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Can Apple Take Microsoft on the Desktop?

Posted by Zonk on from the put-em-up-put-em-up dept.

An anonymous reader writes "RDM asks Can Apple Take Microsoft on the Desktop?, a comparison of recent sales and profits and the future outlook for Macs and PCs. It's the opinion of the article's author that Apple doesn't have to take a majority share of the desktop market to win. The key is to take the most valuable segments of the market. They show via a few quick financial numbers that even though Apple is selling fewer machines, they're making more money per machine than your Dells or your Gateways. Not being beholden to Microsoft gives them a big advantage when competing with traditional PC sellers. Once Apple is positioned, Microsoft will be forced to choose whether it wants to battle Mac OS X for control of the slick consumer desktop, or repurpose Windows as a cheaper, mass market alternative to Linux in corporate sales. If it doesn't make a choice, the company will face difficult battles on two fronts.""

2 of 528 comments (clear)

  1. People are switching by ernst_mulder · · Score: 5, Interesting

    For the past 12 years or so I work for a company providing IT support for Macs. For 11 and a half years the Mac world of our customer base this: Mac users bought more Macs and in some unfortunate cases switched to PC's (mostly because of corporate decisions high up in the company's hierarchy).

    Lately something strange is happening.

    Firstly for the first time in these 12 years I have to help customers switch over from PC's to Macs.

    Secondly I've had PC customers buy Macs for their looks and running Windows XP natively as if they were PC's.

    The first is happening mostly with small companies and home users, the latter also in bigger companies.

    So, Apple in the latter case does seem to gain on the desktop but not necessarily taking on Microsoft.

    Very strange.

  2. Re:Yes - THE HOME DESKTOP MARKET by furry_wookie · · Score: 5, Interesting


    Well, there is the potential for Apple to take over the home market.

    According to Intel and IDC, the HOME pc market is only 10% of the total PC market... if apple has 3-4% marketshare and we know they dont sell much to the business market.... they might have at least a 1/3 or more right now of the home market.

    If they get to the 5% range, then they could start to approach even being the #1 home computer.

    --
    -- Given enough time and money, Microsoft will eventualy invent UNIX.