“The momentum generated by Apple’s iPod digital music players and related products continues to translate into new Macintosh sales according to one Wall Street analyst who estimates that over one million Windows users have purchased a Mac in the first three quarters of 2005,” Kasper Jade reports for AppleInsider.
Jade reports, “In a research note released to clients on Monday, Needham & Co. analyst Charles Wolf said the number of Windows users purchasing a Mac appears to be far higher than the firm had previously anticipated. ‘If we assume that all of the growth in Mac shipments during the past three quarters resulted from Windows users purchasing a Mac, then purchases by Windows users exceeded one million,’ the analyst said. ‘Indeed, the number of Windows users purchasing Macs in 2005 could easily exceed our forecast of 1.3 million switchers in 2006.'”
“Needham had previously estimated that 500,000 Windows users would purchase a Mac in 2005, but says its model underestimated the number of Windows users the Mac could capture because it was limited to Windows users who had purchased an iPod,” Jade reports. “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.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Great news and also somewhat sad that people are switching for security when the Mac offers so much more than just security. The Mac experience, compared to Windows, is about attention to detail and innovation. Apple’s not about making a supposedly “cheaper” Mac simulation that’s supposed to be “good enough.” The Mac is about making computers work for people, not making people work for computers. There is so much to discover with the Mac, that you have to use it for a time to “get it.” So, while Windows’ security mess is one reason to switch (and the biggest reason that seems to prompt Windows sufferers to make the change), it’s hardly the only reason to do so. Even if Windows had zero viruses like Mac OS X, the Mac offers many advantages to Windows. If you’re a Windows-only user and you’re unsure, why not just add a Mac mini ($499 new, $379 Apple Certified Refurbished) to your computing arsenal? Keep your Windows machine around and see what you can discover about the Mac for yourself.
Advertisement: The New iPod with Video. The ultimate music + video experience on the go. From $299. Free shipping.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Windows sufferers: It’s not your fault, but it is your problem – switch to Mac – November 07, 2005
Tech writer: Windows PCs highly vulnerable to zombie hijacking; get an Apple Mac instead – November 06, 2005
Windows switchers, now’s your chance: Apple Mac mini with Mac OS X Tiger for $379 – November 03, 2005
Computer columnist: anti-virus software purely optional for Apple Macs, not so for Windows – November 01, 2005
Microsoft apologists and why Apple’s Mac OS X has zero viruses – October 24, 2005
$500 bounty offered for proof of first Apple Mac OS X virus – September 27, 2005
Symantec: 10,866 new Microsoft Windows virus and worm variants in first half 2005 – September 19, 2005
Hackers already targeting viruses for Microsoft’s Windows Vista – August 04, 2005
16-percent of computer users are unaffected by viruses, malware because they use Apple Macs – June 15, 2005
ZDNet: How many Mac OS X users affected by the last 100 viruses? None, zero, not one, not ever – August 18, 2005
Intel CEO Otellini: If you want security now, buy a Macintosh instead of a Wintel PC – May 25, 2005
97,467 Microsoft Windows viruses vs. zero for Apple Mac’s OS X – April 05, 2005
Millions of Windows PC’s hijacked by hackers, turned into zombies; Macintosh unaffected – September 08, 2004
Defending Windows over Mac a sign of mental illness – December 21, 2003
I will rule the World!
Damnit.. Gates is getting cheap.. couldn’t he have paid good money to put this analyst in the East River or something?
Good take MDN. Whatever the reason they switch they will soon learn all the other benefits. And as former windows sufferers they’ll have more credibility with current windows sufferers when it comes to switching – presumably they haven’t drank the cool-aid yet. The momentum is building!
Why is it when the analysts say something not so good about Apple all analysts are idiots….but when they say something positve about Apple they are geniuses…
———
Where does this guy get his info???? I bet he asked a handful of APPLE people and extrapolated from there. I asked my kids – they no of no one that has switched. No one at work that I know of has switched; although lots have iPods.
I know 4 people myself that have “switched” during the course of this year and 2 of those were not iPod related (halo effect) either. I personally only switched from Windows two years ago myself. The momentum is gradually shifting for certain. It’s good to see it beginning to show up in volume now.
I already rule the world!
Hmmm…MDN seems snappier today.
bet he asked a handful of APPLE people and extrapolated from there. I asked my kids – they no of no one that has switched. No one at work that I know of has switched; although lots have iPods.
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By that same logic, where do you get YOUR info.. you think MOST people have a ‘lovely’ time with Windows?
After all, they would have switched if they were having problems, right?
Wait a minute..
Let me ask you, what exactly is the mental process when you’re reinstalling Windows..
“Maybe there’s something better out there.. something virus-proof.. what’s it called .. Linux?…nahh.. I don’t have time to get a Comp Sci degree… ah well.. 34%… 35%…36%…”
I am one of those 1 million. I purchased a mini on T-Day (Tiger release day) after standing in long line with a hoarde of Apple enthusiasts waiting to get into the Apple Store. I’m an iPod haloist, if you prefer.
The ONLY reason I still use the PC is for games. That’s it.
So far, I’ve converted my parents, my sister, and my parents-in-law will be buying one soon.
Whenever I can save up enough pennies, I will be back at the Apple Store to purchase a shiny new iMac.
Frankly, all I need is the Mac to be able to play PC games at a decent framerate using WINE, Rosetta, dual-boot (yuck), virtualization or some other means. Then the PC can be eliminated completely.
One million might be a drop in the bucket, but it’s a step in the right direction. The more Mac users there are, the more word-of-mouth will build exponentially.
I’ve known someone for a few years now and sometimes, me and him and a few other guys would hook up for lunch during lunch hour. Quite often, the topic that we dicussed would be computers (were all electrical engineers) including the mac. One of the guys swore up and down that he would NEVER get a mac. In fact, he usually would change the subject so that we would not talk about it. Well, I got an email from him a short while ago and he now owns a G5. I was shocked and still am.
If someone as stubborn and totally against the mac as this guy was can switch, that says a lot.
– Mark
I switched 2 years ago almost to the day and have since then bought a mac mini almost as a spare machine and for occasional family use. So not only have apple taken one customer from microsoft but they’ve also earned an additional sale on top.
I agree… great news.
However, ‘If we assume that all of the growth in Mac shipments during the past three quarters resulted from Windows users purchasing a Mac…”
That’s an awfully general assumption!
It also assumes that there was no growth in the Mac market at all, without Windozers switching. It assumes that there were no 1st time computer buyers. It assumes that the introduction of the Mac Mini ( and continual sales of the iMac G5) did not stimulate Mac users to buy more Macs.
It was at one point people would say they would switch because of how cool the designs were. I always would agree with those people but also tell them that once they got into it, they would see the REAL reason Mac users are so loyal.
It’s the OS. People will start to realize that.
” I bet he asked a handful of APPLE people and extrapolated from there. I asked my kids – they no of no one that has switched. No one at work that I know of has switched; although lots have iPods.”
It’s probably because your anecdotal evidence is WAAAAAAY more conclusive than the analyst’s? That is pure genius! By the way, I know three people who believe in ghosts, three other people who believe in extraterrestials and THREE MORE people who swear Elvis is alive. Draw your own conclusions, if you dare.
– Dr. Sarcasm
I remember when all I knew was the Windows world seeing how computers evoloved, the only thing that grabbed my attention was “how much faster is the newest thing”? But that was it… Yea, the newer stuff was faster, but what could it do? If I run heavy video applications on a fast PC, it would eventually bog down and crash. I never made the connection that it was the poor Windoze OS until I got my Mac running OS X.
Microsoft has unleashed a plague on the human psyche of unprecedented proportions…
My household had 4 windows machines. When I get the kids a new iMac G5 for Christmas, there will no longer be any windoze machines in my house.
I switched initially for security reasons, but the overall experience has led me to switch EVERYTHING over. The whole process has been EASY.
Proud owner of 3 new macs and 4 ipods. Note that ipod perchase followed my switch to the mac., not the other way around.
“If someone as stubborn and totally against the mac as this guy was can switch, that says a lot. “
I know a guy that just a couple years ago was a devout Mac hater.
He was shown OSX. He gets it. He turned into a huge Mac evangelist. He now works as a genius at an Apple store.
It’s fine if they switch to the Mac for security. They will soon realize the other advantages too.
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>Frankly, all I need is the Mac to be able to play PC games at a decent framerate using
Now where did I read that games on the intel-powered mac tested “blindingly fast.”
Hey AnonymousCoward, where do you live? Do you have a spare room for another “kid” and his wife to come and live with you?
3 new Macs & 4 iPods… wow!! That’s great.
Its spelt ‘Emperor’ – for pity’s sake!
It’s spelt “it’s” – for pity’s sake!
I’m one of those people who switched from Windows to Mac for the mundane reasons of security & stability. I got a PowerBook That was a year and a half ago, but it only took a month or two of regular use for me to truly “get it.” Now my desktop machine is also Mac-based (PowerMac G5).
Drawing from my own experience, I don’t see how it would have been possible for me to switch for the “right” reasons. There’s just no way to express in words not only how much better the Mac is, but also how that superiority makes such a tremendous difference to the user’s experience and to satisfaction in general.
And it’s not just the computer I’m more satisfied with. As a Mac user, I now have more hours in the day. In the old days I would monitor my Windows machine all the time for viruses & spyware, save my work obsesive-compulsively in case a freeze/crash might be coming, and re-boot at least once a day to maintain stability.
If there are any Windoze users reading this who are still (understandably) skeptical, note that Macintosh computers have reached an incredible level of compatibility with Windows & Windows applications. Macs don’t freeze or crash. Macs don’t get viruses (No Mac OS X computer has ever had a single virus ever). Macs browse the web better than Windows, are completely compatible with all email standards, can find and use networks (including the internet) with much less tinkering and setup than Windows computers require, and Macs don’t need to be rebooted on a regular basis, so their start-up time (which is actually shorter) doesn’t even matter.
One of the things I didn’t fully appreciate until after a few months of Mac use is how much more pleasant it is to keep many application windows open on the screen at the same time in the Mac environment, and how much more productive and fun that makes things. This fact alone is very hard to explain to a windoze user. With multiple windows open on a Windows platform, you have the following problems: (1) The more windows that are open the more unstable your Windows computer becomes, creating a feeling of general unease; (2) Each additional running application causes a general system slowdown well before you approach your memory limit; (3) Freezing & Crashing become more likely with each additional open app; (4) Each open window carries baggage, in the form of a menu bar, which really starts to cramp your space after you open more than a few of them (Macs reduce this problem elegantly without actually removing the menus from your workspace); (5) As you open more apps, the window labels on the taskbar get shorter and shorter and less and less useful until they become completely useless as a navigation aide. (6) Switching between the different windows layered on your screen is awkward because there’s no way to see all of them at once, and no way even to separate out the windows that pertain just to your foreground app.
I still catch myself closing apps on the Mac because of the bad habits I learned on Windoze, and it’s been 19 months since I switched! It’s a comical scene: I close or minimize a window on my Mac and then I remember, “oh yeah, I don’t have to do that anymore” so I open it right back up again and continue working on something else.
The more time passes the more I consider my old Windows days as if I had been a victim of Stockholm Syndrome.
By the way, in the late 1990’s I was a network administrator for a company with 60 Windows workstations and various Windows servers. At that time I was proud of my ability to retain information about all the obscure Windows settings that could solve (and cause) so many problems. Now I simply don’t have the problems, and this was actually my biggest hurdle in switching: Pride.
Apple Macs aren’t perfect, of course; but it’s hard to complain about something that’s the best ever created in its category.
As far as I know I’ve never been brainwashed, injected with mind-altering drugs, drank tainted Kool-Aid or even hung out with packs of Mac-lovers. I had to stumble across the Macintosh on my own, just because of the stablilty benefit, and now I just feel lucky I did.
I do wish Apple had made an effort to explain it to me.
-Davidlow
dominos…