Wall Street analyst Charles Wolf of Needham & Co. has gotten Apple enthusiasts talking with a recent report suggesting that 1 million Windows users switched to Macs in the last year. The analyst points to the success of iPod as the driving factor. Others have suggested that Windows' poor security and its susceptibility to viruses and spyware are responsible for all of the switching.
Both reasons clearly contributed, but I believe two overlooked factors behind the migration -- whatever its size -- are the innovations in the Tiger OS and the advancing age of Windows. With their steady stream of operating system upgrades, Macs have gotten more attention from computer enthusiasts. With Spotlight, Dashboard widgets, and even the latest tweaks, Macs have been improving to meet users' needs. Windows, on the other hand, has not seen significant improvement for three years. Furthermore, the Windows upgrade on the horizon, Vista, seems to a lot of users to be copying a slew of Mac upgrades.
If Windows Vista does not significantly improve the PC experience, and many reports indicate that the most impressive features have been taken out over the last few years of development, then this conversion to Macs will probably continue.
Related Stories: | Topics:Technology, technology + computers, Computer Technology, Science and Technology, Technology, Microsoft Windows OS, Software |
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Recent Comments | 8 Total
November 10, 2005 at 4:00pm by EJ3
I'm getting a Mac this weekend, with a PowerBook purchase. My local Apple Store was mobbed(on a tuesday) with people buying iPods, but also looking at, and buying Macs. I predicted once people saw how fun and easy using an iPod with iTunes was, they'd be intrested in a Mac also. The main selling point was how the iLife(iTunes, iPhoto, iDVD, iMovie, Garage Band) suite was so integrated and fun to use. I looked at what was avialable to me right now with Windows, but the closest approximations of these were crude and not at all fun and easy to use.
November 10, 2005 at 8:09pm by John
You're joking, right?
Let's see, the Mac market grew by 1 million seats last year, or so says Wolf. A resultant effect of that, postulates the same analyst, is that it MUST be the effect of users changing over from PCs.
What a strech of the imagination, Chuck. And you are running with it.
By how many units did the Windows market grow last year?
Can you make the same extrapolation?
How many MAc users switched to PCs?
Dude, keep it real!
November 11, 2005 at 2:18am by xekc
Why 1 million? Why not % of market share? Maby numbers in this format are far from being impressive?
Or even worse +1milion users swiched on Mac can even mean a loss in market share(as John said).
November 11, 2005 at 9:13am by Tim
Whether PC to Mac conversions continue, they should. I was a life-long PC user until I reached the boiling point. I had enough of spyware attacks, viruses, freezes, and bugs. I was introduced to the Mac OSX and it was an instant sell. Say what you want, but the Mac operating system is far superior to Windows. Maybe if Bill Gates came up with his own ideas, instead of attempting to emulate those of Steve Jobs, Windows could develop a decent operating system. Ask 100 random windows users how they feel about the operating system and then ask 100 Mac users the same question. Mac users are extreme brand warriors, and there must be something said for their loyalty. Once you go Mac, you'll never go back.
November 11, 2005 at 9:26am by Jeremy
Ditto to what Tim said. I've been using Microsoft since DOS and made the switch last year. Never will go back. I spend several hours a week fixing Windows problems in our office and I spend 0 hours fixing Mac problems. Oh, wait, I take that back I do spend a little time on a Mac problem. Entourage - a Microsoft program.
November 11, 2005 at 10:47am by Max
Comparing the Windows OS to the Mac OSX is like comparing the Motorola user interfase in mobile phones to that from Nokia. There is no comparison , period. Once you use a Mac or a Nokia phone you'll never, ever use Windows or any other phone again.Just look what Motorola did with the Rokr.
Quoting my dear sister, Windows is a useless passion.
November 11, 2005 at 3:10pm by Joshua A. Bevan
I am the Director of Information Technology at a firm that develops software for independent wealth managers. In my early IT days I was a Microsoft stalwart, no one could blemish Bill Gates or Windows in my eyes. Then my transition happend, from innocence to experience I learned the ins and outs of computer and information systems.
Six years ago I made the switch to Mac when I bought a PowerMac G4. A year later I bought an iBook for my wife.
I am a serious power user, I've used my Mac as a media center, used graphic design, 3D, and video editing tools, and I've used it as a web server, file server, and backup server for other computers on my home network. NOT ONCE IN SIX YEARS HAVE I HAD TO REFORMAT OR REINSTALL MY OPERATING SYSTEM... neither has my wife.
Take that to the bank!!!
November 11, 2005 at 3:34pm by Jeremy Cantrell
I have been using, maintaining, repairing, and enjoying computer technology for years. This includes unix variants (solaris, bsd, linux), and windows. On one side you have the hardcore geek realm (unix). On the other side you have the users (windows). Until recently, I've never seen mac as anything other than an alternative to windows for users.
After a bit of exploration, I realized that macs offer something much more than just an alternative. They provide the user with the stability and efficiency that unix (bsd) offers, AND a solid, friendly interface. In my opinion, microsoft has failed in the stability/efficiency dept and only mildly succeeded in the UI dept. While I cannot claim that I have switched to mac from windows (I have my hand in all cookie jars), I can, now, confidently point my users to macs knowing that they will not be disappointed and traumatized.