For years, the ChangeWave Alliance, an independent industry stock research firm, has been closely monitoring consumer PC trends. Rarely, however, has it seen the kind of momentum in its proprietary surveys of computer industry personnel that Apple Computer has registered in recent months.
The first indication of Apple’s strength was seen in the June 2005 ChangeWave Alliance survey on Consumer PC demand – taken just days after Apple first announced its deal with Intel Corp. for a new Intel-chip powered Macintosh. At the time, nearly one-in-five survey respondents (19%) said the new Intel-equipped Mac made them “more likely” to buy an Apple computer in the future, compared to just 3% who said it made them “less likely” to buy.
A follow-up survey conducted in January 2006 showed a huge surge in demand on the horizon for Intel Macs. This time one third (33%) of the computer industry personnel surveyed said that the Apple deal with Intel made them “more likely” to buy an Apple PC in the future. That’s a 14-point jump above the already robust findings the ChangeWave Alliance found the previous June.
The new Intel Macs were already being snatched up by consumers by the time the ChangeWave Alliance conducted its most recent Consumer PC survey in March 2006. In a convincing display of strength, that survey of 2,221 Alliance members showed Apple’s share of desktop purchases at 8%, and its laptop share at 6%.
Moreover, the survey results for Apple were even more impressive looking ahead. Among Alliance members planning to purchase a laptop in the next 90 days, 17% said they’d be going with an Apple. That was a 4-point jump in planned purchases from the previous survey in January, and this increase incurred as other major manufacturers – Dell, Lenovo, Hewlett-Packard, Sony and Toshiba — were each down 2- to 8-pts from that January measure.
On April 5, Apple released their new Boot Camp software, which enables Intel-based Macs to run on a Microsoft Windows XP operating system. To measure the potential impact of the Boot Camp announcement, the Alliance conducted another survey of industry professionals.
The ChangeWave Alliance asked its members if the Boot Camp release made them more or less likely to buy an Apple computer over the next six months. A full one-quarter of respondents (25%) said they were more likely to buy an Apple computer in the next six months because of the new software functionality, with only 2% saying they would be less likely to purchase.
According to the ChangeWave Alliance results, the April Boot Camp announcement is just one more sign that the Intel chip deal is likely to have a hugely positive affect on Apple Macintosh sales.
The ChangeWave Alliance is a network of 7,500 highly qualified business, technology, and medical professionals in leading companies of select industries-credentialed experts who spend their everyday lives working on the frontline of technological change. ChangeWave surveys its Alliance members on a range of business and investment research and intelligence topics, collects feedback from them electronically, and converts the information into proprietary quantitative and qualitative reports.
For more information: http://www.changewave.com
MacDailyNews Take: As we stated before on April 14, 2006, “while we’re not a research firm by any stretch, we do have our own checks and are able to take some measure of the pulse of what’s going on in the Mac world. Our checks indicate that Mac sales (MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini) have picked up significantly since the Boot Camp debut and corresponding press coverage. The information we are seeing allows us to confidently state that… the ability to run their Windows “insecurty blanket” on Macs is causing people to buy Macs. The idea of buying one machine and getting both OS worlds is very appealing, it seems. Once they try Mac OS X, what usually happens will happen with them, too. More and more Mac OS X use with less and less Windows use.”
Advertisements:
• Introducing the super-fast, blogging, podcasting, do-everything-out-of-the-box MacBook. Starting at just $1099
• Get the new iMac with Intel Core Duo for as low as $31 A MONTH with Free shipping!
• Get the MacBook Pro with Intel Core Duo for as low as $47 A MONTH with Free Shipping!
• Apple’s new Mac mini. Intel Core, up to 4 times faster. Starting at just $599. Free shipping.
• iPod. 15,000 songs. 25,000 photos. 150 hours of video. The new iPod. 30GB and 60GB models start at just $299. Free shipping.
• Connect iPod to your television set with the iPod AV Cable. Just $19.
• iPod Radio Remote. Listen to FM radio on your iPod and control everything with a convenient wired remote. Just $49.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Needham: Apple Mac sales could surge due to Boot Camp, newfound ability to run Windows apps – April 20, 2006
Cowen & Co survey shows strong Apple Mac sales prospects, Boot Camp impact ‘broadly positive’ – April 18, 2006
Apple’s Boot Camp vs. Parallels Workstation for running Windows on Intel-based Macs – April 14, 2006
Baig: Boot Camp works so well it reminds me why I prefer Mac OS X to Windows XP in the first place – April 13, 2006
Pre-Boot Camp report: Apple could double market share on Microsoft defections – April 13, 2006
Mossberg: ‘Every mainstream consumer doing typical tasks should consider Apple Mac’ – April 13, 2006
Boot Camp could be big win for Apple Macs in schools – April 12, 2006
Thurrott: Apple’s elegant Boot Camp opens up a world of possibilities – April 11, 2006
Apple’s Boot Camp is first step towards Mac OS X Leopard’s inevitable support for virtualization – April 11, 2006
IT specialist: Apple’s Boot Camp ‘definitely makes the Mac more attractive’ – April 10, 2006
Apple trying to steal customers from Windows with Boot Camp by letting people try superior Mac OS X – April 09, 2006
Apple reseller: Boot Camp could sway a ‘huge percentage’ of PC users to go to the Mac – April 07, 2006
Analyst: Apple’s Boot Camp may bring ‘significant benefits’ beginning in 2006 holiday quarter – April 07, 2006
Analyst: With Boot Camp, Apple has removed another barrier to switching – April 06, 2006
Analyst: Apple Boot Camp could be an opportunity for Mac market share gains – April 06, 2006
Enderle: Apple’s Boot Camp allowing Windows on Mac ‘could change PC landscape as we know it’ – April 06, 2006
Apple’s ‘Boot Camp’ a watershed, could dramatically expand Mac market share – April 05, 2006
Apple’s ‘Boot Camp’ is bad news for Windows-only PC box assemblers – April 05, 2006
Reuters: Apple’s new ‘Boot Camp’ could draw millions of new Mac buyers – April 05, 2006
Apple introduces Boot Camp: public beta software enables Intel-based Macs to run Windows XP – April 05, 2006
Dude, you got a Dell? What are you, stupid? Only Apple Macs run both Mac OS X and Windows! – April 05, 2006
Can’t wait to see next quarter’s sales figures. Maybe AAPL will finally break the $80/share ceiling again?
I’ll admit that I was one that didn’t think Bootcamp would make much difference at all, but research, plus actual sales data and a couple of friends of mine who switched because of Bootcamp, all indicate that perhaps it will boost sales. I’m glad to be wrong this time…
Embrace and Extinguish.
Time for Steve to go for the jugluar.
Yay, good news. AAPL will drop another $5 probably. Ugh.
ChangeWave Alliance members sure get a lot of surveys.
Why would Boot Camp make you less likely to buy a Mac? I know there’s a margin for error but someone must have said it.
Hmm lets see, hundreds of Apple Stores, the iPod “Halo effect”, large computer builder subcontractors in Asia and almost unlimited Intel processors, TV advertising, Boot Camp…
Oh yes, I think Steve’s plan to save Apple is working.
If you think a product or service is too good to be true, it probablly is
Even though Changewave seems to have changed the wording of their questions a little each time (thereby making direct comparisons from survey to survey difficult) is appears to be wonderful news for Apple!
Bootcamp helps me — I can only imagine that it will help the multitudes also.
Others have talked about the advantages to us Mac users if we were to get 10% market share — I personally believe that we’ll be seeing 17% to 23% within a year — and that will change a lot of things in a big way!
Remember where you read it first — my friends don’t call me wonderboy for nothing! (Think prescience).
We are currently running two iMac 20″ core duos and one Mac mini Core Duo under Boot Camp/XP-Pro for several weeks. All I can say is, I have stopped all my Wintel/Dell computer buying. Even with the increase cost of XP Pro software I am still better off with the best of both worlds.
The Designers just love the speed improvement with NX2 solid CAD software in the iMac over the Current Dells. They also love the part about switching back to all the great software in the Mac. One of our IS people could not believe how easy and fast XP-Pro installed and how well it runs.
Apple, you better make sure you can make a lot more CPU’s. Hurry up on the Intel Power Macs. I need three more right now!
wmd
Spoke with a web developer (Cold Fusion) at the Apple Store. He was waiting for his new MacBook. His first Mac ever. Boot Camp is the reason. He said he wants to go OSX only for a while and hopefully not need Windows, but will load it if he feels it necessary.
As if scripted…
can this all really be contributed to boot camp? i mean, a lot of previous mac users were waiting for intel macs before upgrading, therefore..this would also stall sales prior to release and create a surge afterwards, would look the same on paper!
M.X.N.T.4.1: Because even though Mac users tend to be more intelligent, educated, etc., etc., than PC users — look at the amount of outrage on these pages when 1) Apple decided to switch to Intel, and 2) when Apple decided to release Bootcamp.
Lots of the Mac guys were going bonkers about these decisions with comments like — Steve’s going to ruin everything, Now we’ll get viruses on our Macs, We’ve been deceived by Apple, and on and on.
Sometimes when I visit this site and read the comments — I really do wonder about the future of the world!
More and more Mac OS X use with less and less Windows use.
I couldn’t agree more, since dumping all of Microsoft’s software off my Mac I could find I could live totally in peace without them.
First went IE, then OfficeMac, then Windows Media Player.
It’s glorious!!!
cut and paste post shills are a nuisance to the internet
Were taking them from all angles now, and they have nada, not a god-damned thing.
Bootcamp was like a well timed upper-cut to the already flaky pc world.
Jaguar will be another jaw shattering right hook, which will leave microsoft even more dazed and confused than it already is.
Everything but the next generation desktop macintosh is in place.
Apple just has to keep doing everything that they are doing, and the once dominante microsoft will be K’O d into the history books.
Ding Ding
A friend of mine, at least 10 years ago, stated that Macs users love their Macs, and Window users tolerate Windows.
Mac has always been a “want to have” machine. However the Windows monopoly has made it difficult for people to switch due to increased software costs and/or Windows-only software. Boot Camp has made it easy to switch since it allows individuals to use OSX on a daily basis AND Windows on a need basis.
Also, I’m tired of this MDN “Security Blanket” take. My previous employer had a Visual Basic program incorporated with Excel along with OmniPage. There was no way I could run that program in OSX. I purchased Virtual PC and it was slow, slow, slow, but useable. Now, with Boot Camp, that would not have been an issue. I’m sure others are in the same boat with employer mandated software.
Wonder Boy, 17% to 23% market share within the year. That would take Dell, HP, Gateway and Sony pumping out Macs 24/7 to get those kind of figures. Going from 4% to maybe 7% is more realistic.
At some point Apple is gonna have to do something that loses alot of money in software areas to trigger a ton of money in another hardware area. Imagine a huge price reduction in their pro apps to replace iLife once its features reach their max. That would be huge incentive to purchase for me. Beyond Leopard, how more feature rich can you get beyond the features that the average Joe needs. So maybe a $99 OS could apply. Micro$oft lost a ton on the Xbox, but they gained a ton of market share losing that money, and currently the new Xbox is the latest and greatest until the Sony Playstation comes out.
They are getting so big that a lot of hard work will be sacrificed on one end to make gains on the other end. That is what their cash reserve is for. Micro$oft used theirs wisely. They are good businessmen, no matter how disgusting their software is. Apple now has the size where they will be forced to do the same, only their ducks are much more in a row and they have proven a long-term plan. That is why they will succeed in gaining market share in the next few years.
Mike: I’m talking market share (i.e., new sales) not installed base.
We’ll see — remember where you heard it.
Mike: And that was within a year — not within the year.
BUT THEY’VE GOT INTEGRATED GRAPHICS!! IT WON’T PLAY HD!
WHY WOULD YOU BUY A NOTEBOOK WITH INTEGRATED GRAPHICS!!
IBM’S POWERPC ROAD MAP IS THE WAY TO GO. INTEL SUX!
BOOT CAMP WILL ONLY APPEAL TO POWER USERS.
APPLE WILL DROP OS X AND GO VISTA.
And just yesterday: SONY WILL STEAL APPLE’S THUNDER WITH THE PS3.
What are you people smoking?
Wonderboy I second your worry for the future.
Further to MDN’s Take:
One way to avoid the Windows “insecurity blanket” is to instead use Mac OS X (never Windows) for all internet business. If people buy a Mac they have in reality bought a de facto virus protection. And, whenever they want, they can boot into the Windows games machine.
People this is all just blah, blah, blah. No hard sales figures, just blah, blah, survey data that can change on a whim.
I know Boot Camp was the last nail on my life as a Wintel user. In case I need Windoze it’s still there for me to use, but mostly I will be using OS X. I’m going to order a MacBook next Monday.
tHE dUDE: Thanks for reminding all of us about those other recent screams and outcries from the madmen that visit this site. What a hoot!
Thank GAWD there are a good number of sane people who come here, too.
Madmen — if you’re the one of the idiots who posted some of the outcries mentioned in tHE dUDE’s post above — just remember your insanity next time Apple makes an announcement — try to get a grip — relax — and remember your last overreaction!
Steve appears to know what he’s doing (to say the least). He’s not PERFECT and neither is the Mac — just like you — they are works in progress! Try to have a little faith!
tHE dUDE, so Apple would drop the hundreds of millions of dollars it has invested in OS X to become just another Windows OEM, with nothing to distinguish it from the competition except nice design and high prices? It would sooner license out OS X than ditch it altogether, at least then it would make some money back.
OS X, iLife and Apple’s pro apps are the crown jewels that distinguish Apple from all the other Intel PC makers. Along with the fact that Macs are now the only computers that will run all operating systems.
But if Apple is ditching OS X as you say, I guess all those Leopard sessions at WWDC and the “Get a Mac” ad campaign that differentiates OS X from Windows are a waste of time!