RSSApple's Web User Market Share Increases
By Ed Oswald | Published October 2, 2007, 4:14 PM
Apple's successes with the iPod are finally translating into real momentum for its computer business, if statistics from Net Applications are any indication.
The market research firm measured a 40 percent increase year over year in Mac usage on the Internet in September. As of the end of the month, 6.6 percent of Internet users were accessing the Web via Macs, up from 4.7 percent in September 2006.
Net Applications uses tracking code from about 500,000 websites across the net, which account for about one billion pageviews each month. Thus the data only represents Macs which are being used on these sites rather than a controlled sample.
It also represents only those Macs being used on the Internet, rather than all purchased systems in general.
Either way, it still shows that Apple is finally able to convert at least some of its iPod users into Mac owners, and lending some credence to the much hyped (but rarely proven) "halo effect."
Apple's successes are no doubt cutting into Windows' market share, which fell some 3 percent over the past year. However, it is still the dominant operating system by a landslide, with 91 percent of the traffic coming from Windows computers.
Data also showed fairly light adoption of Vista in its first eight months of availability, with only 7.4 percent of users running it, compared to 79 percent running XP.
Analysts say the data is not surprising, however they add that Apple must continue to be competitive in order to attract new customers. Part of this is becoming more competitive in terms of price -- Apple's systems on average are at the higher end of most market segments.
One analyst, Samir Bhavnani of Current Analysis, told Sci-Tech Today that a 15 percent market share within five years may not be out of the question.
Yes, the 40% fig may seem disingenous, after all, it's only a 1.9% total increase while within the single digit area... but just the fact it's not a decrease is pretty impressive in light of Intel exclusivity, non-standalone selling of OS, etc.
I wonder(assuming it wanted to) if Apple is precluded from selling its OS standalone, by agreements with Intel....
Score: 0
Windows Vista share since January 30, 2007: 7.4%
Intel Mac share since January 10, 2006: 3.2%
Windows Vista is SOARING past Intel Macs and they've been airing their annoying commercials throughout 2006. They've had a year head start ahead of Windows Vista and they're still not having any REAL success.
Call me when Intel Mac share reaches 15% in 10 years or so. Maybe then they won't need to rely on Boot Camp and Windows to make Macs look less pathetic.
Score: 0
wow. someone needs attention.
Score: 0
program86, zirling, ...
Score: 0
It has more to do with the chicken before the cart after hitting the broad side of a barn door.
In other words, the Mac make look pathetic based on usage but usage isn't because it is pathetic. The Mac can run Vista side by side with OSX which a pathetic machine wouldn't be able to do.
The Mac installed base is too small to make it economicly feasible to develop games for and since there aren't many games the installed base can't grow. If Apple were to seperate their PC and OS businesses (allow the Mac to have OSX or Windows preinstalled), it 'could' give of a boost to hardware sales. They could also allow OSX to be installed on non-Apple PCs although they may run into anti-trust issues if it were optimized to run on a Apple PC so would be forced to make sure it ran equally well on thousands of PC configurations.
That last part is where I think Apple decides to keep it like it is.
Score: 0
Apple decided to keep it as it because of control and able to some their hardware at a much higher premium. If OS X is stand along, they can no longer can it's security. If you look at Apple's products, they limits what you can install, both hardware and software. OS X will never be like Windows, because it's a crap OS. It can whatever they can claim on their limited system.
Score: 0