Will Apple some day reach 50% of OS market?

satchmosatchmo
Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
So some revolutionary product is about to be unveiled at MWSF.

Maybe it's the new LCD iMac.

Maybe it's some cool device that's part of Steve's Jobs' digital hub strategy.

Maybe it's all new powerful G5 PowerMac towers.

Maybe it's all three.



Regardless, does Apple have what it takes to turn the tide and win back market share. Jobs spoke about converting the other 95% and with what they've been doing lately (iPod, iBook, AppleStores) it's a good start.



However, even with OSX and the new offerings, I can't help but think how much of an uphill battle it still is.



When will we see the day when Apple has a 35-50% share of the OS market? Will I be alive to see this happen? (I'm 30)
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 63
    bandalaybandalay Posts: 116member
    No.
  • Reply 2 of 63
    g4dudeg4dude Posts: 1,016member
    No.
  • Reply 2 of 63
    kidredkidred Posts: 2,402member
    I think there is a very good shot in the next few years to gain market share.



    PC companies are either falling or trying to merge which means less compettion to Apple. If only Dell and Sony make PCs, that leaves a lot of room for Apple.



    M$ is loosing ground. People aren't upgrading as much to tehir OS and as soon as there are Offic alternatives this is good for Apple.



    OS X will help alot. Easy to use, set up and connect all of your toys. Getting the unix crowd as well with internet/web master crowd.



    New iMac will atract users.



    If the G5 ever comes out that should help out in the #d and high end film sector.



    Apple will then own the DVD market, the film market, the 3D market and the graphics market (a lot of graphic designers somehow use PCS)



    Gaming market, dunno yet. If a mac/gamecube comes out, maybe.



    Portables are rocking.



    It all comes down to visibilty. If the avg Joe knows who Apple is and that a Mac is a good choice then it's all good.



    The above is underway via the Apple retail stores
  • Reply 4 of 63
    davegeedavegee Posts: 2,765member
    Sorry but I think Bad Little Billy Gates would put out a contract hit on our boy Steve long before the 50% mark... :eek: Funny thing is with the cash he's got I have no doubt he'd get away with it!



    Post trial Gates and OJ would become golfing buddies...



    Dave
  • Reply 5 of 63
    erbiumerbium Posts: 354member
    No.



    I think they have a shot at reaching 10%, but certainly nothing higher.



    I give Apple another 8 years or so, before they're bought out by Microsoft.
  • Reply 6 of 63
    gigawiregigawire Posts: 196member
    within 2 years apple will hold 15% at least. Just watch.
  • Reply 7 of 63
    alcimedesalcimedes Posts: 5,486member
    apple at one point used to have 25% market share, back when they were the most affordable desktop publishing method available.



    if apple can make themselves the most affordable hardware/software platform out there, they might have a shot.



    -alcimedes
  • Reply 8 of 63
    king chung huangking chung huang Posts: 343member
    Actually, I think Apple's highest market share occurred when the Apple II was current. It was certainly a very popular computer at the time.
  • Reply 9 of 63
    brussellbrussell Posts: 9,812member
    One potential source of attraction to Apple may be open standards. MS seems to be moving more and more towards proprietary formats, for everything from music and video to networking and Java and Direct X and on and on.



    Apple is going in the opposite direction: MPEG-4, .pdf, TCP/IP, OpenGL, USB, Darwin, etc. The new Apple really seems to see itself as the more open and standards-based alternative to Windows.



    And MS's new pricing and registration schemes seem to be turning people off. If MS bets the farm on some of these tactics and on .NET, and people don't like it, the "open" Apple may be seen as the good guy that people could turn to.
  • Reply 10 of 63
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,423member
    I would love for Apple to command that kind of marketshare but sadly I don't see it happening. They rely on products that are defined by not only their productivity values but their appeal as well. This will keep them squarely in the niche market like most products that embody those characteristics. US consumers have consistently followed the least expensive technologies even though the slightly more expensive model may be superior in many ways.
  • Reply 11 of 63
    kidredkidred Posts: 2,402member
    [quote]Originally posted by hmurchison:

    <strong>I would love for Apple to command that kind of marketshare but sadly I don't see it happening. They rely on products that are defined by not only their productivity values but their appeal as well. This will keep them squarely in the niche market like most products that embody those characteristics. US consumers have consistently followed the least expensive technologies even though the slightly more expensive model may be superior in many ways.</strong><hr></blockquote>





    While this may be a contributing factor I persoanlly believe the majortiy of the problem to rest, squarely on the shoulders of advertising.



    I've sat in Ciurt City and watched as a salesmen turned away a customer from the Mac because the Mac "was just for graphics...for daily use, you need a PC". I told my parents to get an iMac and all they heard from family and friends is "why a Mac? They are just for graphics ", "you won't be able to email us" and so on.



    If the avg Joe knows and completely understands that a Mac can do we will be better off. We need more informative rather than slick commercials.



    The Apple stores will also help, but we still need commercials that explain rather then showcase.
  • Reply 12 of 63
    wrong robotwrong robot Posts: 3,907member
    I think that in the next 5 or so years, apple will, gain a large amount of new faithfuls, It seems that the wintel world is failing at the moment, and that every time apple makes news its good(well almost every time)

    I would definatly love seeing appel raise the ladder, and become a more household name.

    I own a helluva alot of aapl to have them fail!

  • Reply 13 of 63
    supersuper Posts: 82member
    How long is Microsoft obliged to make office for mac ? If Apple starts making serious in-roads microsofts biggest weapon is to pull production or at least release a crippled version. The courts might have something to say about that however.
  • Reply 14 of 63
    addisonaddison Posts: 1,185member
    I think key to sucess will be .......schools.



    If the kids are using Apples at school, they will know that they are not just for graphics etc.
  • Reply 15 of 63
    powerdocpowerdoc Posts: 8,123member
    Apple will be the OS leader after world war 111, there will be two mac in order to work and only one PC in the planet.
  • Reply 16 of 63
    alcimedesalcimedes Posts: 5,486member
    bah, the only way to get macs in the average house is to make people use them at work.



    otherwise, they'll never be forced to have them.



    family and friends can talk you out of buying a mac for home use if you haven't used one before.



    they can't talk you out of using one at work if you're forced to.



    end of story.



    (p.s. schools are the last place to work at getting macs in. they are always years behind on tech., and kids assume that whatever a school is using sucks ass)
  • Reply 17 of 63
    gardenofearthlydelightsgardenofearthlydelights Posts: 963member
    It won't happen.



    Of course, it's technically within the realms of typing Shakespearian monkeys.



    The key isn't on the OS side, it's in the hardware side. Someone has to buy Apple machines to use the Apple OS-- that's the trick. The OS is the carrot, but Apple will need a big stick to sell its hardware.



    And it's not in the consumer space where this will be won. Apple needs to sell to businesses to make a dent in market share. Do you think Dell sells their *stuff* to that Dell kid alone? Try all of Ford Motor Freakin' Corporation, the second largest company on Earth as an example. And not just in the office-- there's deal with employee+dog on Dell *stuff*.



    Selling to schools will help, but only if you can convince those kiddies to buy Macs when they're CEOs of Megalith Corp.



    Ahh... but there is hope. How long before M$ collapses under their own impudence? Let me mangle a quote: "those the gods would destroy, they first make proud."



    Of course, in Orwell's 1984 (the book, not the commercial), poor ole Winston gave his soul to Big Brother.
  • Reply 18 of 63
    wormboywormboy Posts: 220member
    That's right. Apple could take home 50% of the consumer market share. Conceivably. But there's no way on earth 50 % penetration can be obtained overall. Apple computers are simply too expensive to sell to big corps. for daily office chores. Apple's current lineup makes no room for a business strategy. iMacs won't do it. Furthermore, too many fringe business apps. are PC only.
  • Reply 19 of 63
    andersanders Posts: 6,523member
    No.



    Unless they release a superfast, extremely fast, flower power coloured virus that kills every PC in the world (not just the system)



    Or they buy the OS part of MS



    [ 12-21-2001: Message edited by: Anders ]</p>
  • Reply 20 of 63
    jasonppjasonpp Posts: 308member
    Key to success:



    1. Software developers

    2. Schools

    3. Busienss

    4. Media



    If I use an Apple machine at work or school, I'm more likely to get one for home.



    The media plays a huge roll in convincing customers what they want.



    My guess is 25-35% market share in the next 6-8 years. If they can get into the three segments I mentioned above



    [ 12-21-2001: Message edited by: JasonPP ]



    [ 12-21-2001: Message edited by: JasonPP ]</p>
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