As Microsoft pulls support for near half a billion Windows 7 PCs, it’s make or break for Windows-based IT and Apple is presented with a big growth opportunity.
Jonny Evans for Computerworld:
Apple technologies has become a human resources issue, and that people entering the workshop will choose to use that company’s technologies if they can… The positive upswell in support for Apple’s systems comes as around 417,000,000 Windows 7 devices (a big chunk of all Windows PCs currently in use worldwide) are about to experience Microsoft terminating support on January 14, 2020.
It’s a relatively safe assumption to think that at least some tens of thousands of these PCs could now be replaced by an iPad, or even a Mac. Why wouldn’t some of these migrate to Apple’s platforms, when Microsoft’s fee-based extended support package costs up to $200 per device? That’s a real opportunity for Apple…
MacDailyNews Take: Without resorting to a new Mac vs. PC (Get a Mac) campaign or even doing much of anything at all, Apple may gain greatly simply due to employee choice programs that are now in place along with their strong lineup of devices – Mac, iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch – that are all well-integrated thanks to Continuity. Smart employees choose Apple and companies with smart employees understand value and Total Cost of Ownership.
Microsoft took forever to replace Windows XP with Windows Vista. Then couldn’t replace Windows Vista fast enough! And that was Windows 7. It still has a large user base because it’s pretty solid. Then MS turned Windows into a kludged desktop/tablet OS. Apple’s opportunities versus Windows have been continuous since about Mac OS 10.4 Tiger and Intel-based Macs (2006).
If only Apple had a Mac for sale.
And I don’t mean a too-expensive Mac Pro or a too-minimalist Mac Mini. A Mac.
It’s ok, most of those folks are going to go right for some iOS device. All they’re doing is surfing the web and checking Facebook anyway. Oh, and maybe editing some pictures 🙂
When the average person is shopping for a laptop one of the things they’re looking for is amount of storage. They certainly don’t give a rat’s ass about the speed of the drive, which Apple loves to tout about.
The current MacBook Air and 13″ MacBook Pro offerings start at 128 GB. That’s a pathetically small amount when you’re shelling out over $1000, when same-priced Windows laptops offer 256 if not 512GB SSDs, and you can’t even upgrade the drives on the MBs.
Another reason why most folks will look at what’s available for the price and end up with some kind of iOS device. I mean, that happens EVERY day right now (iOS sales eclipse Mac sales) and it’s not likely to change in the future.
Apple isn’t going to sell their products at the price of Windows PC makers, so Apple will never get those consumers who just need some basic desktop or laptop. Some of those new Intel and AMD notebooks that have been shown at CES are quite attractive with tons of features. I don’t think there is anything Apple can do to persuade home Windows PC users to switch to Macs. There are so many places a person can buy a Windows PC with plenty of sales available. I suppose there are also those Chromebooks for consumers looking for a low-cost computing option. To me, it just seems unlikely there will be many people moving from Windows OS to MacOS. There are also those consumers who use their Windows PCs and laptops to play games and I know they’re not going to leave Windows computers.
The majority of folks buying Macs today have never own a Mac before. Now, they all COULD have been using that marketshare prince Linux… buuuuuuut, I’m thinking not.
Apple needs to put out that Mythical ‘Mid Tower’ between the Mini and the Pro that so many people want. Many Windows users have monitors and don’t want to ditch them for iMacs.
Needs to fix keyboards on rest of Macbook line pronto.
Mac App Store still weak.
More consistent Ad program. Many people around the world who use iPhones don’t even realize Apple sells PC type machines ! They buy phones from Phone shops.
Sell the ‘eco system’ !
Possibly needs alternative to Intel just in case. Apple’s own A chips or AMD maybe. If only to just put some pressure on Intel.
Various article show Apple execs frustrated with Intel. I read somewhere Srouji saying he would never run his Apple department like Intel runs their company.
I believe with sub 10% PC market share world wide Apple has tremendoues opportunity for growth.
Do they need a Mini Tower or do they just want one? I think the latter is most often the case. A lower-priced Mac Mini would fit the bill for most people with monitors, it needs to cost less than $799 to start, that’s a stretch for a 128GB SSD and 8GB of RAM.
Trouble is, Apple isn’t trusted by corporates because they will not give long term commitments like Microsoft, and all too often discontinue products/apps when companies have deeply invested in them. I have been burned myself when I had my own engineering company, but now long since retired. I know they have set up partnerships with various companies to promote corporate usage, but they could do a lot more to gain more market share in the corporate world.
Also agree with the above comments regarding poor specifications offered re ssd’s, RAM etc. Very poor “bang for the buck” in comparison to PC’s. Just my 2 cents.
This is the real reason that Apple will never be a significant player in the corporate world. Apple does things their way and that way constantly changes as they see fit. Business IT doesn’t work like that. What makes Apple a good match for consumers makes it a bad match for business.
We still have scientific instruments that can only use XP! But we have been told that we need to discontinue them. If we also have to do the same for win7 PCs, then that could be an issue.
I work for a large global company that has updated all of their PC’s to latest Dell laptops running Windows 10. We have not had any major problems with the switch over, nor their usage. I use Apple products at home, because I switched in 1995. I love my Apple products, but at work I love my Windows products. To be honest this article is grasping at straws. The arrogance presented in most of your comments are laughable at best. So this article is no better than the other generated fake news that runs rampant in the overall news media industry. I enjoy the reports, mostly, when they are factual. Just my opinion, as your comments on this article are. Just like buttholes, we all have them. Some just become them.
Wow, Pawpower has discovered Poorpower. Sad.
Windows is the business majority and that will not change, as it did not happen after Mac OS X xx came around.. Microsoft exchanged some keys when they almost copied OS Mac and even that is now the reason many like an PC’s but, do not work on them..