More at: Apple Dampens Windows 7 Debut with Stellar Sales, Marketing Attacks - PC WorldApple Dampens Windows 7 Debut with Stellar Sales, Marketing Attacks
Jacqueline Emigh
Oct 15, 2009 12:18 pm
Next week Microsoft was supposed to be in the spotlight with the launch of Windows 7, but the way it's shaping up Apple could steal the limelight. With Microsoft's Windows 7 launch only days a way, sales of Apple Macs are by far outshining those of Windows PCs, according to two leading analyst firms.
In spite of a bleak economy, overall PC sales in the United States are actually finally starting to bounce back a bit, stepping up 2.5 percent from September of 2008 to last month, according to numbers released by the Gartner Group. IDC came up with a slightly higher number of 3.9 percent.
But sales of Apple Macs are up higher, to the tune of 6.8 percent, according to Gartner. IDC paints a rosier picture reporting Apple sales up 11.8 percent.
Is the Mac's purported stronger security helping to spur sales? Did the celebration of the Mac's 25th birthday back in January have anything to do with this? Are Mac loyalists simply more affluent or recession-resistant than other PC users? Even the analysts are baffled as to why.
But apparently, Apple plans to take full advantage of its resurgent status with a marketing campaign set to coincide with the official release of Winows 7. According to Apple Insider, the upcoming blitz will harp on the upgrade process from Windows XP to 7, while also portraying Macs as less prone to viruses.
It wouldn't come as a surprise to anyone if Microsoft anticipated Apple's attack. After all, back at the end of September, Microsoft gave a green light to small PC makers to start selling Windows 7 PCs on October 13. Hey, that was two days ago.
Mac sales are currently higher than PC sales because Snow Leopard broke, or just plain didn't work on, a lot of Macs. Thus, people have to buy new machines to stay up to date. Mac sales are also higher right now because a lot of PC owners are waiting for the Windows 7 release before they buy new machines.
And it's been said before: Macs are less prone to viruses because PC viruses will affect more people than a Mac virus, thus making PC viruses more "worthwhile" to create.
What is it about people and Apple; why is it that for some reason someone comes up with all these stats about Macs just before Windows releases a new OS. IMO this is all a built up to discredit Windows in anyway possible by those who dislike anything that has to do with Microsoft.
Do I think that Apple will out sell Windows 7 and PC equipped with Windows 7, NO.
The thing to remember about Apple and Macs is for Apple sales a large percentage of sales is actually to schools upgrading from older Apple systems. Pro photograhers will often see a Mac. But when looking at what people(average consumer) are buying off shelves in retail stores(Dell, HP, Sony, Toshiba, etc. desktops, laptops) what is on those? Windows!
Take a look at any laptop stocked at Best Buy, Target, CompUSA, even a local Walmart and what do you see there? Windows again! Don't expect to see all units with 7 preinstalled there however! Vista will still be the dominent OS on machines they are still trying to move out of their inventories. It will still take some time before all you see is 7 machines stocked.
+1
I could never bring myself to pay for specialized hardware with a well known logo. Guess that's why I've never bought an Alienware machine.
The average consumer will never realize that Apple is just a hardware company selling a specialized OS. The fact that you have to pay twice what the hardware is worth, for that specialized OS, is what drives me nuts.
Windows 7 will outsell OSX, just on install base. Like the OP, I have to wonder why people bring sales stats into this.
Oh, wait, that's right...it's because Microsoft is about to launch a new operating system, and Apple wants to remind people that they are out there...
Alienware is actually a poor example of a Windows system being overpriced when custom ordered. Apple is overpriced as a premade system. That's kind of a large gap when the comparison is made there while both are a little steep?
It would be interesting to get mac sales in the UK. I suspect they are much lower than the US.
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