“Recent punditry suggests that the ‘halo effect’ between Apple’s iPod sales and purchases of Macintosh computers is either dimming or may be just a statistical error. But these industry watchers may be looking in the wrong places—Apple’s halo is shining on all the right people and may soon light up parts of the business market,” David Morgenstern writes for eWeek.
“I see signs that the Mac will continue its comeback and may be on the threshold of making a greater mark in the business market,” Morgenstern writes.
“I suggest that the iPod and the arrival of Intel-based Macs in the past year have had a more important “macro” influence on the market, with consumers and even with business customers,” Morgenstern writes. “While, there were considerable technical and value hurdles that users needed to overcome on the road to switching, the biggest obstacle to Mac adoption was the perception of Apple as a failing company… But Apple’s recent success with the iPod gave solid proof to the rest of the market (the other 96 percent or so) that the company would be sticking around for a while longer. The iPod became the engine of respectability that was able to pry the doom monkey off Apple’s back.”
Morgenstern writes, “In the past, before the change to Intel processors, there was a technical hurdle with the Mac for Windows customers. The PowerPC platform didn’t run Windows programs easily and quickly. And its performance and technology couldn’t be compared easily with the PC. Now it can.”
“From my own recent observations, this macro halo effect appears to be hitting across the board, including the top tier of customers—the very ones that common sense would tell us should be the most partisan of Windows supporters,” Morgenstern writes.
Morgenstern writes, “Apple keeps fooling our common sense. Many industry watchers keep waiting for some big splash from Apple toward the business market. A top-down marketing effort. That’s how it’s supposed to arrive.”
Full article – highly recommended – here.
Related articles:
Net Applications: Apple’s Mac market share continues rise, hits 6.22% in January 2007– February 01, 2007
Gartner: Apple’s U.S. Mac shipments up 30.6% year over year – January 18, 2007
Net Applications: Apple’s Mac market share continues rise, now at 5.39%, up 31% year-over-year – December 01, 2006
Apple’s Mac market share surges, up 35-percent year-over-year as growth accelerates – November 01, 2006
Analyst: Apple has ‘real shot at dramatically expanding Macintosh market share’ – October 31, 2006
Analyst: Apple Mac gains market share, the reason why is significant – October 26, 2006
IDC: Apple Mac attained 5.8% of U.S. market share in Q3 06 – October 18, 2006
Gartner: Apple Mac grabbed 6.1% of U.S. market share in Q3 06 – October 18, 2006
Gartner: Apple Mac grabbed 4.6% U.S. market share in Q2 06 – July 19, 2006
IDC: Apple Mac attained 4.8% U.S. market share in Q2 06 – July 19, 2006