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1 Million Windows to Mac Converts So Far in 2005
UltimaGuy writes to tell us AppleInsider is reporting that according to one Wall Street analyst over one million Windows users have switched to Mac in the first three quarters of 2005. It is speculated that these numbers are a direct result of the popularity gained through the iPod and related technologies in addition to security concerns from Microsoft. From the article: "According to checks with Apple Store Specialists, Wolf also said a larger than expected percentage of Windows to Mac converts appear to be purchasing Apple's higher-end systems and that their transition is fueled by the epidemic of viruses and malware on the Windows platform."
While I am sure this is probably random guesses and whohar from this one analyst, I actually somewhat believe him from my observations from down-under (Australia).
As a young man that works for a family owned and quite large computer business I've over the years seen people generally not ask very many questions, to now every day hearing people wanting details on Macs, and how they compare to standard white boxes.
Now bundle this in with the fact that our local, and only Apple store is constantly flourishing with business as compared to a few years ago when it was rare to see more then 1 person at a time in there, you'll understand why it's possible Apple have converted so many users.
Just in my direct experience over the last few years, it's converted myself, my brother, my mother and a few friends of mine - (2 to be exact).
It's also at the point, and while I am growing up and establishing my future that me owning and operating a Apple franchise is highly possible.
I've also seen the websites I manage, which are local to our area, sky rocket from 5-10 hits per week from Mac users, to now over 250-300 unique Mac users per week and raising.
Apple are on to something here, and Steve Jobs knows it!
TFA:
TFA seems to be using "switched to" and "converted" interchangably with "purchased", implying that every Windows user who bought a Mac was turning his or her back on PCs. I don't think that has to be the case at all. If we assume that TFA is right about the reason for such good Mac sales (derriving from the strength of the ipod), then isn't it reasonable to assume that a fair number of those are people who are buying Macs not as their exclusive computer, but possibly in addition or in complement to their PCs?
Maybe the real signficance of this (assuming the numbers are correct) is that it's no longer uncool to own more than one computer!
AOL has signed up 2 million new users for their newbie-friendly internet service thru their dell computer preinstalls alone.
Just because I bought a Mac does not make me a "convert". In fact, I don't particuarly care for OS X at all. Yeah, it does some stuff well but it's such a different UI for me that I'm just not all that comfortable using it.
I seriously hope that I'm not lumped in that 1 million figure.
I just wonder what the tipping point will be before we start seeing an exponential rise in Mac malware.
Then what, the masses start switching to BSD or Linux?
--
... is the prohibitive cost here in Australia. The 15.2" Powerbook I want (with a spare battery and 2Gb RAM as the only upgrades) will set me back in excess of AU$4200.
I get to play with a Mac a little at work for some of my app testing, and I have serious envy of the guy whose desk it sits on...
Actually, it was the Mac mini which caused me to use the Mac as my primary home computer, not the iPod.
Do you suppose these specialists abbreviate their title on their business cards?
Unknown host pong.
I'm guessing a lot of people use both macs and PCs for different features. Most video/photo editors and designers probably can't live without a mac for work, but when you come home and want to use the software others can...
Actually I'm pretty sure it's a direct result of all those dads buying their college-bound daughters Macs because they were told they wouldn't be cool without them.
They must have not experienced the Adam and Eve virus... you know, the one that takes a few bytes out of your Apple. [Credit: somewhere on the internet]
A few weeks ago I went to Startup School, a conference for hackers with entrepreneurial interests that was hosted by Paul Graham. I'd say 80% of the people there with laptops had macs. It was one of the most amazing things I'd ever seen, to look back from the front of the room and see an entire roomful of Apple computers. I think Paul is right that most of the new Apple users aren't switchers, but rather are switch-backers. I for one am extremely happy with my powerbook that I bought two years ago, switching back from XP, so I don't think I will ever become a switch-back-backer. The amazing thing is that even though this computer 22 months old it feels brand new, rechargable battery issues aside. I have never had to reformat the hard drive, remove a virus, or uninstall any adware. I know that it is theoretically possible to get viruses on an Apple and there have been proof of concepts, but personally I don't give a damn about theory. All I care about is my last two years of "just works" computing.
"It is speculated that these numbers are a direct result of the popularity gained through the iPod "
So, if i own an ipod, but have 5 windows computers, does that mean i "Switched" to ipod?
What if i own an imac mini (good to have, small, cute, good for a den computer when i want to check news/status of the intarweb), but still have 5 other windows computers and only use the mini for half an hour max every day. Does that mean i switch?
What about grandma who never had a computer, ever, and her kids decide that a mac would be the best solution for an elderly computer user, did she "switch"?
I 3 marketing hype...
Is it sad that I am more likely to recognize you and your posts by your sig than your name or UID?
Like many analysts, he pulled it straight from his butt. Or, more specifically, he gathered a few anecdotes from Apple salesmen and extrapolated them to cover the entire universe.
ABSURDITY, n.: A statement or belief manifestly inconsistent with one's own opinion.
Me for one ... my new machine will be the first I've had since 1997 for which Linux is not the main OS.
James P. Barrett
In summary, unattractive squares should stick to Linux and Windows. Macs are for different thinkers.
* * * gallery updated 5 Nov. 2005 * * *
They'll have more users when the piracy thing catches on. Hell, I wouldn't use Windows if it wasn't free...
My hubby and I are two of those converts out there. After the zillionth windows disaster, we saved up and got a set of powerbooks. I can't say the iPods had anything to do with it because we didn't get a set of those until after we got the powerbooks. I always hated the overzealous mac lover, but it appears I just bought my way into the cult. I can't be happier to have switched, as I haven't had one problem since February. That's definitely longer than I went without having to tweak my PC box.
Nothing hides evidence like a stew. -Gus Pratt
an apple a day keeps the viruses at bay
And is anyone keeping track of the number of people that switched BACK after discovering that they have to re...invest substantial amount of money into Mac version of software titles they already own for the x86?
ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI!?
There probably is no correlation between people buying iPods, people using Wintel, and people buying Macs...
The lifecycle of a PC is about 2 years. A mac is about 5 years. Its probable that this is just a turnover of pre-existing mac users.
Nobody I know or has met who has a Mac bought one because of an iPod.
One one person I've met has bought a Mac because of Windows issues... and they were also a frustrated Linux user.
However, I've met a few people who have bought Macs just because they look cool, fit in with their Ikea furniture, and are trendy.
(I'm a former Mac user. Now I use Windows, mostly for games. Not that I want to... I had the choice between starving MacOS developer, average Wintel developer, or corpulent enterprise Java developer. After starving for a number of years, I chose the corpulent route.)
/\/\icro/\/\uncher
I am contemplating buying a Mac Mini just to check things out. Doesn't mean I'll be dropping my Windows machines any time soon.
To me this increase in sales can be somewhat attributed to the success of the ipod. The ipod certainally has brought a whole lot more exposure to apple in general over the last 12 months. And it's not like OSX is a bad OS for them to be pushing, if someone is curious and checks it out they probably won't be too dissapointed. Couple that with the fact that Windows XP is a few years old and is starting to seem a little dated. Windows will probably strike back a little come Vista but I guess only time will tell.
I think you don't like change and having to learn how to do basic tasks again, rather than disliking OSX per se... ya know : )
I'm not debating the reasons why. I'm refuting the article's author's assumption that because someone buys a Mac or an iPod they are instantly a "convert".
I'm sure a lot of those 'converts' were due to the Mac Mini. I know, for me, the #1 reason why I never even tried owning a Mac was because I wasn't willing to spend $1-3k to try something out. $500 is a lot easier to spend than $2k for a PowerMac.
Then you have an ever-growing application support for OSX. Large games like World of Warcraft coming with a Mac client at release surely can't hurt.
Plus, damn if the iBooks don't look a lot nicer than my drab, boring Thinkpad.
TFA: "If we assume that all of the growth in Mac shipments during the past three quarters resulted from Windows users purchasing a Mac, Or Mac users wanted a second PC, or their kids or parents needed their first or new immigrant H1B workers bought them. How can they assume these numbers are ex-Win users?
appear to be purchasing Apple's higher-end systems They appear to be? So they might not be? Huh?
fueled by the epidemic of viruses and malware on the Windows platform. Based on what figures? Last year it was "fueled by better video editing" and before that "fueled by better graphics editing" as sales people only mimicked their pitches.
the firm on Monday downgraded shares of the company's stock to "Hold," saying it believes Apple shares are now "fully valued." Because the 1 million Windows converts are all that will convert? Not only shit can be pulled from an analyst's ass.
"During the past year, in response to the introduction of breakthrough new iPods and Macs and outstanding financial results, we've doubled our price target." And even $61 is a worthless number, offering no real income (profit dividends, interest, commitment sales, etc). Take your stock money, start your own business, and stop gambling.
Still, the analyst hedges his bets, explaining Apple's "frenetic pace of innovation" could present new opportunities,"The ship is not sinking, but it might. It could also fly possibly." These people are worthless.
I have friends who are analysts, and they're worthless, too. My Costa Rican bookie gives me good advice based on the pros. These analysts either give neutral advice, or just enough so that mom's stock will go up.
Think about it, most apps people are interested in are already included with the base Apple. My guess is that a lot of the switchers out there are frustrated users (generally older) who have HAD IT with the spyware and other BS security games on the PC.
Now what do those people do? Hmmm. Word processing maybe, Internet (probably AOL), listen to music / watch movies (covered), etc. Years ago I think you'd be right about this. If you wanted a simple calculator program or even wanted to play a CD you had to buy a program to do it. Nowadays, all of that sort of thing is included with most computers - particularly Apple ones.
I've converted my own school's dorm machines to Mac Mini's (all 35 of them) this year and the main reason was the security issues associated with Windows. Well... That, and the girls just LOVE those things!
"...Well, there's egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam..."
These are interesting times to be a Mac user. It's incredible to say it, but Apple is actually on the upswing after a decade of total Windows dominance. Dell's revenues and sales are down while Apple's keep growing beyond the industry average.
As a Mac user myself, I'll just say this. I don't want an Apple monopoly dominating computing; I would just like an Apple marketshare at around 35%-45% again. It would make for a much healthier market and would mean a lot more applications for Mac, instead of waiting a year later for a third-party port.
So before you Mac-hating Linux kids start flaming another Apple article, most of us just want less Windows domination. That wretched pile of crap has wasted more time and money on reboots, endless "configuration wizards," registry cleanings, spyware cleanings, resource-sucking antivirus software, and so on. It's so bad that a lot of normal people are afraid of computers and their difficulty--they don't realize it's Windows that is difficult. Computers don't have to be.
"Sufferin' succotash."
I think, as time pass by, and more developer and systems makers realize that as long as the data is portable (.pdf, .html, .jpg, .mp3, .ogg) the system used to access the data becomes less and less relevant, I think more ppl may switch to alternative platform as they learn that their data will move with them.
On se Internetz nobody noes your German.
Background: First notebook computer I ever owned was a Powerbook 100, followed by a Powerbook 140, back in the early 90s. I left the Mac world (thanks to my job) in 1994, and I returned in fall 2004 with my purchase of an iBook G4.
I really like this machine. Most of the time, anyway. It's small (I got the 12" model), light (5 pounds), and elegant. It performs well enough for everything I do, which includes some system administration, some development, and a lot of email, web browsing, and writing. I love the integration of PDF with the system, and the fact that so many useful applications come bundled with the machine. OpenType is simply beautiful, at least with a word processor like Mellel that uses it (don't even ask Word to do something like NICE typesetting). TeXShop is a wonderful environment, and it only runs under OS X. I love having a UNIX command prompt for when the going gets tough.
Sadly, I find myself considering running Yellow Dog Linux on the machine lately, if only to get some tools to do larger-scale writing with. I don't really like Word for Mac 2004, but, frankly, what else is there? OpenOffice.org is a superb writing platform, but OpenOffice.org under the Mac's X11 is painful. NeoOffice/J is even more painful, simply because it's so SLOW! Mellel is sleek and inexpensive, but kyrie eleison if you try to do anything other than report-type text (e.g., a brochure, screenplay, etc.) The big DTP packages are here, but do more (at a higher price) than what I need. Scribus isn't quite where it needs to be yet. TeXShop/LaTeX do beautiful work, but, again, for anything more than report-type text, I'll spend hours figuring out the incantations to get it to format the way I want it to.
I really love this machine, but, over the past 6 months, it's just not doing the job I need it to. And that's why I use a computer -- not because it's cool, or cute, or powerful.
Would someone please tell Apple to fund the development of a real competitor to Office? One called OpenOffice.org is a prime candidate, but they need help.
I started working w/ a graphic design group (I do web coding) about 10 months ago. All they had was Macs and I was forced to use one. I began the job having an intrinsic hatred for OSX, but within about a month I was hooked. I've found it to be a much easier system to navigate and get things done in, and now use it exclusively (except having to use a PC to work with a client's PPT file here and there). Since then, I have also converted 8 friends to Macs. Apple should pay me a commission :)
Sure, over 90 million computers world wide run Microsoft Windows. We run this OS because its not a choice, Windows is basically imposed in our daily lives, even our careers. As a computer engineer I know that. Go ahead and put in your resume, you only know Mac. You will never find a job... (at least on a computer oriented career), Windows rules all our lives and what do we get of it? More viruses, faulty hardware, lack of security and the same ol' beige box feeling we have had since we laid our hands on a PC for ever. I mean, anyone my age knows that the first PC they laid their hands on was a beige tower of some bulky size. And that was at least 15 years ago. Take a look how cars change in 15 years...
Then look at apple... everynow and then, they shove out a new computer design, always pushing technology to an edge, first with the flat panel imacs, then the ipods, and then OSX, which is basically what everyone has tried to do with Linux. OSX to me is the embodiment of Linux on the Desktop.
I just know that since i switched to apple, I dont worry anymore of viruses, nor i worry if my e-mail has some bundled adware into it, and like many other people have said in this post, it could eventually happen, but right now it hasn't happened for me.
I recently dug myself deeper into apple. I bought a G5 Dual 2.0ghz and have it running with 4gb ram, and the works. Sure i admit i miss my games on the PC... although i play World of Warcraft, without any problems on my powermac, and any other games I play, i play'em on my Xbox, and eventually my 360. My GF who is also an Engineer uses windows because of her daily work, but she uses my mac everynow and often and she likes it a lot... im sure she will want one once we move in toghether.
Finally, i don't know what future Vista will offer anyone. Everything Vista does, OSX does for me. Plus OSX is far more secure than Vista will ever be. The Software part, well its coming around... At least anything i need to use or do I can do it on my mac... no biggy there. Just think other companies should try to develpe more ingenuity and true innovation like Apple does. Instead of stealing ideas only to develop them shittierly than they are originally developed. OSX has brought apple out of the dark ages into the light. I just wish we could all enjoy of the benefits this brings forward.
Now let me go back to my GF and keep raising those GF Points up... I want a video ipod... :)
Nom de dieu de putain de bordel de merde de saloperie de connard d encule de ta mere.
Hello, you've won the "Slashdot OS X Typo" award.
You see, in every Apple article on Slashdot, someone always makes a typo when writing three simple letters: OS X. Scientists are divided as to why it's so difficult for Slashdotters to correctly spell this very simple combination of letters (pronounced "Oh Ess Ten," the tenth version of Mac OS).
Common typo variations are:
1.) OS-X
2.) OS/X
3.) OSx
4.) OSX
5.) OSX86
Related typos include:
6.) MAC (instead of Mac)
Yours, sir, is the first insane typo of many in the comments to come when it comes to typing three simple letters: OS X. Be grateful in your glorious splendor! You are a scholar and a gentleman. Good day.
"Sufferin' succotash."
"Can you feel the love tonight"o ufeelthelovetonight.htm
/.ers cooing about it and throwing a couple of jabs at Linux and Macs as well.
http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/classicdisney/cany
While I agree that there are more Mac users, (I converted my neighbor)I think this is writing for eyeballs at best. The writer has wisely weaved together hot-topics to sell his story.
Right now and until there is a release to stores on MS's Longwait, there will be plenty of extra Macs sold. In fact, it will likely BE the second-coming of the apple desktop.
Once the available for retail date gets close on Longwait it all goes quiet and MS collects on their monopoly. Cha-Ching! The the media onslaught will include
Right now, Apple is getting some desktop face-time. Enjoy it while it lasts. Sad too, because the mac is superior in so many ways.
http://www.maxineudall.com/2010/02/should-economists-be-sued-for-malpractice.html
Actually, it uses the Mach kernel with FreeBSD userland tools. It has its own abstraction layer called IOKit for device drivers and its own window server called Quartz. So no, it doesn't have a BSD kernel, it doesn't use BSD drivers, and it doesn't use X11 for its "pretty interface." It's not "BSD" any more than Windows is "BSD" due it including a BSD-licensed network stack. Ask your grandma to buy you one of the new I-MAXES for your birthday, d00d. Maybe you'll learn something.
"Apple: Going out of business since 1984"
My Photography - http://ian-x.com
The Deathlings (comic) - http://thedeathlings.com
So what software are you thinking of exactly? Most software lets you crossgrade (like PhotoShop).
And software that doesn't let you convert either is replaced with software that ships free with consumer Macs (like iLife with iPhoto and iTunes and iMovie), or is easily replaced by other low cost or free Mac versions.
What software to casual computers have that would prevetn a switch? It's not like the whole world is running AutoCAD.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
I bought a Mac Mini because it was a cheap way to get a debugging machine for my web app. That was solely to see how it looks in a Mac browser. I still rely on Windows for everything else. I hope they didn't count me.
Zealotry comes later. For now you are a mere convert.
Soon will come the "Quicktime-ning" and once you reach that stage you will begin gaining power from every Windows user you decapitate...
Appended to the end of comments you post. 120 chars.
Have you had a look at Pages? That may just fit your bill?
If you want to e-mail me, use my PGP Key.
Blizzard have supported the Mac long before WoW, that hasn't changed. Game support for Mac is still crummy on the whole, that hasn't changed either. In fact, WoW is one of a remarkably small minority of MMOGs that run on the Mac. I can might near count them on one hand.
SWG? No. . . EQ2? No. . .
Does anyone remember when Bungie was first and foremost a Mac developer? We were all talking about how Halo was going to sell Macs. So much for that plan.
Does anyone remember when Connectix Virtual Gamestation was going to make the Mac an attractive gaming platform, because it could run most Playstation games? Then Sony bought CVGS from Connectix and buried it.
I understand Civilization 4 and Call of Duty 2 were recently released for the PC. How many months will it be before they appear on Macintosh? How many features (like editors) will be left out of the Mac version, while we still have to pay full price?
So . . . I really don't see any upswing in Mac game development, much as I might wish for it. Computer gaming still completely revolves around Microsoft (and DirectX), Macs aren't on the radar screen of most game companies -- and if the Mac platform does accidentally get something good, there are always entities like Microsoft and Sony standing ready to buy and/or bury it.
I'm really not trying to rip on the Mac here at all. I'm just being realistic and telling what experience has shown. Games are the one big area where the Mac is weak, and I don't see anything in the works to change it. Apple could do some things to change it, but gaming just isn't in their corporate DNA.
I do tech support for my school, and a senior was having a problem where if she accessed files off of our network server, whenever she saved word would crash and she lost the file. It turned out that the problem was just a loose network cable, and office 2001 or whatever was just deciding to crash when it couldn't find the network connection. Out of nowhere she says while we are working on her computer "I heard that Apples are a lot better - is that true?" and I told her that it was true but that Dell had better warrantees, and if she was going to buy a new computer and would be graduating soon and not have access to our campus tech support than she might be better off going with Dell. I did however confirm that Macs don't have spyware/adware/virus problems, usually I'm a rabid apple fan-boy but I was genuinely worried that applecare would treat her like crap, so I didn't play of the Apple aspect at all. Two weeks later she walked in with a brand new iBook and wanted help transferring all her old files over :-).
I have two friends who all throughout high school were ardent PC users. Now they both have Powerbook G4s, saying it was the best laptop on the market.
It is incredible to me that the company that people were saying was going to go bankrupt is now doing so well. I credit OS X, the iPod, and apple hardware engineering. Oh yeah, and steve jobs!
People have been laying out book length writings in TeX for a long time now. If you're doing more than "report writing", why don't you spend a few minutes (or hours dependingo on how fancy) learning TeX and writing some macros for it to do what you want?
put linux on your laptop?
Actually, it's based off of the Darwin operating system, and uses the XNU kernel, which is based off of both the Mach and a customized version of the FreeBSD kernel.
Nike shoes are so much faster. I will never use Adidas again.
256 MB of RAM? OS X needs at least 512 MB to run minimally. If you go to the Terminal and do a "top", I'll bet you have tons of page in's and page out's as you're most likely running on virtual memory. Up your RAM to 1 GB and you'll notice a massive difference in speed.
I'm a brainless moron as well... I buy Macs because they place their products in high profile Hollywood "no-brainer" movies and that's reason enough.
I'd love to be one of the Mac converts, however it seems Apple completely ignores everywhere beyond Canada, the US and Western Europe. I've been on a waiting list to get a Mini Mac for over 4 months ... and this is includes a 40% higher price...
Gamblers Forum
People in my group at work (I sign the requisitions) can have whatever laptop they want. Increasingly, they are going with a Mac so they don't have to dual-boot Windows and Linux. BSD Unix + MS Office is the killer combination.
...it's iPod fit and finish and "sex appeal"
I succumbed to 20 years of mac envy and sprung for a new 15" Powerbook and 12" iBook for my college-aged daughter. I'm delighted and not looking back to Winblows and my many crappy employer-provided plastic boxen...
But why the switch now? It isn't just OS X and better hardware/software. It's because I bought an iPod last year and could see how an electronic device could be nicely made and aesthetically pleasing (as well as just works).
And Apple/iPod is selling "sex", customer experience, the sizzle along with the steak.
Remember "killer apps"? Is it easier to get people excited about some corporate "workgroup" crapware like Microsoft Outlook, or is it easier to get people to relate to personal things like your MUSIC COLLECTION?
Apples are music, movies and fun. Windows is cubicle serf-ware. Which do you think are going to be more appealing to people and get them excited about computing again?
Pages is not a word processor. It's a simplified page layout program. Writing anything longer than a page is painful.
My Blog Sucks.
What was the cost different to get a comparable Apple laptop. What do you value your free time at... for me its a lot, because I don't have much... Given the choice between an extra $200 for the machine (and generally, Dell charges the same as Apple for the same machine, but Apple only has limited options, so you buy more machine... i.e. to upgrade the screen, you get a processor upgrade, that kinda thing), and a few hours of tinkering, I reach for my Amex...
It all depends if you'd rather have two-four hours for yourself or a little cash in your pocket...
My point on the Apple vs. Dell... any time I took an Apple machine, then went to Dell and priced an "equivalent" purchase, the price was +/- $50... however, if you start with the Dell, and then price out the equivalent Apple, it is usually a bit more... but you get stuff you may not need, but that is because Apple has limited models...
The Mac Mini is a GREAT office desktop (we have 8, probably going to get 4-5 more)... and its dirt cheap... Once you price out the equivalent Dell and add in XP Pro (home is worthless for a business workstation), and a few other minor upgrades, the mini tends to be $25-$50 less, which is a great deal.
Why do asshole posts like the one above get modded up?
If you want actual evidence showing the relative success of the companies (and thus proving the parent has his head up his ass), click this
Full page here
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Is the number of Mac users who have switched to Windows, Linux, or BSD in the same time period. Since Intel or AMD based machines are considerable cheaper, there may be a significant number of Apple users who switch when it is time to replace. Or not, but the article certainly ignores that.
/. with your back button, at least in Firefox.
Also, for those rare types who read TFA, this is one of those nice sites that doesn't let you return to
Some mornings it's hardly worth chewing through the restraints to get out of bed.
Not intended as a flame, but I just don't regard Linux as mature enough on the desktop for me to go that route. I've spent a lot of time on various UNIX environments over the years, and they usually consume too much overhead for hacking, and these days I just want to get my work done.
Freedom = (Meaningful - Coerced) Choice != (Speech | Beer^2), and sad sock puppets' bad mods avail them naught.
due to my recommendation in the last year, including my wife. The difficulty each of those people saw with using Windows and keeping it working deterred them from buying their own PC. For all 3 of them, the iBooks are a literal dream, with only the normal learning curve resulting in some study of training books and DVDs. It has also been almost totally painless for me, as I don't have any significant support to deal with on these machines.
As a 10 year DOS/Windows user, with 8 years in I.T. I recently made the switch myself. I'd hated Apple's for years, but once they decided to build their OS on freeBSD technology I couldn't help myself. Frankly, I love it. Like another person mentioned before, I used to spend hours on Putty. Now I just drop down to a terminal and have fun. I really wish Apple would just release their OS to more directly compete with Windows. As a user of both platforms I can honestly say that I think OS X would win hands down.
I guess some people just cant handle the minimal amount of work involved in staying secure...
Yes, we call those people "average users," and they are legion.
Dunno why you are saying grandparent is an asshole post. it's real data. Plus the original discussion was about revenue, not stock prices which are 2 separate things.
Because it's a troll. Some jack ass creates a post called "Just another Apple myth" which is full of bull shit about Dell's revenue going up and apple "fanbois" who are in the reality distortion field, and oh yeah, Apple is on the verge of death.
Shit like that should be modded down, not up for fuck's sake.
And if you think that stock prices are not directly linked to a company's growth (which IS what the original discussion is about) then enough said, you just
Kiteboarding Gear Mention slashdot and get 10% off!
That's almost laughable. I'm an independent IT consultant, and I'd like to personally thank Dell for their pricing strategy: slap together a box with 256 MB of RAM and Windows XP, advertise in flyers showing said system along side a 15" LCD for $499, profit!!
The scenario goes down something like this. Customer receives Dell, is confounded by how slow it is, and is pissed that they received a CRT, not the flat panel pictured (a la asterisk "for just $179 more..."). Customer calls me, I come out and explain that 256 MB of RAM is no way to run Windows XP, show them the task manager with pagefile usage of 415 MB, they do the math (415 MB > 256 MB). Customer pays me $75/hr to install marked up RAM and a flat panel monitor since they won't talk to Dell anymore.
Michael Dell, we salute you!
PS - Posted from my 20" iMac.
I 'switched' this year when I had to replace my PC laptop. I use the laptop pretty much exclusively, we do have a PC in the closet mostly for legacy purposes that we never directly used (one of these days, when I have more 'time', I will turn it into a proper fileserver with a proper OS...). Anyway, I'm typing this entry from my iBook. PowerBooks were a bit outside my price range for a home machine, but the iBook had everything I wanted, including software, and no extras I didn't want to pay for (except maybe bluetooth, but I'd rather have that than not, I just don't use it now). It is both small and light, making it portable (I travel frequently enough to care). The price was excellent for the processor/memory/drives combination, especially when compared to Dell. The Dell competitors were a little less, but I have never been satisfied with the engineering that Dell puts (or doesn't put) into their laptops. The iBook feels much, much more solid.
This is my first Apple, and I used to make a lot of fun of Macs (especially when they came out with all the fruity colors...). But with OS X and the excellent software traditions, this thing really rocks! I'm even enjoying the development tools - which, unlike Visual Studio - come WITH THE OS. Including all the reference material I could ever want. What a joy!
You say you got a real solution
Well, you know
We'd all love to see the plan
(The Beatles)
and here is why:
I wanted unix. I wanted it with a sexy interface. I wanted to run all of my favorite gnu and other open source tools. I wanted the 16:9 screen aspect ratio (wide screens rock!).
Linux was the only alternative to Windows for me for a long time (since early 1998). There were no developer tools on Windows, and programming languages/developer tools (such as C and a compiler) are what attracted me to me computers in the first place. What good is a computer if you can't play with it? (I later found about about FreeBSD and OpenBSD but due to lack of drivers, OpenBSD was the only one I gave serious consideration to (because of its attitude towards correctness and security).)
Windows tried to hide things from me so that other people could control my computer more than I could. My only regret with Apple is that they try to control my experience too much... but I have a fully functional CLI, so I can overlook their over-protective control freakishness. Ultimately, I still run Linux, Windows, and MacOSX, but I find myself using MacOSX the most (except for gaming!). I suppose my use of Linux on the desktop will continue declining as I get more acclimated to MacOSX, but giving up Linux is really tough. I love having absolute and total control over every aspect of my system.
strike
"Someone needs to talk to the tree of liberty about its ghoulish drinking problem." by ohnocitizen
you know, it is only 5 years after the internet bubble burst. don't go forgetting about that great example of how revenues are not linked to stock prices already. I can't handle another run up and crash.
Anyways, none of you are being honest about the situation. Yes, apple has had growing revenues over the last few years which have really helped it grow its stock price. But the major run up in prices has nothing to do with the Personal computer market that the arguments seem to center on. almost every analyst attributes the run-up to record profits due mainly to the Ipod, not sales of computers. It has seen over the last two years an increase from 6.2 to 13.9 billion in revenue.
Needed in any honest discussion is where apple is coming from. 4 years ago they posted a net loss. Since then, they have seen incredible earnings grown, especially in the past year(from 276 million to 1.335 billion).
Dell has increased it's revenues from 35 to 49 billion in just 2 years. That is phenomenal growth for a company of its type and size. unlike apple, it does not try to sell goods that are priced at an incredible premium based on name and popularity. It also is not riding a wave of a new comsumer product so it has not seen a windfall in profits(and it probably never will). It sits at just over 3 billion in earnings.
Yes, the ggp was incredibly dishonest trying to say apple is dying and is frankly, an idiot. Every analyst in the world thinks they are looking at financial health for a long while to come.
Of course, I claim this analyst is an idiot. He gives these headline predictions assuming all macs that are selling this year beyond last year are windows converts. He is completely ignoring the highly probably activity of many mac users of holding off on mac purchases in expectance of the G5 and lower prices for it. This would imply that many users would not buy last year and buy this year to get access to a modern CPU.
Now, I'm not arguing there weren't a lot of windows to mac switches, but this analyst lacks a basic control over logic.
Just last night I was in a MobileMonday -meeting at a local bar in Helsinki. It used to be a meeting for nerds interested in mobile stuff, but it has been overrun by marketdroids and you rarely see a nerd there any more.
Anyway I was talking to a business contact, who is a partner in a management consultant company. His comment last night was that Microsoft is the sales department for OS X. They trashed all their PCs and switched totally to OS X -environment as XP's ServicePack 2 came out. They just couldn't get their PCs to co-operate with that pack. What amazed me was that this came from a guy that's allways used PCs and is in no way interested in geek-stuff - he is a management consultant after all. And this happens in Finland, that's propably one of the most pro-PC countries in the World. Three years ago I used to know only a couple of people who used Macs. Now it seems that number has well over trippled, and that's mostly converts.
Personally I do use PCs, Macs & Unix boxes (HP & Sun), with major OSs. But as a for my laptop, the choise has been clear for years. Apple's laptops were far ahead in battery life for years. Nowadays there's not that much difference, but the usability, stability and connectivity is still there...
If all else fails, pull the plug and get out...
The Life is out there...
I worked in a school where they had a suite of iBooks for video editing using iMovie- they were not the most powerful beasts at 500MHz G3 and 128MB of RAM, but they were good enough for the kids to splice footage together and mess about with transitions. Later last year we got a bunch of iBook G4s in along with copies of Final Cut Express- I started having a fiddle with them, just to get a feel for OS X and gradually realised that I was enjoying using a computer for the first time in a while. I am one of those peopl who periodically tries to use Linux but gets frustrated by all the configuraion difficulties.
The only problem for me getting one was price, that changed earlier this year with the Mac Mini- I bought one and loved it to pieces. As a result of the Mini being around, my housemate and two of his friends are now owners of 12" iBooks, my uncle is getting a Mini and my cousin is going for a 15" Powerbook. Myself, I just bought one of the new 17" iMac G5s, the recent bump seemed to move it into a sweet spot where I thought it was worth buying.
Seven Mac sales where before there were only PC users, obviously this is just a point of data and not a trend, but I think it shows how thse things can snowball. I do stil use my PC by the way, it is more powerful than the Macs- but I only use it for games now, and to be honest I can't see me upgrading it or getting a new one in the future.
"...and on the seventh day we wrapped." JMS 4:22 May 5, 1997
They did, and called it Windows Media Player. It sucks.
This is very interesting. I was going to mod you down, but you are already at -1. Then I thought to myself: "I actually use and LOVE Keynote, but I don't really use Pages, so modding this comment without first hand experience would be unfair."
So I fired up Pages, opened the Three Panel Brochure template (I guess that's what you meant), and noticed that if I replaced the template text, the program would be dog slow. Not as slow as you say: after typing a very, very long sentence, the last character would appear around six seconds after I typed it, which is anyway too annoying.
So I was going to mod you up. But then I saw all the comments saying that they don't experience such a long lag... WTF? So I closed the document and started a new one using the Club Newsletter template, which looks fairly complex. To make things fair, I inserted five different pages all with several columns, pictures, side texts (or however they are called). By the way, everything looks very cool, and far more complex than the Three Panel Brochure. I started editing all over the place, with *absolutely* no delay.
So the problem is actually with the specific template! Apparently it's much more complex than it seems, or the author screwed up, or it uses a particular "feature" that kills Pages. In any case, you can make documents that look much more complex using other templates (although I only tested those two).
Someone please mod parent as "Underrated". I personally thought that describing my findings would contribute more to the discussion.
Oh, by the way: Pages - Just say yes only if you have already tested the template you want to use.
Keynote, that's a totally different story. Keynote rocks!
You've got to be kidding me. I ripped them off by upgrading their computer to a point where they can actually use it? You certainly don't have enough information about me to make judgments about my character. Most of my residential clients are sufficiently wealthy individuals who are very happy with my service and fully understand my income model. Most are happy to have someone who will actually explain to them why 256 MB isn't suitable for running the applications they use, rather than trying to get in and out in under 10 minutes.
Furthermore, I donate my time and money to recondition my wealthy customer's old systems for families who cannot afford a system. The last three systems I gave away were faster than 1 GHz and all went out with 512 MB of RAM or more. I sleep just fine at night.