As MacDailyNews reported this weekend (please see related articles below), Aliso Viejo, CA-based Net Applications announced November 2007 Operating System (and Browser) usage stats. With a new, enhanced marketshare site, Net Applications is now able to analyze global marketshare trends in much greater depth.
Net Applications now tracks more trends, summarizes OS versions better, and are now able to view market share by continent, country and even by state/province. Their new Mac OS usage map for the US provided “an immediate visual impact,” Net Applications ask in their December 1st Newsletter.
Net Applications writes, “Higher percentage Mac usage states almost perfectly match up with states that typically vote for Democrats. So, do Democrats prefer Macs? The correlation is striking.”
2004 US presidential election results by state:
(red=Republican, blue=Democrat)
2004 US presidential election results by county:
(red=Republican, blue=Democrat)
Meanwhile, the Mac continues to gain ground in Net Applications measurements of online share. November 2007 usage statistics show that globally, 6.8% of all computers online are Macs. That is the highest percentage Net Applications has seen to date.
More info via Net Applications’ report – “Democrats Vote for the Mac?” – here.
MacDailyNews Note: For what it’s worth:
Apple’s U.S. Retail Store Locations:
Also, via Wikipedia:
Prior to the 2000 presidential election, there was no universally recognized color scheme to represent political parties in the USA. The practice of using colors to represent parties on electoral maps dates back at least as far as the 1950s, when such a format was employed within the Hammond series of historical atlases. Color-based schemes became more widespread with the adoption of color television in the 1960s and nearly ubiquitous with the advent of color in newspapers. A three-color scheme — red, white and blue, the colors of the U.S. flag — makes sense, and the third color, white, is useful in depicting maps showing states that are “undecided” in the polls and in election-night television coverage.
Early on, the most common—though again, not universal—color scheme was to use red for Democrats and blue for Republicans. This was the color scheme employed by NBC—David Brinkley famously referred to the 1984 map showing Reagan’s 49-state landslide as a “sea of blue”, but this color scheme was also employed by most newsmagazines. CBS during this same period, however, used the opposite scheme—blue for Democrats, red for Republicans. ABC was less consistent than its elder network brothers; in at least two presidential elections during this time before the emergence of cable news outlets, ABC used yellow for one major party and blue for the other. As late as 1996, there was still no universal association of one color with one party. If anything, the majority of outlets in 1996 were using blue for the GOP and red for the Democrats.[citation needed]
But in 2000, for the first time, all major electronic media outlets used the same colors for each party: Red for Republicans, blue for Democrats. Partly as a result of this near-universal color-coding, the terms Red States and Blue States entered popular usage in the weeks following the 2000 presidential election…
The choice of colors in this divide is counter-intuitive to many international observers, as throughout the world, red is commonly the designated color for parties representing labor, socialist, and/or liberal interests, which in the United States would be more closely correlated with the Democratic Party. Similarly, blue is used in these countries to depict conservative parties which in the case of the United States would be a color more suitable for the Republicans.
More here.
“Oooooh, click-bait!
Speaking as a Brit, I’m going to get some popcorn and wait to see how this one turns out”
ROTFLMAO!!
(there are a few Canadians watching this as well
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@ auren
Many of us yanks actually sit back and laugh at the whole process, too. We use politics to identify people we wish to avoid.
That’s a population/money map more than anything else. Where you find a high population with lots of money (the first round of Apple Stores were built in areas with a median income of $300,000), you’ve found a group of people for whom dropping all their investment on Windows and rebuying Mac (switching) is not as much of a financial decision. Also, you’re likely to find a high number of people who don’t own computers (think households with several members becoming a “teen” over the next 10-12 years) who also have the resources to pick a platform based on desire instead of financial ability.
Not saying that Macs are particularly more expensive than comparitively configured PC’s, but that if you’re looking for places where people have money to buy your product, these are the areas you’re going to look first and foremost.
“(there are a few Canadians watching this as well”
And a few from Down Under.
Two hours and we’re at two pages. This should be a good one.
I’d love to stir this pot a little more, however as a Canuck I’ll just watch. One thing that always comes through in these types of “dialogues” is how Repulicans or those right of centre (note the Canadian spelling) always fall back on the old tax argument. It’s the same here with our Conservative party. They are going to give us a “big” tax cut which will net me about $100. However, those who are very very wealthy will save a considerable amount more. But this will all trickle down won’t it. Hahahahaha!!
Bush is anything but fiscally responsible and our Prime Minister is a huge fan of Senior Bush’s.
Hope my spelling and puncuation meet your standards “Big Al”.
“I’m not as think as you drunk I am, Officer!”
Don’t you mean “ossifer”?
Well maybe I stirred it just a bit.
MDN a little short on their hit quota last week?
Ron Paul 2008!!!
“Ron Paul 2008!!!”
Mrs. Paul’s for Dinner!!!
‘been spending a lot of time trolling Fred’s site, looking for evidence.
It’s with reassuring demagoguery that I say “An Alien for these troubled times.”
Fred is definitely from off-planet.
What happened to Alaska and Hawaii on the election maps? No space?
Any Republican using a Mac is trying to fool someone. Either themselves or those around them. (This is BS, but I am weak and just couldn’t resist. I hate labels.)
OBTW, there is a stronger correlation between red states and out of wedlock births and divorce rates than to PC use. Ironic isn’t it?
If more Republicans were like Ahnold, the country wouldn’t need Democrats so badly. Unfortunately the current Republican administration has shown the true colors of the Republican party. Unfettered government with no fiscal responsibility and no accountability. How can we hope this situation will turn out well. Cheney said it all “Go fsck yourself”
Liberty!
Are the red parts where the retarded people live?
Aside:
Your map of Apple Retail Store Locations is out of date. The one in Birmingham, AL was left out.
To the point:
It is also worth mentioning that the county the Alabama store is located in (Jefferson) typically votes democrat. Maybe the article has it backwards. Could Apple be targeting high concentrations of democrats to open their stores?
It’s an interesting day when Anonymous has the most salient insight. Let’s analyze all of the FUD flying around.
1) Do you think that Network Analysis has a hold on the absolute truth? What methods did they use? Did they survey your browser?
2) If Apple sells primarily to Democrats, then you’d think that Apple would be losing their shirt in Texas and Florida. But they’re not. So something doesn’t jive.
3) Of the Mac users I know, one is a socialist, one is a liberal, and three are conservatives. Of the PC users I know, one is a conservative Democrat, one is a centrist, one is a liberal, and three are conservatives. What does this mean? It means that computer and OS use is linked primarily to understanding the value of better OS design. Some liberals get it. Some conservatives get it. Most people are still asleep.
Me: Republican, Mac
@Quad Core
Rush Limbaugh
Glenn Beck
George Bush
..are all Mac users.
Because Macs are for creative types, and PCs are for the sheep who follow them.
Republican. And I live within 15 miles of three Apple retail stores.
“Those “blue” states also have higher levels of income and education than the “red” states.”
ahh red states, our very own third world nations, right here at home.
Of course democrats prefer macs! They are smarter, understand the idea of “long-term” investments (education, healthcare), and don’t fall for that Wal-Mart PC cheepo crap!
“Income plays a big role but level of intelligence plays a bigger role.”
Studies prove time and again that Intelligence and being a Democrat are inversely correlated, as are wealth and being a Democrat.
Sanks for da hep, Ampar! I love you, man!
To MainMan:
No problem! And I told our waitress to give you the bar tab and to take your keys.