Web stats indicate Mac OS X Lion still growing very fast
Contradicting a report by advertising network Chitika describing Mac OS X Lion as stagnating, web analytics firm Net Applications reports Apple's latest OS has already taken a 30 percent share of the active Mac installed base in just over three months.
Chitika reported that in its latest checks, Mac OS X Lion had only reached a 16 percent share, declaring that "the once hyped OS X Lion is now in a state of arrested development."
The firm compared Lion upgrades to the rapid pace of iOS 5 upgrades, and blamed issues with Lion, including its iOS-inspired interface, as the reason for the slower pace of Mac users adopting the latest OS.
In reality, however, the $29.99 price of Lion and its more complex upgrade process is likely a more significant barrier to Mac users upgrading compared to the largely invisible, free updates iOS users can apply.
Chitika doesn't outline how it collects its data, but the firm primarily markets mobile ads, limiting its reach in profiling desktop and notebook Mac users compared to its metrics for iOS users running ad-based apps.
In contrast, Net Applications monitors the use of web browsers reported by a wide network of web servers, and its data indicates that Mac OS X Lion has been and continues to steadily grow, having already reached a 30 percent share of all Mac users. That's more than the other variants of Mac OS X older than Snow Leopard combined.
Mac OS X Lion has already achieved a similar share among Mac users as Microsoft's Windows 7 has this year among PC owners, two years after its release.
Because all new Macs ship with Lion and can't be downgraded to an earlier version, the record numbers of new Macs sold can only force Lion's share higher. In its last quarter, Apple sold 4.89 million new Macs, greatly outpacing the individual users upgrading to Lion through the Mac App Store.
Chitika reported that in its latest checks, Mac OS X Lion had only reached a 16 percent share, declaring that "the once hyped OS X Lion is now in a state of arrested development."
The firm compared Lion upgrades to the rapid pace of iOS 5 upgrades, and blamed issues with Lion, including its iOS-inspired interface, as the reason for the slower pace of Mac users adopting the latest OS.
In reality, however, the $29.99 price of Lion and its more complex upgrade process is likely a more significant barrier to Mac users upgrading compared to the largely invisible, free updates iOS users can apply.
Chitika doesn't outline how it collects its data, but the firm primarily markets mobile ads, limiting its reach in profiling desktop and notebook Mac users compared to its metrics for iOS users running ad-based apps.
In contrast, Net Applications monitors the use of web browsers reported by a wide network of web servers, and its data indicates that Mac OS X Lion has been and continues to steadily grow, having already reached a 30 percent share of all Mac users. That's more than the other variants of Mac OS X older than Snow Leopard combined.
Mac OS X Lion has already achieved a similar share among Mac users as Microsoft's Windows 7 has this year among PC owners, two years after its release.
Because all new Macs ship with Lion and can't be downgraded to an earlier version, the record numbers of new Macs sold can only force Lion's share higher. In its last quarter, Apple sold 4.89 million new Macs, greatly outpacing the individual users upgrading to Lion through the Mac App Store.
Comments
Apple is selling THOUSANDS of new Macs every day.
Because all new Macs ship with Lion and can't be downgraded to an earlier version....
Is this true!?
If so, ugh.
Is this true!?
If so, ugh.
Why? A brand new user isn't going to know the difference. And they might like it for all you know.
Is this true!?
If so, ugh.
Why would you expect Snow Leopard have drivers for hardware that hadn't been designed yet when the OS was created and last updated?
For me, Snow Leopard.
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Why? A brand new user isn't going to know the difference. And they might like it for all you know.
'Why?' Is that a serious question?
If the "brand new user" uses some pretty common software for the Mac that are rendered incompatible, that's why.
Read the prior thread.
An unscientific poll... Just out of curiosity and for those that haven't bought a new Mac that has Lion preinstalled, who here has what OS on their system?
For me, Snow Leopard.
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Lion.
Why would you expect Snow Leopard have drivers for hardware that hadn't been designed yet when the OS was created and last updated?
Stop being silly.
"Last updated"? Does that have to precede the date of a new new OS?
Read the previous thread.
An unscientific poll... Just out of curiosity and for those that haven't bought a new Mac that has Lion preinstalled, who here has what OS on their system?
For me, Snow Leopard.
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Of six actively used computers at home, 2 Lion 4 SL.
Is this [a Mac that ships with a given version of OS X can't be downgraded to an earlier version] true!?
If so, ugh.
What in the world did you expect? The earlier OS versions won't have necessary drivers for any changed hardware in the machine. Most things could work, some not.
This seems to surprise you for some reason.
http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?t=135747
Is this true!?
If so, ugh.
An unscientific poll... Just out of curiosity and for those that haven't bought a new Mac that has Lion preinstalled, who here has what OS on their system?
- 2010 13" MBA, 2009 24" iMac, 2007 20" iMac all have Lion. Happily. (Similar to my wife's two Macs.)
- 1999 Tangerine iBook, 10.3.9, which is as far as you can take it. (Ex Post Facto sort of gets you around that, but in the long run isn't worth doing on that machine.)
'Why?' Is that a serious question?
If the "brand new user" uses some pretty common software for the Mac that are rendered incompatible, that's why.
If it's really a brand new user, she won't have older software to worry about not running.
Think about it.
An unscientific poll... Just out of curiosity and for those that haven't bought a new Mac that has Lion preinstalled, who here has what OS on their system?
For me, Snow Leopard.
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Lion on all 4.
Stop being silly.
"Last updated"? Does that have to precede the date of a new new OS?
In real world practice, yes, that's generally what happens. Once a new OS ships, the previous version usually won't see any changes other than some minor bug or security fixes.
Expending the major effort and expense of testing and qualifying new hardware is rarely justifiable.
This is pretty much the same topic and thread as
http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?t=135747
No, it's the complete opposite...
An unscientific poll... Just out of curiosity and for those that haven't bought a new Mac that has Lion preinstalled, who here has what OS on their system?
For me, Snow Leopard.
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I have lion