“Apple’s Mac share of personal computers worldwide fell to a five-year low in December, mimicking the company’s own numbers that have portrayed a four-quarter sales slowdown,” Gregg Keizer reports for Computerworld.
“According to web analytics vendor Net Applications, Apple’s desktop and notebook operating system — formerly OS X, now macOS — powered just 6.1% of all personal computers last month, down from 7% a year ago and a peak of 9.6% as recently as April 2016,” Keizer reports. “The Mac’s 6.1% user share in December was the lowest mark recorded by Net Applications since August 2011, more than five years ago.”
“Apple’s own data fits the view of a shrinking Mac,” Keizer reports. “In October, the company reported sales of 4.9 million Macs for the September quarter, a 14% year-over-year decline and the fourth straight quarterly downturn.”
I’ve been predicting it since Steve Jobs first used the term “PostPC”. Anyone who didn’t understand at that time that PC means Mac wasn’t paying attention 🙂
He jumped the gun way too early .. big mistake… and it seems the present managment is following his erroneous Dogma like mindless lemmings.
He would have reassessed.
totally, yojimbo……
blind obedience to dogma, ( originally perceived as wisdom) even when delivered by wise and insightful people is not a reliably good way to go.
as the saying goes; some things always work… until they don’t.
many years ago a colleague of mine was working in northern alaska, asking native people many questions about why they did certain things certain ways under varying circumstances.
one of the elders, who grew weary of all the questions told my friend the story of baby grayling (which i have condensed and paraphrased below) -but it seems to me to be the perfect parable to illustrate the dilemma apple currently faces
a baby grayling was swimming in a lake and asked his mother how he could always be assured to get enough to eat.
her advice was to always swim against the current and the water will always bring food right to you.
the baby grayling decided to try out his mothers advice and began swimming up a small stream that fed into the lake, he was delighted to have all this food coming his way, but gradually the food and the water in the stream began to decrease until, at last, the was no more food and hardly any water.
baby grayling became upset at his change in circumstances, turned around, swam right back to the lake, and avoided his mother because he was so upset…he hated her for telling him the wrong rule!
the elder then finished up the parable by telling my friend
“you asking me questions is like baby grayling: i can give you an answer BUT YOU MUST SPEND THE REST OF YOUR LIFE LEARNING WHEN NOT TO USE IT” (emphasis mine)
ok mr. apple better start paying attention and learning – FAST
👍
The desktop is dead. Long live the desktop. Desktop computing is just waiting to be reinvented. Massively large, touchable screens. New input modes like the MS dial. Etc. Tim Cook is John Sculley: chasing R&D unicorns with little commercial success to show for it. This is what nearly bankrupt Apple under Sculley. Apple needs to focus and stop messing around with too much stuff. Reinvent the operating system, offer a new class of devices so we have one operating system that works on mobile and desktop. Multi-touch + mouse input + unique input modes. Massively large touchable screens for the desktop. The same desktop grade applications on mobile vs. desktop.
My desktop reinvention is wall computing. I have a 98″ LG 4K TV that stands on legs against a wall and a tiny rollable desk with wireless keyboard and trackpad.
It is wonderful but…
I am using a 2016 MacBook to run it while I wait for a decent Mini or (please, please, please) a real Pro Mac with multiple upgradable (to standard) GPU card slots.
Having a 98″ screen is great for working (I don’t need to use reading glasses), eliminated a large desk, is great for collaborative work and demos.
They seriously need to STOP and make all current products GREAT. The Apple TV4 has come a long way. Now the watch and Siri along with iCloud need some attention. I just got my new Airpods and they themselves function WONDERFULLY! But they also shine a light on the inadequacies of Siri. Doesn’t work without internet and is shotty in its “understanding.” I can say “Set volume to 90” and it replies “I am unable to change the volume.” I say the same thing immediately after that response and the reply is “Volume set to 90” and the volume is changed. WTH? I can tell Alexa good night and it’s like talking to a friend. I say goodnight to siri and it’s like talking to a pissed-off spouse. Cold shoulder – would you like me to search for “good night?”
“Criminal mismanagement” – I certainly hope MDN wasn’t being facetious. While I haven’t ever called for him to be prosecuted and jailed, he should be fired. Tomorrow if possible. Even without a successor, what do we have to lose?
I think MDN meant this one:
• informal (of an action or situation) deplorable and shocking: he may never fulfill his potential, and that would be a criminal waste.
“Even without a successor, what do we have to lose?”
Without someone more qualified to take his place …….everything thats left !
Tim is Good at what he does…. except a comprehensive coherent vision does not seem to be one of his strenghts. ( and please lets not talk Ives… he is a great Industrial designer.. ..it stops there ) . Imo…
I dont think Jobs was perfect… but he had the magic of complementing everyone to Perfection ,it seems like. Without him All the greats seem to be not so great. From product to marketing to vision.
And lets not discount/forget his one in a Billion Charisma !
People have forgotten how fast Microsoft and Dell lost their perches atop the tech industries to the innovation of Apple…anyone who doesn’t think it can happen to Apple too is going to be as disappointed as Hillary Clinton on Election Day.
Totally agree with you Bot. so many of the great have fallen Apple has already started its journey downward. Sadly, they didn’t last very long did they?
“Fun does not matter”
iOS is the leading mobile gaming platform. So, it would appear funmatters quite a lot! Of course, if your idea of “Fun” involves a file system, then, yeah, no fun for you!
Let me clarify..
I meant in form of Apple products and buzz…..
Also
Apple does not make 99.9 % of the Apps … developers do.
(Though i admit Garagband is one fun App.)
P.S… file system on ios would be fun too (ios-Pro)… in form of productivity , flexibility and being let loose of the ball and chain… that would for sure bring a smile to many peoples face. But thats not the kind of fun im talking about.
Nah it’s just the wrong market share they’re measuring. While some are turned off of the Mac completely MILLIONS are realizing they don’t need a Mac OR a PC, they just need an iPad or iPhone. This mobile first trend is accelerating among companies because you just can’t beat the ROI and the low support costs.
Non-mobile sales are going to continue to drop as there’s not that many people left who really REALLY need that form factor anymore.
The worst part about this is that the 2016 MacBook Pros aren’t going to turn around the trend. Apple charges too much for too little. Macs are still more profitable than anything Apple does besides the iPhone. How pathetic Cook refuses to keep it healthy.
I gave Cook one year to show me some signs of competence. Then I called it as I saw it. Thanks MDN for catching up to the reality of how badly Cook has squandered the lead Jobs offered. Under Cook, Apple has abandoned the Mac customers who kept the company alive in order to shit out shoddy Maps, Pings, Beats, and so on. Consumer-grade products is all Cook wants to sell, but none of these will never be a replacement for the Mac or sadly to say, even a cheap Wintel PC. The lowliest PC blows iOS, WatchOS, and TVOS out of the water for actual programs and capability no matter how you measure it. So Cook gives up and chases after ultraportables that have proven to be slow sellers in comparison to PCs and Macs, and vastly less profitable. Cook’s desire to force 100% cloud dependence with thin fashion wearables and phones is a fool’s goal. Apple’s health requires a strong Mac platform.
Fire Cook and bring in someone who is willing to deliver user-friendly hardware updates and a bit of advertising for Macs, displays, routers, and the rest of the ecosystem.
Obviously, you are saying that anyone that uses Macs, Apple Watch, iPad, or Apple TV are dumber that doorknobs.
I would contend there are a lot of us PROFESSIONAL doeheads, i.e., dumb enough to get on the Apple bandwagon and, made a lot of money creating, developing and producing companies, software, hardware, etc., while your so-called inteligencia played catchup.
So, enquiring minds would really like to know just what do you use.
And perhaps you could tell us, why so many can’t wait for Apple to release a new or update a product so they can get their copiers churning.
In our office we have a mix of machines. Personally I have a Dell laptop, a 2010 Mac Pro, and an ancient MacBook Pro.
I have no clue why you think my comment above in any way was intended to insult users of Apple products. What I am saying is that Apple isn’t proving competitive value for productive work. You cannot make a living with an Apple TV, and Apple Watch, and you will be poor if you depended solely on iOS. Real productivity requires more power and a real file system so you can share data cross platform. Apple seems to have forgotten this and is spending all its attention making fashion accessories instead of awesome affordable Macs.
That’s a shame! When Microsoft was down they should be have been hitting em then! We finally got our new Macbook Pro’s and I don’t get what any ruckus is? These things are very nice! Thin, sturdy, etc. I was worried on the keys, but they aren’t that bad. Will take some getting used too, but not bad at all. The touch bar is ok…I find myself constantly hitting the dashboard button a lot and the touch bar constantly changing in each app drove me nuts, but you can force it to be a standard bar and I did that since I use dashboard so much and like it a lot more. Over all I am impressed. Only issue is ARD is very laggy for some reason and trying to figure that out, as I never had problems before. But with Apple’s hardware there is no reason to be seeing lower marketshare! Their own fault!
“We finally got our new Macbook Pro’s and I don’t get what any ruckus is? These things are very nice! Thin, sturdy, etc.”
“Nice” is not what true pros need. Pros need functionality, configurability, and upgradeability. “Thin” is not what true pros need. Pros need battery life and the ability to keep up with the demands of their jobs.
“I was worried on the keys, but they aren’t that bad.” Steve Jobs would have fired (or at least berated mercilessly) anyone who allowed Apple to ship keyboards that “aren’t that bad”.
So in general you have major issues with many things and in at least one common use area for you the new MBP is worse than previous machines, but you still say you’re impressed? Your credibility is fading fast.
Finally…
“But with Apple’s hardware there is no reason to be seeing lower marketshare! Their own fault!” This oxymoron pair of statements is representative of your mindset.
The reality is if Apple truly were as innovative today with the Mac lineup that they were 10 – 15 or more years ago, the Mac would have continued to gain market share.
During the beginning of Steve Jobs’ “Post PC Era” Mac sales were NOT declining — they were increasing — even though the rest of the “PC” industry saw sales that were declining. If Apple had continued to truly innovate the Mac this trend would have continued.
The fact that Mac sales are diminishing significantly faster than the rest of the industry just indicates how misguided Apple’s current management is.
Apple’s all time peak market share was 19.2% in 1990. Less than six years later is was about 5% of that. Does this mean that in five years from now the Mac’s market share will be less than 1/2 of one percent? Unfortunately, I’ve seen nothing out of Apple within the last two years to refute that prediction.
I disagree……Apple started slowing down on the Mac when Jobs was around. He was the one that called them a truck! It was and is about mobile in their eyes.
” I was worried on the keys, but they aren’t that bad.”
Aren’t that bad is not good enough for us. Rightfully so.
And this comment is just not for Apple but for all computer users.
I work in a school system with 12,000 computers, 1600 in my school. No matter what the brand of computer, you will find that the flat keys that are being foisted off on us as “progress” are adding tremendously to the number of typing errors. MUCH easier to miss a key by hitting on the edge of the wrong key, the keyboards with the taller keys are being hoarded for good reason. And this at a time when general literacy in terms of spelling and word knowledge are at an all time low, and on a 20+ year downtrend.
“I was worried on the keys, but they aren’t that bad”
What a resounding endorsement.
This is the problem. In the past, Apple earned their $ premium because the products were well thought out down to the smallest detail. Now there are too many compromises made, all in the name of lighter and thinner, which is not always what the user needs or wants, and they think they can charge an even higher $ premium for making those compromises.
Well, what a shocker! Don’t update products for the last 4 years or come out with something new every, I don’t know, DECADE! What in the hell is going on at Apple? It’s unbelievable.
We don’t need to update our MacBook Pros every year due to failures of batteries, Logic Boards, WiFi chips, Cheap screens going dark… but when we do update our systems have paid for themselves many times over allowing us to take vacations in Hawaii, Europe, Caribbean. Meanwhile you go fishing behind the Walmart you bought your 5th PC from.
Apple wrote 50 Billion in checks to developers the past several years. Where I live Macs outnumber Windows 3-1 in younger tech savvy demographic… once all you old Windows farts dry up and blow away it will be even higher. Bye Bye Now!
A user like you is the nightmare of every IT department and if you restrain yourself to work in an only Apple fanboy environment it’s a win-win situation for everybody.
Never met an I.T. Manager that wasn’t a pompous asshole. SNL made some good skits based on that premise. My brother is an I.T. Manager and our whole family agrees… pompous asshole. Gannett where I worked is 100% Mac (Number of employees. 18,700 (2015)) except for Accounting Dept. where they still get our paychecks wrong.
I’m hoping something big is in store for 2017. Apple will be releasing new file system, and they are tired of waiting for Intel chip updates. Maybe they will surprise with entirely new macs with apple chips inside along side the new macOS file system.
“… and they are tired of waiting for Intel chip updates.”
Oh yes, that’s why the Kaby Lake chips (the most recent version from Intel) that could go into a new MacBook have been shipping for a couple months but there has been no update to the MacBook. It’s certainly Intel’s fault. (strong sarcasm intended!)
Oh yes, that’s why the Skylake chips that are shipping in the new MBPs were shipping for over four months before Apple announce the new MBPs. It’s certainly Intel’s fault. (strong sarcasm intended!)
Oh yes, that’s why there have been three complete generations of Intel CPU chips that could go into the Mac Pro but there have been no new Mac Pros. It’s certainly Intel’s fault. (strong sarcasm intended!)
People need to realize the Mac product line demise has virtually NOTHING to do with Intel.
Yes, Intel’s product line has lagged when compared to the schedule Intel predicted four or five years ago, but that affects everyone in the industry. (AMD has fared even worse.) However, Apple has not even kept up with that delayed schedule!
“People need to realize the Mac product line demise has virtually NOTHING to do with Intel.”
So how is Apple supposed to upgrade when the materials to do so are not yet available?
If you go thru the Intel’s new product launch announcements, you’ll see that some are ‘Available this fall’, Scheduled for 2017′ and the one I like in particular, ‘AVAILABLE FOR TRIALS in Q1’17’
And if you or a lot of you cohorts can do it faster, perhaps you should get off your fat asses and do so.
When USB3 was all over the place on Windows hardware, it was due to an NEC controller part. Apple stayed on USB2 (this was before TB) until Intel included USB3 on the CPU. All to save $20 or less on a $2000+ machine.
I know because I had that MBP. 2009 15”. To add salt to the wound that was also the year they removed Expresscard support which would have allowed me to add it. Jobs was alive and he said (with his actions) USB2 was good enough. Only less than 10% used Expresscard anyway. And I should care why…?
” Jobs was alive and he said (with his actions) USB2 was good enough.”
He also said, ” Only less than 10% used Expresscard anyway.” Really? Please provide reference.
Oh. Amazing that you have the ability to read minds!
Unfortunately, I can’t. As such maybe you could enlighten us by telling us why, YOU should care.
I went through Apple’s near demise in the late nineties and I’m not going to do it again, it’s just too painful. I’ll stick with my late 2015 iMac as long as possible and that’s it.
As much as I hate to say this Microsoft is getting their act together with pcs and for the moment I’m in a holding pattern. A few years down the line, for me at least the jury is still out and that’s only because I have a relatively new Mac.
I was once a supporter of Cook but not any more. Someone has to take responsibility for this debacle and he is the CEO so the buck stops with him.
Where is the old “WOW”?
And it’s not all about being thin.
They should have kept Scott Forstall in my opinion. He had a handle on Steveliness, which is sorrily missing now.
My Macbook Pro is 7 years old. In the old days, I probably would have purchased 2 iMacs ot Macbooks during those 7 years, But most of my work, albeit not all, is now accomplished on my iPad.
I am a true believer in Steve Jobs Truck theory. iPad, easy to carry, great battery life, up and running quickly, data on icloud.
Okay, I am not assembling blockbuster motion pictures or using CAD. But how many are? Always use the simplist tool for the job is my mantra!
The point is not that there are people like you that are moving work from desktops and laptops to tablets and smartphones.
The point is that the Mac’s market share and raw sales numbers are falling faster than the rest of the “PC” industry. There is no excuse for that other than bad management on Apple’s part.
I’ve been saying many of the comments made here for over 18 months. All we’ve really gotten is “Apple loves the Mac”. Really, now that your losing money Tim maybe you’ll listen to your customers. Is Apple so small that they can’t do a phone and a computer at the same time? Love the AirPods but I trade them in in a minute for a REAL MAC UPGRADE. Forget innovation, I’d take just keeping up when it comes to desktop computers.
My God, it’s mean around here. The site that Apple’s greatest fanboys and supporters have congregated and commiserated on for many years has turned info a forum or raging anger and frustration against the company they once held in such high regard.
Sadly that is true, Apple is a full spectrum technology company and can’t forget a most vital original component – the Mac. Nor forget that all of their disparate device pieces form a whole. The absence or lack of attention to one weakens the whole magilla. Man it’d be so easy to please Mac users and the pro market. In some respects they’re working too hard when most of us just need the basics in speed, interface, upgradeability and forms appropriate to each product sector. The Mac Pro 2013 is an example of a product no one really wanted but simply a Jonny Ives exercise in design many found an anathema and distinct disadvantage.
That is an excellent question. What has Apple been doing? It doesn’t take too long to see a dramatic slowdown in Apple’s product releases when you refer to awesome services like MacTracker or the MacRumors Buyers Guide. Other companies seem capable of keeping a wide range of products available, why can’t Apple?????????????
A small snapshot of a questionable decision was Apple’s decision to dump the superdrive from Macs. We were told that you could buy an Apple accessory superdrive.
What that meant was twofold:
1. Pass the extra cost to the consumer and,
2. Thin down the Mac (specifically the iMac).
Apple said we didn’t need dvds or blurays except many of us do need them and will need them. It was an elitist decision then and it still is now.
I just don’t get Apple these days. I have an iPad Air, an iPhone 6s Plus and an iMac and guess which one I use the most? Is it the iPad? Nope! Is it the iPhone? Nope! (Maybe it’s the two iPod touches? Nada!) It’s my iMac and the same goes for my wife except it’s her MBP.
According to Apple we’re apparently the past and not the future. If that’s the future for Apple then I don’t want to have anything to do with it. And that’s the payoff for twenty five years of loyalty…a kick in the guts!
I’m an Apple loyalist and 19-year stockholder and I’m getting frustrated with a lot going on at the company. With all their $€£, all cylinders should be firing perfectly. There’s no excuse for these screwups.
That is what happens when you largely ignore the market. It is so sad….
I have been documenting the Mac’s declining worldwide PC share for months, only to get laughed at. Well who’s laughing now?
Not me. I’m pissed.
WTF Apple!?!?!
I’ve been predicting it since Steve Jobs first used the term “PostPC”. Anyone who didn’t understand at that time that PC means Mac wasn’t paying attention 🙂
He jumped the gun way too early .. big mistake… and it seems the present managment is following his erroneous Dogma like mindless lemmings.
He would have reassessed.
totally, yojimbo……
blind obedience to dogma, ( originally perceived as wisdom) even when delivered by wise and insightful people is not a reliably good way to go.
as the saying goes; some things always work… until they don’t.
many years ago a colleague of mine was working in northern alaska, asking native people many questions about why they did certain things certain ways under varying circumstances.
one of the elders, who grew weary of all the questions told my friend the story of baby grayling (which i have condensed and paraphrased below) -but it seems to me to be the perfect parable to illustrate the dilemma apple currently faces
a baby grayling was swimming in a lake and asked his mother how he could always be assured to get enough to eat.
her advice was to always swim against the current and the water will always bring food right to you.
the baby grayling decided to try out his mothers advice and began swimming up a small stream that fed into the lake, he was delighted to have all this food coming his way, but gradually the food and the water in the stream began to decrease until, at last, the was no more food and hardly any water.
baby grayling became upset at his change in circumstances, turned around, swam right back to the lake, and avoided his mother because he was so upset…he hated her for telling him the wrong rule!
the elder then finished up the parable by telling my friend
“you asking me questions is like baby grayling: i can give you an answer BUT YOU MUST SPEND THE REST OF YOUR LIFE LEARNING WHEN NOT TO USE IT” (emphasis mine)
ok mr. apple better start paying attention and learning – FAST
👍
The desktop is dead. Long live the desktop. Desktop computing is just waiting to be reinvented. Massively large, touchable screens. New input modes like the MS dial. Etc. Tim Cook is John Sculley: chasing R&D unicorns with little commercial success to show for it. This is what nearly bankrupt Apple under Sculley. Apple needs to focus and stop messing around with too much stuff. Reinvent the operating system, offer a new class of devices so we have one operating system that works on mobile and desktop. Multi-touch + mouse input + unique input modes. Massively large touchable screens for the desktop. The same desktop grade applications on mobile vs. desktop.
My desktop reinvention is wall computing. I have a 98″ LG 4K TV that stands on legs against a wall and a tiny rollable desk with wireless keyboard and trackpad.
It is wonderful but…
I am using a 2016 MacBook to run it while I wait for a decent Mini or (please, please, please) a real Pro Mac with multiple upgradable (to standard) GPU card slots.
Having a 98″ screen is great for working (I don’t need to use reading glasses), eliminated a large desk, is great for collaborative work and demos.
They seriously need to STOP and make all current products GREAT. The Apple TV4 has come a long way. Now the watch and Siri along with iCloud need some attention. I just got my new Airpods and they themselves function WONDERFULLY! But they also shine a light on the inadequacies of Siri. Doesn’t work without internet and is shotty in its “understanding.” I can say “Set volume to 90” and it replies “I am unable to change the volume.” I say the same thing immediately after that response and the reply is “Volume set to 90” and the volume is changed. WTH? I can tell Alexa good night and it’s like talking to a friend. I say goodnight to siri and it’s like talking to a pissed-off spouse. Cold shoulder – would you like me to search for “good night?”
Fire Tim Cook.
No prob, all Apple’s Mac marketshare is absorbed by ‘other’ Mac devices (e.g. Franken-Macs/Hackintoshes). 😛
Oops, meant “Apple’s Mac markeshare lost”.
“Criminal mismanagement” – I certainly hope MDN wasn’t being facetious. While I haven’t ever called for him to be prosecuted and jailed, he should be fired. Tomorrow if possible. Even without a successor, what do we have to lose?
Look up the word “criminal.” It has multiple meanings. MDN is not using the word the way you seem to think they’re using it.
I think MDN meant this one:
• informal (of an action or situation) deplorable and shocking: he may never fulfill his potential, and that would be a criminal waste.
“Even without a successor, what do we have to lose?”
Without someone more qualified to take his place …….everything thats left !
Tim is Good at what he does…. except a comprehensive coherent vision does not seem to be one of his strenghts. ( and please lets not talk Ives… he is a great Industrial designer.. ..it stops there ) . Imo…
I dont think Jobs was perfect… but he had the magic of complementing everyone to Perfection ,it seems like. Without him All the greats seem to be not so great. From product to marketing to vision.
And lets not discount/forget his one in a Billion Charisma !
Golly gosh WHAT A SHOCK! Cook is HORRIBLE. He needs to GO. We need another Steve STAT.
Well, another Steve would just choose another Tim!
Steve Jobs wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.
People have forgotten how fast Microsoft and Dell lost their perches atop the tech industries to the innovation of Apple…anyone who doesn’t think it can happen to Apple too is going to be as disappointed as Hillary Clinton on Election Day.
Make great again…dump Pipeline Timmy.™
Totally agree with you Bot. so many of the great have fallen Apple has already started its journey downward. Sadly, they didn’t last very long did they?
Remember Compaq?
of course.
Pros dont matter
Power users dont matter
Education sector does not matter
Fun does not matter
Excitement does not matter
Just two thing matter :
-iPhone and all its derivatives
– The peak of the bell curve ± σ
…and fuck the REST!
Well Apple guess what:
Ignoring the REST
is going to turn around and Fuck you if you dont wakeup soon! Like NOW!
As Apple board member Algore might note, that is an inconvenient truth.
“Fun does not matter”
iOS is the leading mobile gaming platform. So, it would appear funmatters quite a lot! Of course, if your idea of “Fun” involves a file system, then, yeah, no fun for you!
Let me clarify..
I meant in form of Apple products and buzz…..
Also
Apple does not make 99.9 % of the Apps … developers do.
(Though i admit Garagband is one fun App.)
P.S… file system on ios would be fun too (ios-Pro)… in form of productivity , flexibility and being let loose of the ball and chain… that would for sure bring a smile to many peoples face. But thats not the kind of fun im talking about.
P.S. 2… new id ? 😉
Watch bands. You forgot the watch bands. They matter!!
And pretty pink colors, let’s not forget Tim Cook’s achievements in pretty pink colors.
Yeah let’s focus on $400- $500 watch bands, ridiculous
Do you think its time for Apple to split up?
No, it’s time for Apple to divorce Pipeline Timmy.
Gay days at Apple aren’t ringing the register, Timmy. Let’s get someone in their who has their head on straight.
When was the last time you saw an ad for a Macintosh?
The other problem is pricing. They are overpriced for their HW specs.
Whats a Macintosh ?😳
marketshare myth?
Nah it’s just the wrong market share they’re measuring. While some are turned off of the Mac completely MILLIONS are realizing they don’t need a Mac OR a PC, they just need an iPad or iPhone. This mobile first trend is accelerating among companies because you just can’t beat the ROI and the low support costs.
Non-mobile sales are going to continue to drop as there’s not that many people left who really REALLY need that form factor anymore.
The worst part about this is that the 2016 MacBook Pros aren’t going to turn around the trend. Apple charges too much for too little. Macs are still more profitable than anything Apple does besides the iPhone. How pathetic Cook refuses to keep it healthy.
I gave Cook one year to show me some signs of competence. Then I called it as I saw it. Thanks MDN for catching up to the reality of how badly Cook has squandered the lead Jobs offered. Under Cook, Apple has abandoned the Mac customers who kept the company alive in order to shit out shoddy Maps, Pings, Beats, and so on. Consumer-grade products is all Cook wants to sell, but none of these will never be a replacement for the Mac or sadly to say, even a cheap Wintel PC. The lowliest PC blows iOS, WatchOS, and TVOS out of the water for actual programs and capability no matter how you measure it. So Cook gives up and chases after ultraportables that have proven to be slow sellers in comparison to PCs and Macs, and vastly less profitable. Cook’s desire to force 100% cloud dependence with thin fashion wearables and phones is a fool’s goal. Apple’s health requires a strong Mac platform.
Fire Cook and bring in someone who is willing to deliver user-friendly hardware updates and a bit of advertising for Macs, displays, routers, and the rest of the ecosystem.
“Under Cook, Apple has continued the trend Steve had called for”
You are of course correct.
Obviously, you are saying that anyone that uses Macs, Apple Watch, iPad, or Apple TV are dumber that doorknobs.
I would contend there are a lot of us PROFESSIONAL doeheads, i.e., dumb enough to get on the Apple bandwagon and, made a lot of money creating, developing and producing companies, software, hardware, etc., while your so-called inteligencia played catchup.
So, enquiring minds would really like to know just what do you use.
And perhaps you could tell us, why so many can’t wait for Apple to release a new or update a product so they can get their copiers churning.
In our office we have a mix of machines. Personally I have a Dell laptop, a 2010 Mac Pro, and an ancient MacBook Pro.
I have no clue why you think my comment above in any way was intended to insult users of Apple products. What I am saying is that Apple isn’t proving competitive value for productive work. You cannot make a living with an Apple TV, and Apple Watch, and you will be poor if you depended solely on iOS. Real productivity requires more power and a real file system so you can share data cross platform. Apple seems to have forgotten this and is spending all its attention making fashion accessories instead of awesome affordable Macs.
That’s a shame! When Microsoft was down they should be have been hitting em then! We finally got our new Macbook Pro’s and I don’t get what any ruckus is? These things are very nice! Thin, sturdy, etc. I was worried on the keys, but they aren’t that bad. Will take some getting used too, but not bad at all. The touch bar is ok…I find myself constantly hitting the dashboard button a lot and the touch bar constantly changing in each app drove me nuts, but you can force it to be a standard bar and I did that since I use dashboard so much and like it a lot more. Over all I am impressed. Only issue is ARD is very laggy for some reason and trying to figure that out, as I never had problems before. But with Apple’s hardware there is no reason to be seeing lower marketshare! Their own fault!
“We finally got our new Macbook Pro’s and I don’t get what any ruckus is? These things are very nice! Thin, sturdy, etc.”
“Nice” is not what true pros need. Pros need functionality, configurability, and upgradeability. “Thin” is not what true pros need. Pros need battery life and the ability to keep up with the demands of their jobs.
“I was worried on the keys, but they aren’t that bad.” Steve Jobs would have fired (or at least berated mercilessly) anyone who allowed Apple to ship keyboards that “aren’t that bad”.
So in general you have major issues with many things and in at least one common use area for you the new MBP is worse than previous machines, but you still say you’re impressed? Your credibility is fading fast.
Finally…
“But with Apple’s hardware there is no reason to be seeing lower marketshare! Their own fault!” This oxymoron pair of statements is representative of your mindset.
The reality is if Apple truly were as innovative today with the Mac lineup that they were 10 – 15 or more years ago, the Mac would have continued to gain market share.
During the beginning of Steve Jobs’ “Post PC Era” Mac sales were NOT declining — they were increasing — even though the rest of the “PC” industry saw sales that were declining. If Apple had continued to truly innovate the Mac this trend would have continued.
The fact that Mac sales are diminishing significantly faster than the rest of the industry just indicates how misguided Apple’s current management is.
Apple’s all time peak market share was 19.2% in 1990. Less than six years later is was about 5% of that. Does this mean that in five years from now the Mac’s market share will be less than 1/2 of one percent? Unfortunately, I’ve seen nothing out of Apple within the last two years to refute that prediction.
I disagree……Apple started slowing down on the Mac when Jobs was around. He was the one that called them a truck! It was and is about mobile in their eyes.
” I was worried on the keys, but they aren’t that bad.”
Aren’t that bad is not good enough for us. Rightfully so.
And this comment is just not for Apple but for all computer users.
I work in a school system with 12,000 computers, 1600 in my school. No matter what the brand of computer, you will find that the flat keys that are being foisted off on us as “progress” are adding tremendously to the number of typing errors. MUCH easier to miss a key by hitting on the edge of the wrong key, the keyboards with the taller keys are being hoarded for good reason. And this at a time when general literacy in terms of spelling and word knowledge are at an all time low, and on a 20+ year downtrend.
“I was worried on the keys, but they aren’t that bad”
What a resounding endorsement.
This is the problem. In the past, Apple earned their $ premium because the products were well thought out down to the smallest detail. Now there are too many compromises made, all in the name of lighter and thinner, which is not always what the user needs or wants, and they think they can charge an even higher $ premium for making those compromises.
Well, what a shocker! Don’t update products for the last 4 years or come out with something new every, I don’t know, DECADE! What in the hell is going on at Apple? It’s unbelievable.
We don’t need to update our MacBook Pros every year due to failures of batteries, Logic Boards, WiFi chips, Cheap screens going dark… but when we do update our systems have paid for themselves many times over allowing us to take vacations in Hawaii, Europe, Caribbean. Meanwhile you go fishing behind the Walmart you bought your 5th PC from.
I don’t care if Mac use goes down to 0.1% I will never buy a PC (piece of crap) or work at a job that forces me to use Windows.
You will when software developers stop writing programs for the Mac. No profit incentive for such a tiny number of users.
Apple wrote 50 Billion in checks to developers the past several years. Where I live Macs outnumber Windows 3-1 in younger tech savvy demographic… once all you old Windows farts dry up and blow away it will be even higher. Bye Bye Now!
I beg you… Please stay straight in your boots.
A user like you is the nightmare of every IT department and if you restrain yourself to work in an only Apple fanboy environment it’s a win-win situation for everybody.
Never met an I.T. Manager that wasn’t a pompous asshole. SNL made some good skits based on that premise. My brother is an I.T. Manager and our whole family agrees… pompous asshole. Gannett where I worked is 100% Mac (Number of employees. 18,700 (2015)) except for Accounting Dept. where they still get our paychecks wrong.
I’m hoping something big is in store for 2017. Apple will be releasing new file system, and they are tired of waiting for Intel chip updates. Maybe they will surprise with entirely new macs with apple chips inside along side the new macOS file system.
“… and they are tired of waiting for Intel chip updates.”
Oh yes, that’s why the Kaby Lake chips (the most recent version from Intel) that could go into a new MacBook have been shipping for a couple months but there has been no update to the MacBook. It’s certainly Intel’s fault. (strong sarcasm intended!)
Oh yes, that’s why the Skylake chips that are shipping in the new MBPs were shipping for over four months before Apple announce the new MBPs. It’s certainly Intel’s fault. (strong sarcasm intended!)
Oh yes, that’s why there have been three complete generations of Intel CPU chips that could go into the Mac Pro but there have been no new Mac Pros. It’s certainly Intel’s fault. (strong sarcasm intended!)
People need to realize the Mac product line demise has virtually NOTHING to do with Intel.
Yes, Intel’s product line has lagged when compared to the schedule Intel predicted four or five years ago, but that affects everyone in the industry. (AMD has fared even worse.) However, Apple has not even kept up with that delayed schedule!
“People need to realize the Mac product line demise has virtually NOTHING to do with Intel.”
So how is Apple supposed to upgrade when the materials to do so are not yet available?
If you go thru the Intel’s new product launch announcements, you’ll see that some are ‘Available this fall’, Scheduled for 2017′ and the one I like in particular, ‘AVAILABLE FOR TRIALS in Q1’17’
And if you or a lot of you cohorts can do it faster, perhaps you should get off your fat asses and do so.
When USB3 was all over the place on Windows hardware, it was due to an NEC controller part. Apple stayed on USB2 (this was before TB) until Intel included USB3 on the CPU. All to save $20 or less on a $2000+ machine.
I know because I had that MBP. 2009 15”. To add salt to the wound that was also the year they removed Expresscard support which would have allowed me to add it. Jobs was alive and he said (with his actions) USB2 was good enough. Only less than 10% used Expresscard anyway. And I should care why…?
” Jobs was alive and he said (with his actions) USB2 was good enough.”
He also said, ” Only less than 10% used Expresscard anyway.” Really? Please provide reference.
Oh. Amazing that you have the ability to read minds!
Unfortunately, I can’t. As such maybe you could enlighten us by telling us why, YOU should care.
I went through Apple’s near demise in the late nineties and I’m not going to do it again, it’s just too painful. I’ll stick with my late 2015 iMac as long as possible and that’s it.
As much as I hate to say this Microsoft is getting their act together with pcs and for the moment I’m in a holding pattern. A few years down the line, for me at least the jury is still out and that’s only because I have a relatively new Mac.
I was once a supporter of Cook but not any more. Someone has to take responsibility for this debacle and he is the CEO so the buck stops with him.
Where is the old “WOW”?
And it’s not all about being thin.
They should have kept Scott Forstall in my opinion. He had a handle on Steveliness, which is sorrily missing now.
I concur.
My Macbook Pro is 7 years old. In the old days, I probably would have purchased 2 iMacs ot Macbooks during those 7 years, But most of my work, albeit not all, is now accomplished on my iPad.
I am a true believer in Steve Jobs Truck theory. iPad, easy to carry, great battery life, up and running quickly, data on icloud.
Okay, I am not assembling blockbuster motion pictures or using CAD. But how many are? Always use the simplist tool for the job is my mantra!
The point is not that there are people like you that are moving work from desktops and laptops to tablets and smartphones.
The point is that the Mac’s market share and raw sales numbers are falling faster than the rest of the “PC” industry. There is no excuse for that other than bad management on Apple’s part.
I’ve begun to lose the faith. Hoping Tim proves me wrong this year. Holding out hope..
And if Apple only made the Mac then they would be in serious trouble and Tim would be sacked.
They don’t, but who do we thank for that?
Certainly not Tim, it’s Steve that confidentally enteted these new markets and created best in class products, but he didn’t neglect everything else.
Apples ok but it’s Tim that’s destroying the Mac for no good reason.
I’ve been saying many of the comments made here for over 18 months. All we’ve really gotten is “Apple loves the Mac”. Really, now that your losing money Tim maybe you’ll listen to your customers. Is Apple so small that they can’t do a phone and a computer at the same time? Love the AirPods but I trade them in in a minute for a REAL MAC UPGRADE. Forget innovation, I’d take just keeping up when it comes to desktop computers.
My God, it’s mean around here. The site that Apple’s greatest fanboys and supporters have congregated and commiserated on for many years has turned info a forum or raging anger and frustration against the company they once held in such high regard.
Apple, what have you done?
Sadly that is true, Apple is a full spectrum technology company and can’t forget a most vital original component – the Mac. Nor forget that all of their disparate device pieces form a whole. The absence or lack of attention to one weakens the whole magilla. Man it’d be so easy to please Mac users and the pro market. In some respects they’re working too hard when most of us just need the basics in speed, interface, upgradeability and forms appropriate to each product sector. The Mac Pro 2013 is an example of a product no one really wanted but simply a Jonny Ives exercise in design many found an anathema and distinct disadvantage.
That is an excellent question. What has Apple been doing? It doesn’t take too long to see a dramatic slowdown in Apple’s product releases when you refer to awesome services like MacTracker or the MacRumors Buyers Guide. Other companies seem capable of keeping a wide range of products available, why can’t Apple?????????????
A small snapshot of a questionable decision was Apple’s decision to dump the superdrive from Macs. We were told that you could buy an Apple accessory superdrive.
What that meant was twofold:
1. Pass the extra cost to the consumer and,
2. Thin down the Mac (specifically the iMac).
Apple said we didn’t need dvds or blurays except many of us do need them and will need them. It was an elitist decision then and it still is now.
I just don’t get Apple these days. I have an iPad Air, an iPhone 6s Plus and an iMac and guess which one I use the most? Is it the iPad? Nope! Is it the iPhone? Nope! (Maybe it’s the two iPod touches? Nada!) It’s my iMac and the same goes for my wife except it’s her MBP.
According to Apple we’re apparently the past and not the future. If that’s the future for Apple then I don’t want to have anything to do with it. And that’s the payoff for twenty five years of loyalty…a kick in the guts!
Agree! Well Stated!
I own:
– Two iPads a 12.9, 9.7 Pro
– iPod Nano
– MacBook Pro 2012 15 inch
– MacBook Pro 2012 13 inch
– iPhone 6 Plus
– iMac 27 inch mid 2010
What do I use the most? The iMac!
I’m an Apple loyalist and 19-year stockholder and I’m getting frustrated with a lot going on at the company. With all their $€£, all cylinders should be firing perfectly. There’s no excuse for these screwups.