“No one would deny the Mac is in rude health, particularly when compared to the rest of the PC market. In its last quarter, Mac sales were up 36 per cent on the year-ago quarter – more than three times the industry growth rate, according to Apple. The company is making inroads into growing its market, with around half of new Mac purchase coming from customers new to the platform. Few would deny now that the so-called ‘halo effect’ of the iPod – where positive experiences with the digital music player lead to sales of other Apple kit – is bearing fruit,” Seb Janacek writes for Silicon.com.
“Apple the computer company can coexist quite happily with Apple the consumer electronics company. And with Apple the media company for that matter. With the iPod, iTunes and new products such as the iPhone and Apple TV, the company has indeed moved on to the next big thing,” Janacek writes.
Janacek writes, “It just so happens that the Mac has come along for the ride and that the PC wars perhaps aren’t quite as dead as they might have appeared. The ‘Get a Mac’ and ‘Switch’ campaigns prove the company is committed to growing its minority share of the market and recent sales figures seem to support that.”
“Ten years ago, when Jobs said the PC wars were over and advised Apple to move on to the next big thing, he may have been speaking truthfully or maybe with tongue firmly in cheek. If it’s the former then it proves that even so-called tech visionaries get it wrong sometimes. Then again, 10 years is a long time in technology,” Janacek writes.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Note: Apple’s Mac sales accounted for 56% of revenue during its second quarter, with music-related products, including iPods and iTunes sales accounting for the other 44%.
Macintosh is at the heart of every product released. Every design carries some Macintosh inspiration, ease of use, style, etc.
I think that the PC wars are over. The computer is a house hold product now and you will never see a rush like the 90s, Thats how Dell got so big. The Macs market share leaves it plenty of room to grow and Microsoft really helped with Vista. To this day most consumers are still not “computer savy” and look to friends for help when they are going to buy the new computer, They don’t know from BMW. “Its just a computer” they think and don’t realise now nice it can be if they would use a Mac. They will catch on eventually but most of the time it all comes down to price.
“Apple the computer company can coexist quite happily with Apple the consumer electronics company.”
I’m not sure that this guy “gets it”, in that he must make a distinction between the two. Apple is bridging the gap between the two, that seems to be what it’s all about.
The iPhone is a computer, and it can be argued the iPod is one as well. First Apple showed the world computers don’t have to look like big beige rectangles, and now they’re showing everyone computers can fit in your pocket. While they can exist indpendently, when you put them in the company of a Macintosh there is a synergy, a whole greater than the sum of its parts, and that will continue to get better and better. I tell ya, it all fits together like a watch!
When Jobs said the PC wars were over he did not really mean it. He has since been criticized continually for blowing it as he opted for a “closed” system. Apple products are still painted as closed system products. There is nothing Jobs would like more than to achieve parity, or beat, the Windows operating system. He may get that chance with iPhone which will feature OS X.
I’m not sure “Macintosh” is. Everything from the computer hardware product names to the marketing points to “Mac”. As a longtime owner (beginning with the Macintosh 128K and through my MacBook), I still often refer to my beloved machine as a Macintosh. Anyone know why Apple, Inc. is using just “Mac” now?
There are probably millions of people who embrace much of what Apple offers- the coolness/hipness, iPods, iTunes, etc., but absolutely refuse to consider a switch to OS X. Getting people to switch is where Apple needs to do more than it’s doing, particularly now that Apple is getting so much “help” from M$.
Everything else, Apple already seems to have either the customers or the buzz with those they don’t have.
“I still often refer to my beloved machine as a Macintosh”
So do I.
“Anyone know why Apple, Inc. is using just “Mac” now?”
I think it’s just more affectionate, perhaps I’m wrong.
@jay
They are running a lot of ads and expanding a very successful retail strategy with great speed. What more do you suggest, door to door evangelism?
I have met a lot of people who are confused when I say I have a Macintosh. They respond with “do you mean a Mac?”
I thnk of my OS X Macs as Nextintoshes
“Anyone know why Apple, Inc. is using just ‘Mac’ now?”
Because everything else is just cheese.
Get a Mac.
Lovely article, but what about new *consumer* Mac hardware ?
And ads are a big part of MDN.
20 + on every page.
Maybe the next step is ads in the white spaces between the letters?
Dang, I thought I was well read. Apparently NOT.
I have never come across the expression “rude health” before. Never. Had to go to an online dictionary of English idioms:
“If someone’s in rude health, they are very healthy and look it.”
Hmm. Who knew?
i like the macintosh,in my opinion is the better to describe a computer with extreme skills,and the is going to like it even more.
Thanks for the definition Damacles. After I read that, I was expecting a doom and gloom article. I’ve never heard that phrase either.
@$: two words: ADBLOCK PLUS
“And ads are a big part of MDN.”
yeah i could do without the ads for teeny tiny underwear. It’s kinda NSFW depending on where you work. Not that I mind, but other people might.
NSFW = less page hits for MDN
Hey, Damacles, why did you go to some online dictionary? Highlight the word, right-click, and bring up OSX’s built-in dictionary. That’s what I did, cause like you, “rude” just didn’t make sense until I learned a new definition for it.
And Ballmer is still a big part of Microsoft. Mostly in square footage.
Thanks Damacles…you saved me the trouble of looking it up. It was a first for me.
I guess you could say Ballmer is in ‘rude smell’?
TT: Festering is in “rude smellth”
I think that means he is very smelly and looks it.