsoft windows crap. I use mine only through the terminal, and do statistical programming. Wow. Incredible how deluded some windows users can be.
People like Starbuck88 who pretend to have used Mac and lie about it are quite annoying. I have used Windows PC in most of my life, but Mac is much more stable than PC, and OS X is far superior to Windows XP and Vista in many ways, which is an undisputed fact for any reasonable person who has ever used a Mac.
People like Starbuck88 who pretend to have used Mac and lie about it are quite annoying. I have used Windows PC in most of my life, but Mac is much more stable than PC, and OS X is far superior to Windows XP and Vista in many ways, which is an undisputed fact for any reasonable person who has ever used a Mac.
I'm a Java programmer who's programmed more on a PC than a Mac. If you like wizards and cookie-cutter-WYSISWYG-dot-Net frameworks then get a PC. If you like open-source and really enjoy getting "under the hood" of a state of the art UNIX (with a beautiful interface) then get a Mac. There's really no comparison - I constantly feel stifled on my PC and can't wait to get home to program on my Mac. I'm not sure what Starbuck is referring to ... I honestly think he's got it backwards and I'd be very surprised if he's used both OS's (or even more than one ever).
You get a lot of that--folks claiming to have a passable knowledge of the rival machine/operating system and then they regurgitate some canned criticism. I'm not going to criticize PC's and Windows because I would prefer not to be counted among this rather unimpressive group. I will say only this. Every individual I know who has switched from a PC to a Mac not only becomes a convert, but a cult member of the Mac experience. To the average PC user who wants to find fault with the obsessively dedicated Mac person, I ask you to consider one fact: do you know anyone who is as devoted to their PC as a Mac owner is to his or her machine? Is there an equivalent PC cult? If you're in the market for a computer, I would encourage PC users to give Mac a try. If you don't like the experience, you can run it as a PC and still have a damn stylish machine sitting on your desk. My guess is that within a few months, you'll be using the PC side only when you have to.
I find it so interesting that people can deny someone elses experiences. This is what this is all about.
I find that many mac heads that I know (and I mean that fondly), are so fervent about thier computers because they are very much like owning a one of a kind (or one of the few) computers and being in a special club.
Most Pc users that I know love to tinker with both software and hardware, open up, exchange parts, customize hardware, and otherwise build thier own units.
Macs do not allow that, its what makes them supremely stable.
To the above poster, the equivilant to the Mac dedicated Mac fan is the Hardcore Pc gamer who's purchases fuel the Graphics card industry as well as the Intel Cpu market, its a very big very pc educated club. Just look up 'lanparty' on google.
Truth be told get a computer based on what you want to acomplish. Mac or PC? does it matter if it gets the job you want done, done?
I own several xp/vista laptops, and Ipod Touch and a mini.
> Addict.
You make a very good point--for the PC gamer, there are many more options. Furthermore, for people who get inside their machines and "tinker," the PC is going to be the better choice. Maybe then it is important to identify who we are talking about. Not being a person who immerses himself in the guts of a machine or one who is a gamer, these virtues are of little use to me. Virus avoidance, software integration, stability, and interface simplicity comprise the priorities for a casual user such as myself. My bet is that of the bazillion of PC users, you and your friends comprise a modest minority. I invite you to think very broadly--your parents, grandparents--really consider the number of PC's being used by ALL the people you know. For them, ease of use, stability and the software integration of a Mac would probably come as a welcome change. But you're right, get what works for you. I just think a Mac would work better for a lot of current PC users--you excluded of course.
I have used the MAC and Windows, and I must say that the Mac provides a very relaxing user experience. I am always keeping tabs on this and that on Windows; on the other hand the Mac is very enjoyable to use. I, like other people in this thread, am a PC gamer, and as such the Mac is not the right choice for me.....yet. :-) I hate to say this, but I am also annoyed by the almost cult-like devotion of Mac users to their leader Steve Jobs. Some may say that Windows users worship Bill Gates, but I curse Bill on an hourly basis (I am a tech, lol). Very interesting article though. :-)
This is interesting. I am, right now, on the fence. I am a designer (adobe 75%) that also works with 3D modeling (Rhino3D 25%). One thing I am noticing in the laptop market. One can purchase the top of the line quad-core PC laptop for about the same price ($300 more) then the top of the line Mac laptop. But comparing these systems the hardware in the PC is about twice the speed of the hardware in the Mac. The problem I am seeing is that I would be the lone user of a Mac in my 180 person company and I just don?t know what problems of system integration I might run into? I do have to agree, OSX Leopard is pretty amazing, there are no question about adobe graphics and Mac laptop is a hell of a lot more stylish and lighter then the PCs? My question:? Are Macs stability, OSX, and style worth half the speed of the top level laptops? (Comparing Macbook Pro 17? loaded to Clevo M901C quad-core loaded?Google it)
Sure, get a dual core mac book, then load Windows XP 64-bit on it.
Next buy a 2 button mouse.
Drop it two times by accident and it's dead or acting up.
Drop a thinkpad from 12 feet 10 times still works great.