Mac web share hits record 9.9 percent in January
Even as the economy has continued to falter, Apple's share of web users has climbed up to a landmark 9.93 percent in the first month of 2009 while Windows' own share continues to slide downwards.
Web tracking data compiled from tens of thousands of websites by Net Applications shows Apple reaching the all-time high with an 0.3 percent bump to the number of Macs making page requests.
The web firm doesn't explain the increase, which comes despite fears of a slide in market share for Apple during the holidays. However, Net Applications has previously warned of a abnormal December web share boost with users likely to spend more time running home Macs during the holidays. That wouldn't have been a factor for January, when many users often return to their frequently Windows-dominated workplaces.
Apple's gain is also roughly on par with the percentages same period a year ago. In January 2007, Apple had reached a then-significant 7.57 percent and gained about 0.26 percent over the holidays; while smaller in relative terms, the gain points to Macs consistently avoiding an immediate post-holiday plunge.
iPhone share has similarly been on the rise and is now at a peak 0.48 percent web share, up only slightly from 0.44 percent in December but well over three times larger than the 0.13 percent of January last year. The company's Safari browser also made gains and now accounts for 8.29 percent of all visits regardless of operating system, up 0.36 percent from the month prior.
Net Applications web share data for January.
Most rivals are suffering as a result. Despite its marketing campaigns and the release of a beta for Windows 7, Microsoft is still losing share and has managed 88.26 percent, down a slight 0.42 percent from December but a much more substantial 3.24 percent from just 12 months before. Internet Explorer has been partly hurt by Safari and now represents just 67.55 percent of traffic, with the largest portion of the loss attributable to Apple. The primarily Mac-oriented browser outpaced the cross-platform Mozilla Firefox (21.53 percent) and currently Windows-only Google Chrome (1.12 percent) in terms of absolute growth.
And while it has often profited from Microsoft's troubles at the same time, Linux hasn't shared in Apple's success: in January, it sank back to its November web share level of 0.83 percent.
Web tracking data compiled from tens of thousands of websites by Net Applications shows Apple reaching the all-time high with an 0.3 percent bump to the number of Macs making page requests.
The web firm doesn't explain the increase, which comes despite fears of a slide in market share for Apple during the holidays. However, Net Applications has previously warned of a abnormal December web share boost with users likely to spend more time running home Macs during the holidays. That wouldn't have been a factor for January, when many users often return to their frequently Windows-dominated workplaces.
Apple's gain is also roughly on par with the percentages same period a year ago. In January 2007, Apple had reached a then-significant 7.57 percent and gained about 0.26 percent over the holidays; while smaller in relative terms, the gain points to Macs consistently avoiding an immediate post-holiday plunge.
iPhone share has similarly been on the rise and is now at a peak 0.48 percent web share, up only slightly from 0.44 percent in December but well over three times larger than the 0.13 percent of January last year. The company's Safari browser also made gains and now accounts for 8.29 percent of all visits regardless of operating system, up 0.36 percent from the month prior.
Net Applications web share data for January.
Most rivals are suffering as a result. Despite its marketing campaigns and the release of a beta for Windows 7, Microsoft is still losing share and has managed 88.26 percent, down a slight 0.42 percent from December but a much more substantial 3.24 percent from just 12 months before. Internet Explorer has been partly hurt by Safari and now represents just 67.55 percent of traffic, with the largest portion of the loss attributable to Apple. The primarily Mac-oriented browser outpaced the cross-platform Mozilla Firefox (21.53 percent) and currently Windows-only Google Chrome (1.12 percent) in terms of absolute growth.
And while it has often profited from Microsoft's troubles at the same time, Linux hasn't shared in Apple's success: in January, it sank back to its November web share level of 0.83 percent.
Comments
A: Microsoft starts making a comeback with Windows 7 while Mac innovation falls; Mac OS X growth retards and reverses, resulting in a 6% market share 5 years from now, 2% market share 10 years from now.
B: Microsoft keeps its place of always falling a little behind the competition; Mac OS X growth remains constant, resulting in a 15% market share 5 years from now, 20% market share 10 years from now. or
C: Microsoft continues to flop while Mac innovation continues to WOW the world; Mac OS X growth gains momentum, resulting in a 30% market share 5 years from now, 60% market share 10 years from now.
It all depends on how good of a job Microsoft and Apple can do. But if things continue as they're going right now, we'll be seeing scenario 'C' and we'll all be living insanely great lives.
IE's largest portion to its loss is attributed to Apple.... not FireFox?
This month, Safari had more growth than Firefox. Overall, of course, Firefox deserves the most credit for IE's current market share.
This month, Safari had more growth than Firefox. Overall, of course, Firefox deserves the most credit for IE's current market share.
Thanks for the clarification.
There's a lot of hype surrounding Windows 7 but no one has seen Snow Leopard yet & i bet that's keeping some people up at night in Redmond.
At least MS is giving out Betas. I was hoping for some update about 10.6 at Macworld, even some small bit of info. I hope 10.6 isn't keeping people in Cupertino up at night worrying!
So what's going to happen?
A: Microsoft starts making a comeback with Windows 7 while Mac innovation falls; Mac OS X growth retards and reverses, resulting in a 6% market share 5 years from now, 2% market share 10 years from now.
B: Microsoft keeps its place of always falling a little behind the competition; Mac OS X growth remains constant, resulting in a 15% market share 5 years from now, 20% market share 10 years from now. or
C: Microsoft continues to flop while Mac innovation continues to WOW the world; Mac OS X growth gains momentum, resulting in a 30% market share 5 years from now, 60% market share 10 years from now.
It all depends on how good of a job Microsoft and Apple can do. But if things continue as they're going right now, we'll be seeing scenario 'C' and we'll all be living insanely great lives.
I can't see how option C would be feasible unless Apple opened up their OS to other manufacturers. I can't imagine a premium PC manufacturer holding 60% market share, regardless of how great the operating system is.
From http://blogs.eweek.com/applewatch/co...elievable.html
I assert this after seeing several reports, including Apple 2.0 blog, touting Mac share gains.
GOT A TIP OR RUMOR?
"Mac's share grew another 3.12 percent in January to grab a record 9.93 percent of Internet traffic. The iPhone grew even faster, albeit from a smaller base, up 9.09 percent to 0.48 percent, also a new record," Philip Elmer-DeWitt writes at Apple 2.0. According to Net Apps data, Mac marketshare rose from 9.63 percent in December. By comparison, Windows marketshare declined from 88.68 percent to 88.27 percent during the same time period. The numbers are bogus, as stated. To be fair, Philip acknowledges limitations with Net Apps metrics. Others may not, if last month's reporting on browser market share is example.
There's a fundamental flaw in the operating system data that is the same as browser marketshare, as I explained about a month ago. Net Apps data does the impossible: Add up to 100 percent.
Operating systems aren't a finite market as measured by Internet traffic. Gartner or IDC measure Mac versus Windows PC marketshare based on finite data?the total number of shipments during a set time period: marketshare can be calculated based on how many computers each manufacturer shipped.
The math doesn't apply to operating systems based on Internet measurements, which don't reflect marketshare or even install base. At best, Net Apps is measuring usage share, which doesn't clearly show how many consumers, business users, businesses or households might be using more than one computer and possibly more than one with different operating systems.
Also, the data only really measures usage share based on Web browser usage from some platforms. Net Apps ranks iPhone fourth, behind Linux. What about BlackBerry OS, Symbian or Windows Mobile? Nokia shipped more than 110 million cell phones in third quarter, according to Gartner (Fourth quarter numbers aren't publicly available yet). Symbian OS smartphone shipments were nearly four times iPhone OS. (18.2 million versus 4.7 million, respectively). What, there are no Nokia smartphone users accessing the Web? Point: Data isn't complete.
Net Apps data is pretty good for measuring trends but not marketshare, even though that's how the data is presented. Alternative data is tough to come by. It's unfortunate that so few analysts track OS install base, which can be somewhat measured using business and consumer surveys. OS shipments aren't the best way of measuring marketshare because Linux can't be accurately counted. One copy can be installed on many computers.
Unfortunately, by late tomorrow, there will plenty of blogs and news sites reporting continued Mac marketshare gains and Windows share declines. Based on PC shipments, Mac share is actually receding. In preliminary fourth quarter PC shipment data, both Gartner and IDC show sequential Mac declines in U.S. marketshare. According to Gartner, Mac marketshare dropped to 8 percent from 9.5 percent in third quarter. IDC: 7.2 percent from 9.1 percent.
Apple's big challenge is going to be first quarter, which first month of sales just ended. Can Apple maintain big Mac shipments growth? I say no, as the big PC growth category is the netbook, for which Apple doesn't compete. But you tell me, please, in comments or by e-mail. Can Macs continue to gain share against Windows PCs?
[B]
Net Apps data is pretty good for measuring trends but not marketshare, even though that's how the data is presented.
Where is it presented in such a way? I dont see it. Fairly obvious what the data represented if you ask me. It's interesting and important data in it's own right.
News Analysis. Net Applications' January operating system data puts Mac market share at nearly 10 percent. Don't believe it.
From http://blogs.eweek.com/applewatch/co...elievable.html
I assert this after seeing several reports, including Apple 2.0 blog, touting Mac share gains.
GOT A TIP OR RUMOR?
"Mac's share grew another 3.12 percent in January to grab a record 9.93 percent of Internet traffic. The iPhone grew even faster, albeit from a smaller base, up 9.09 percent to 0.48 percent, also a new record," Philip Elmer-DeWitt writes at Apple 2.0. According to Net Apps data, Mac marketshare rose from 9.63 percent in December. By comparison, Windows marketshare declined from 88.68 percent to 88.27 percent during the same time period. The numbers are bogus, as stated. To be fair, Philip acknowledges limitations with Net Apps metrics. Others may not, if last month's reporting on browser market share is example.
There's a fundamental flaw in the operating system data that is the same as browser marketshare, as I explained about a month ago. Net Apps data does the impossible: Add up to 100 percent.
Operating systems aren't a finite market as measured by Internet traffic. Gartner or IDC measure Mac versus Windows PC marketshare based on finite data?the total number of shipments during a set time period: marketshare can be calculated based on how many computers each manufacturer shipped.
The math doesn't apply to operating systems based on Internet measurements, which don't reflect marketshare or even install base. At best, Net Apps is measuring usage share, which doesn't clearly show how many consumers, business users, businesses or households might be using more than one computer and possibly more than one with different operating systems.
Also, the data only really measures usage share based on Web browser usage from some platforms. Net Apps ranks iPhone fourth, behind Linux. What about BlackBerry OS, Symbian or Windows Mobile? Nokia shipped more than 110 million cell phones in third quarter, according to Gartner (Fourth quarter numbers aren't publicly available yet). Symbian OS smartphone shipments were nearly four times iPhone OS. (18.2 million versus 4.7 million, respectively). What, there are no Nokia smartphone users accessing the Web? Point: Data isn't complete.
Net Apps data is pretty good for measuring trends but not marketshare, even though that's how the data is presented. Alternative data is tough to come by. It's unfortunate that so few analysts track OS install base, which can be somewhat measured using business and consumer surveys. OS shipments aren't the best way of measuring marketshare because Linux can't be accurately counted. One copy can be installed on many computers.
Unfortunately, by late tomorrow, there will plenty of blogs and news sites reporting continued Mac marketshare gains and Windows share declines. Based on PC shipments, Mac share is actually receding. In preliminary fourth quarter PC shipment data, both Gartner and IDC show sequential Mac declines in U.S. marketshare. According to Gartner, Mac marketshare dropped to 8 percent from 9.5 percent in third quarter. IDC: 7.2 percent from 9.1 percent.
Apple's big challenge is going to be first quarter, which first month of sales just ended. Can Apple maintain big Mac shipments growth? I say no, as the big PC growth category is the netbook, for which Apple doesn't compete. But you tell me, please, in comments or by e-mail. Can Macs continue to gain share against Windows PCs?
I'm sorry to answer such a long post with such a short answer, but you've got it wrong.
All that NA measures it the percentage of each OS that is clicking on one of their 40,000 or so websites that they get their information from. So what we get from this is the percentage that each OS is on the web, on their sites.
It doesn't tell us what the percentage of marketshare each OS has in terms of computers sold, or owned.
At some places in your post, you seem to recognize that, but in other places you don't.
Question for anyone who knows: Do they really mean number of Macs making page requests or number of page requests that came from a Mac?
Not the same question, obviously. One measures machines (or and OS) while the other is counting page requests.
Well, I choose Firefox over IE and Safari. The Latter just seem to be lacking. I like having my ads blocked, and having web pages load faster, but maybe thats just me
SafariBlock... works fine for me. I'm not going to dis FF, it's a good modern browser (one that I need to use for Typo3-editing of our website), but Safari gets the job done without all the brass knobs and gewgaws and (strange to say) never crashes.
-Enz
Also, the data only really measures usage share based on Web browser usage from some platforms. Net Apps ranks iPhone fourth, behind Linux. What about BlackBerry OS, Symbian or Windows Mobile? Nokia shipped more than 110 million cell phones in third quarter, according to Gartner (Fourth quarter numbers aren't publicly available yet). Symbian OS smartphone shipments were nearly four times iPhone OS. (18.2 million versus 4.7 million, respectively). What, there are no Nokia smartphone users accessing the Web? Point: Data isn't complete.
If you go to NetApplications website, you'll see that they actually do measure all those others but that they are miniscule when considering Web usage. The charts most people use are the top level summaries, where .00x just doesn't show, especially with rounding.
NetApplications data is really only useful for comparing against itself over time. It reveals relative trends. I don't know anyone who has reported a tight coupling between its web usage data, and actual sales or installed base data.
Well, I choose Firefox over IE and Safari. The Latter just seem to be lacking. I like having my ads blocked, and having web pages load faster, but maybe thats just me
As long as I open new pages in the same window or a new tab, Safari (on a Core Duo PC) is quick for me. If a link opens a new page in a new window, there is a long delay.
Originally Posted by tiltool
Net Apps data is pretty good for measuring trends but not marketshare, even though that's how the data is presented.
Where is it presented in such a way? I dont see it. Fairly obvious what the data represented if you ask me. It's interesting and important data in it's own right.
It depends on what is meant by market share. What a lot of people think of as market share is really installed base, and those numbers can differ.
As long as I open new pages in the same window or a new tab, Safari (on a Core Duo PC) is quick for me. If a link opens a new page in a new window, there is a long delay.
All such reports are anecdotal of course but for me, I have never seen FireFox of any description do anything faster than Safari. I understand lots of people like it and I've heard people say they think it's faster etc. but for me ... never. FireFox is always slightly slower than Safari on my computers even though the main reason I don't use it is actually the aforementioned "brass knob" effect.
All such reports are anecdotal of course but for me, I have never seen FireFox of any description do anything faster than Safari. I understand lots of people like it and I've heard people say they think it's faster etc. but for me ... never. FireFox is always slightly slower than Safari on my computers even though the main reason I don't use it is actually the aforementioned "brass knob" effect.
Safari is faster for me too, and very stable.... but thats only since Safari 3... version 2 and before I used Firefox most of the time... but as good as 3 has been, I rarely use firefox anymore, as Safari is very stable now, and runs overall much faster.