Windows 7 launch, sales won’t trouble Apple’s Mac
The world is all abuzz with hype about the upcoming release of Windows 7 and some pundits have even gone so far as to predict that Redmond’s “new” operating system will help it claw back market share gains made by Apple’s OS X over the past few years. If past performance is anything to go by, however, Cupertino’s Mac masters have little to worry about.
Well, at least that’s the story being told by Broadpoint AmTech analyst Brian Marshall (via ComputerWorld) who’s looked for a correlation between major operating system releases by Microsoft and Mac sales.
“I analyzed the impact of the last four Windows launches and found no negative correlation between them and Mac sales,” said Marshall. “In fact, [Microsoft's launches] almost act like a delayed accelerant on Mac sales.”
Specifically, after comparing Mac sales with the launches of Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP and Vista (i.e. three winners and one dog for Redmond), Marshall found that in all but the case of Windows 2000, Mac sales either increased or stayed steady.
More importantly, Marshall found that Apple’s recent MacBook Pro product and price adjustments are having the intended effect by returning the company’s computer growth curve to the trend before the economic downturn.
“Apple is getting back to normalized historical growth,” said the analyst. “The price cuts are having an impact, especially on the $1,199 MacBook Pro.”
It’s good to be good
Whereas Snow Leopard is designed for the future — OpenCL, Grand Central and 64-bit — Windows 7 is all about making up for past sins. Thereupon, with PC margins already cut to the bone and Microsoft’s “new” operating system a glorified bug fix, not to mention Apple’s aggressive technology and pricing initiatives, the good times for the Mac are likely to just keep on rolling…
What’s your take?
Related Posts:
October 14th, 2009
That Microsoft doesn’t build computers and while I’m not in love with the company and some of it’s business practices, the continual attempt of Apple to marry them to low cost crap commodity is just what was left as a tactic after the switch to Intel when the ability to differentiate itself using PPC architecture went away. The pricing “adjustments” are hardly more than validating a widely held belief you pay a premium for a Mac that was out of line for the horsepower delivered, despite the very real value people find in styling and fit and finish. Direct comparisons with hardware muscle was a problem.
The reason Windows 2000 had little effect on Mac sales was because it was a business OS with the emphasis on enhanced networking and the fledgling AD with little overlap with the consumer market.
7 has little in common with the first version of Vista which suffered by a lack of hardware support as much as anything else. I’m not real sure about all the much ballyhooed SL 64 bit as 7 is Microsoft’s first real push to fit the now common, affordable hardware. It’s not like 64 bit versions of XP weren’t out and I’ve been running a 64 Bit version of Linux for over a year.
Microsoft has looked at it’s desktop versions primarily to enhance networking and integration with business use and they have kept that with 7. And it’s hardly a “glorified bug fix” over Vista .
http://www.windowsnetworking.com/articles_tutorials/10-New-Features-Windows-7-Networking.html
http://dotnet.sys-con.com/node/1143310
From HP: http://tinyurl.com/ycsd6hj
Something to keep in mind during your next evil CIO article.There is much more to corporate I.T.than the cheap as possible hardware and Apple haters, it’s an ecosystem where the productivity and overall value lies more with the delivery of services. 7 isn’t about a bunch of OEM licenses because the reality is Microsoft makes the same money no matter what the price of a machine they don’t manufacture you buy.
No doubt Apple makes nice computers and OSX is a great OS,, but they aren’t sharing the same marketing priorities and a consumer desktop-as-the-center-of-the-universe is just an inaccurate model to use.
October 14th, 2009
Windows 7 just a bug fix? and SL isn’t? according to wikipedia: “This version of Mac OS X focuses on improving performance, efficiency and reducing its overall memory footprint compared to its predecessor Mac OS X v10.5 “Leopard”, rather than new end-user features” Sounds just like the update from Vista to 7. At least with windows 7 people with pre 2006 hardware will still be able to upgrade.
October 14th, 2009
“The pricing “adjustments” are hardly more than validating a widely held belief you pay a premium for a Mac that was out of line for the horsepower delivered, despite the very real value people find in styling and fit and finish.”
There is a LOT more to using a Mac than horsepower or style – like incredible efficiency meaning more work/play time – like much less time lost to crashes, infections and maintenance – and much more. I cannot believe how many people want to whine about a few hundred bucks here or there for their primary business or recreational tool.
If any of those folks are reading – just go and buy a Dell, already! Ohhhh – you actually want the superior product — you just want to pay the same as you would for a lower quality product. I see.
October 15th, 2009
I love the myth that Macs are so “efficient” and fault free compared to Windows.
Macs are so “efficient” you need two hands to perform a typical Windows one handed right-click menu. Or how about being able to eject a cd by pushing a button?
over the last 6 months My ipod touch has crashed more often than my PC running windows 7 Beta and my friend’s macbook pro is constantly crashing. You hear more about windows problems simply because there are more windows machines.
You need to perform as much “maintenance” on a Mac as you do any other operating system.
The point is that Mac has the benefit of running a closed system, with highly controlled and restricted options and limited accessories compared to the near limitless options and choices available for windows and linux. With a properly configured system and some common sense by the user (i.e. don’t open the email attachment marked britneynaked.exe) you will have as many issues and problems with a mac as you will with a PC running windows 7, the difference is that the windows machine will be cheaper and have more software options whereas the mac will be prettier.
October 15th, 2009
“There is a LOT more to using a Mac than horsepower or style – like incredible efficiency meaning more work/play time – like much less time lost to crashes, infections and maintenance – and much more. I cannot believe how many people want to whine about a few hundred bucks here or there for their primary business or recreational tool.
If any of those folks are reading – just go and buy a Dell, already! Ohhhh – you actually want the superior product — you just want to pay the same as you would for a lower quality product. I see.”
You mean that 90% who don’t buy Macs are all cheap whiners?
I run OSX86 on my Dell. I also run Linux and 7 on it. It has a core duo, 2 gig of RAM I updated from 1 and upgraded the drive to a 160 gig Sata. 17″ screen with a weak Intel 945 shared graphics. Bought from the business outlet store in 2005 for $899 because it’s a tool to me. No hardware issues. Don’t get crashes or infections because I have a brain and use it. You can stupidly download some Mac porn and have “maintenance”. Automatic updates aren’t huge time wasters. If the efficiency is so much better you’d have a 20% share.
I mostly run Linux personally, but the Windows boxes we have don’t BSOD or get infected or break because we’re pros who don’t buy cheap crap and don’t let users have more rights than they need to do their job
.
I’m commenting on why I think it took lower prices to get to growth back. You just proved my point that the fallacy of Microsoft building computers has stopped resonating with many users.
Having a zealot’s view of a tool to the point of making it part of your self image is ridiculous. Microsoft didn’t even bother to ramp up advertising until ramping up for the introduction of 7. Mac adverts are now all about not being Microsoft and losing impact because of it.
Now, go back to Mac Daily News or read my links.