“Apple has released a beta of software that will allow its new Intel-based Macintosh desktops and laptops to run Microsoft’s Windows XP OS natively, as well as Mac OS X. While Apple has said it’s not making a play for the enterprise desktop market, analysts said the move will find appeal in already-Mac-friendly corporate niches,” Jeff Jedras reports for Computer World Canada.
Jedras reports, “Carmi Levy, a senior research analyst with London, Ont.-based Info-Tech Research Group, said Microsoft has nothing to fear from Boot Camp, particularly in the enterprise market. ‘The reality is, long term, Apple will always be a niche player,’ said Levy. ‘Even with the switch to Intel, Apple is not threatening the hegemony of the Intel-based Windows PC.’ However, Levy said Apple’s traditional enterprise niches have been weakening in recent years.”
MacDailyNews Take: “Always” is too strong a word for us to take seriously. Things can change very rapidly, although we do agree that enterprise will be last ones to the party as “IT Guy” will resist change for as long as humanly possible. That’s okay, we’ll wait for them to retire, get fired, die off, whatever.
Jedras continues, “These include graphics, advertising and creative departments, he said. The Windows alternatives have gained maturity and IT managers have been pushing for greater standardization. With Boot Camp, Levy said these niches can still have their Macs and IT can support them more easily.”
Jedras reports, “While support will be simpler, Levy said enterprises aren’t going to swap their PCs for Macs in large numbers. Where there will be wins, though, he said, is in small and medium-sized businesses, where firms have less of an investment in Windows machines, and where, with less support resources, they’re more sensitive to some of the security issues around PCs vs. Macs. ‘[SMBs] might be more predisposed to looking at Apple architecture on the desktop and being a little more comfortable moving lock, stock and barrel over to it,’ said Levy.”
Jedras reports, “Info-Tech’s Levy said the data centre is almost like a different world from the desktop, and in the server and storage space, Apple’s offerings have been very well received. ‘Even if the numbers aren’t there, the respect is certainly there, and they’ve built a bit of a beachhead for further penetration into the data centre,’ said Levy. ‘The challenge for Apple is to convince IT administrators that they are a viable option for data centre deployment.'”
Full article here.
Information about Macs and Business: http://www.apple.com/macatwork/
MacDailyNews Take: As we have always said, even as many short-sightedly waved (and continue to wave) the white flag, the war is not over. And, yes, we shall prevail. For the naysayers we trot out our favorite example once again: In 1929, Ford held just over 61% of the U.S. market for automobiles. GM’s market share stood at just 12%. Ford was thought to be invincible, with GM regarded as a niche auto maker. Probably, some analyst at the time said, “The reality is, long term, GM will always be a niche player.” But, in 1936, just seven years later, Ford held just 22% of the market for new automobiles while General Motors held a 43% share. No company is invincible. Not even Microsoft.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Get a Mac: Viruses, spyware cost U.S. consumers $7.8 billion over last two years – August 08, 2006
Dude, you got a Dell? What are you, stupid? Only Apple Macs run both Mac OS X and Windows! – April 05, 2006
Pfeiffer Consulting: Mac vs Windows: Total Cost of Ownership, Productivity and Return on Investment – March 30, 2006
Apple Mac is #1 in European education market, pushes Dell down into second place – February 03, 2006
FBI: Viruses, spyware, other computer-related crimes cost U.S. businesses $67.2 billion per year – February 01, 2006
Windows to Mac switchers: recommendations and Total Cost of Ownership analysis – September 29, 2005
Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ ultimate goal: ‘to take back the computer business from Microsoft’ – June 16, 2005
If Intel-based Macs can run Mac OS X and Windows, buying a Mac will be a no-brainer – June 15, 2005
Yeah…he’s probably right.
Computer World Canada is my first and sometimes only source for tech news. Well, that and the Cape Cod Times. Choose wisely, young padawans.
Even non-computer savvy people regard Microsoft as a joke. I have spoken to atleast three people in the last three months who are switching back to Mac (and these are consumers, not corporate customers or IT professionals).
The reality is that the IT industry is a big ship and it will have a slow turn but Apple has created iLife as a way to differentiate themselves. Apple doesn’t want to fight the corporate desktop war…they are going for the home/college user in the hopes that the IT decision makers will come home to a Mac and one day will want that same ease of use in their businesses too.
I WANT Apple to be the best Niche player it can be. I don’t want it to have to compromise itself to get out of that status. IT does not like change, which is why Windows has the problems it has. Quality over Quantity.
No company is invincible. Not even Microsoft.
And neither is Apple, but they are doing a good job of trying to raise the bar!
Just thought of something… Apple has Mac OSX, Microsoft has Windows X POS
Is it so bad for Apple to be a smaller player? I like the exclusivity that comes with owning an Apple. If we were the major player, it wouldn’t be as fun.
Is the iPod a “niche player”? Enough said
I don’t want every dick and jane to have a Mac anyway, it’s my PRECIOUS
Let the rest of the world suffer with Windows.
My computing life has been a 1000x times better on a Mac.
He may be right but that’s o.k. with me.
We’ll gain (and are gaining) some ground though.
We all know Windows users are brainwashed S&M freaks…
I want Apple to be a niche player, too …. but I would like it to be a big enough niche, and a solid enough niche, and a sure enough niche that we will continue to get software developers to write for it and we won’t run the risk of it vanishing … like it nearly did back in the 1990s.
I would like to see the Mac OS platform make it up to about 20% of the installed market … maybe even 25%. A quarter sounds like a decent group. Not so much that we’re the “majority,” but enough that we have to be contended with as a viable alternative.
As for IT guys … screw ’em. A good IT guy is an out of work IT guy.
MDNs take is on target – comparisons to corrupt auto makers couldn’t be more appropriate.
With Boot Camp, Levy said these niches can still have their Macs and IT can support them more easily
funniest thing written…..EVER
it will be fun if the playing field were even. 50-50. i can imagine all the bickering between camps about which platform is better. picture breakdancing showdowns back in the 80’s.
The consumer market represents 70% of computers sold. Levy’s small to medium-sized businesses account for another 10%.
So if Apple garners 60% of the consumer market (highly achieveable) and 50% of the small business market, they would have 47% of the overall market. With Linux creeping up to 10%, that would leave Microsoft at 45%.
Now whose the niche player?
There is no need for Apple to supercede MS as the new pc monopolist. It ‘only’ needs a profitable niche market share, a rich collection of quality applications – and their developers, and the ability to tap in and relate with the rest of the world who know no better than to continue with the bad option…
Like most Mac users, I suspect we’re happier being one of the 15% rather than one of the 85%.
MDN’s Ford/GM comparison is SILLY.
You did’nt have to learn to drive all over again if you switched from Ford to GM
(this is what most people worry about with the Mac)
Gas from one station will work in both cars.
(unlike software… yeah I know about running Windows on a mac with BootCamp)
Variety is the spice of life for a lifestle item like a car, it’s an extension of your persona, at least to most people!.
(PC’s are just utilitarian – tools, nothing more nothing less, at least to most people!)
I could go on.
To add to the MDN take, “…then Toyota came from nowhere and knocked both GM and Ford on the head.”
This guy is forgetting that Apple is a hardware company. It’s Dell that it’s aiming for. All this public show of a competition between OS X and vista is just smoke and mirrors. Apple is going after the consumer market. It’s the only way they’ll make any real progress in the business market.
“Jedras continues, “These include graphics, advertising and creative departments, he said. The Windows alternatives have gained maturity and IT managers have been pushing for greater standardization. With Boot Camp, Levy said these niches can still have their Macs and IT can support them more easily.””
Can someone explain to me the point of the creative departments having Macs if they are only allowed to boot into Windows on them? Does Jedras honestly think that the “graphics” people want the hardware. and as long as they get to but Apple hardware, they’ll be happy using Windows?
Way to miss the point there.
Mercedes, BMW, Porsches, Bently, to name a few will always be “niche” players so what’s new? Slow news day for another low iq writer!!!
I would say just look at Windows versus OSX.
OSX is superior in every way. Windows is 5 years behind and falling fast as they can’t get even one version let alone the 6 they have planned out the door. And even then nobody will buy it until service pack 1 because they will know that it will just be a crash bucket until then or maybe longer judging by the amount of time it has taken them to get one version out.
Probably, some analyst at the time said, “The reality is, long term, GM will always be a niche player.”
Maybe Steve Jobs is the reincarnation of Alfred P. Sloane. With luck, Steve Ballmer will prove himself Roger Smith’s dual incarnation, or even William Ford’s.
Just for the record, I don’t think the term “niche player” existed when every car still had a hand crank (or a starting handle, if you’re Olde Yerp.)
“Computer World Canada is my first and sometimes only source for tech news.”
Jeez, Amp. Here I thought “8:30 in Newfoundland” would have made sense to you.
“Jeez, Amp. Here I thought “8:30 in Newfoundland” would have made sense to you.”
I will say it one more time. IT is not focused 100% on the end user client – there are so many other aspects of IT than just the end user. IT professionals could really care less what system is in place. They all have issues, even Macs. I support them both and see issues pop up all over – OS independent. There is no resistance to change the way MDN perceives it. It is simply a budgeting issue – the very myth you all are trying to debunk with the PC masses. In many companies, IT has been buried beneath other departments that THINK they can manage IT assets and budgets better than IT. It is these decision makers that go with Dell and HP – not the IT staff. Please stop making assumptions and showing your ignorance. You are no better than those you mock in the other “news” venues and you are just as guilty as them for not researching your comments.
Computer World Canada is an IT-centric magazine, and caters to MSIE “professionals”.
They know on which side the bread is buttered. No surprise here.
Move on…