I am pleased with a small market share. I have all the apps I need and I love the OS and how it is frequently updated. I can't see how a greater market share will improve my mac-using experience.
I am pleased with a small market share. I have all the apps I need and I love the OS and how it is frequently updated. I can't see how a greater market share will improve my mac-using experience.
Yes, I am an elitist asshole.
The market share of Apple is important for us. The less market share, Apple will have, the less support Apple users will have (internet, web services ...)
If the market share of Apple increase, will be maybe able to see a wider choice of video cards at better price, more os X drivers for periphericals ...
I'm hoping for at least 10%, but I don't want it to be so huge that Apple forgets about everything that makes us love them so much. I'm somewhat of an elitist as well. I agree with Powerdoc in that, any less market share will mean less compatibility and less third party development for Apple. I can see the 10% thing happening, Apple just has to play their hand right, and things are looking really good right now, I just hope it keeps up.
I would be bouncing off the walls if Apple had a 10% domestic (US) marketshare. That would be enough to influence software developers, standards organizations, etc. while also allowing us to maintain our elitist attitudes.
Hopefully 2004 will be the year Apple begins to get some traction on marketshare growth... They can't be far off, they've never had a better line up of products... (though the iMac 2 and eMac do do with some improvements...)
Maybe the Christmas quarter will give us some clues on how they might do there...
8-10% is all I want. Any higher is too high for my tastes. 3-5% is still very much a comfort zone for me. It's when we hit 0-2% that I will begin to grit my teeth. =P
Marketshare is very important and I agree that 10% is the most likely number Apple could reach. It's still far away though. However, even more important to Apple is mindshare and what you might call "comfortshare" i.e. Windblows users feeling they'd gain more then they'd lose. It's a common refrain but many Windows users can't get beyond memories of an old, unstable Mac they may have used in gradeschool. Or lusting for the PowerMac untill they see the price. I found an interesting interview on WiredNews that was done at MacWorld. I think this person is like most PC users.
Jeff Syrop, a die-hard PC user, brought his 10-year-old son George to Macworld to get an education.
"I thought it would be more educational than his crappy American public school," he explained. While George checked out the new iPod Mini, his dad ranted about his PC, while blowing hot on cold on the Mac.
He said he admires the Mac but will never get one because it's not mainstream.
"I'm a full-on PC user," Syrop said. "I pretty much hate using the Mac at work. I don't like the interface. Too childish. They sell this wonderful hardware, with this one-button mouse."
But a few minutes later, he said, "I wish they (Apple) would get their act together and blow Microsoft out of the water. But Apple's got, what, 7 percent market share? And it's used by artists and designers? It will never happen."
He continued, "I'll admit the PC is screwed up. It took me a whole year to sort out (hooking a camcorder to the PC). Last year I came here and did it in a second in iMovie.... There's a lot of things screwed up about the Mac world, but the usability is amazing."
Syrop's son, George, had clearer ideas about he wanted.
"I want to get the blue color," he said, indicating a nearby iPod Mini. "It's cool to have a music player for all my songs."
Asked if he preferred the newer or the older iPod, the 10-year-old said, "I like the new one. I don't have that many songs. It's smaller and lighter and it has better button configuration. It's better to have all the buttons in one."
His dad said his son plays violin and is very interested in the new GarageBand application. The kid said unfortunately he didn't have the money to buy one, but he'd just entered a competition to win one.
8-10% is all I want. Any higher is too high for my tastes. 3-5% is still very much a comfort zone for me. It's when we hit 0-2% that I will begin to grit my teeth. =P
- Xidius
Global Mac marketshare has been around 2.0% in recent quarters.
As a shareholder I want growth. It is just good business to desire growth and increased performance. The iPod alliance made me happy as an investor but scared the crap out of me as a user because I actually had a nightmare that HP bought Apple and all was lost.
I am not an elitist. I was much happier about the state of things when Apple had 40% of the market.
The only reason I want a ceiling on Apple's market share - and I do - is that Apple has been at its most arrogant, complacent and aimless when it commanded a high market share. The current emphasis on open source and compatibility has more than a little to do with the fact that Apple has to be compatible to avoid being shut out of the market completely. I like the current emphasis, so I'd like there to always be some fire under their butts.
10% would be good. 20% would rock. More than that would be perilous.
I think Apple is going to try and garner a ton of market share, and I think the more they have the better. I dont think that big is inherently bad and uninfluential, Apple will innovate at 5% or 50% market share.
The iPod is going to be the accessory that drives overall market share, as Apple expands market share I think it will also expand its product line to include other accessories that will in turn keep adding more market share and more innovation.
Here's something that comes to mind about market share. The Mac is actually two markets in one -- the Mac OS platform and the Mac computer hardware. Market share for the Mac OS platform needs to be higher so it is more attractive to developers and corporate decision makers. It would be nice to have higher hardware market share too, to give us better Mac prices and a broader product line.
These two markets are the same right now, but I find it interesting to break it up this way. It also sheds light on the clone issue, though I don't want to start a clone debate. If, and this is a big if, Apple can keep its present hardware market share with clones, then the Mac OS platform market share will increase. Of the two markets, the Mac OS platform is the most important. With a high OS market share, Apple can survive easily without increasing hardware market share. I believe this is true, but there are too many opinions on whether it can or cannot be achieved, and whether Apple should or should not pursue clones.
Comments
Originally posted by soulcrusher
I am pleased with a small market share. I have all the apps I need and I love the OS and how it is frequently updated. I can't see how a greater market share will improve my mac-using experience.
Yes, I am an elitist asshole.
The market share of Apple is important for us. The less market share, Apple will have, the less support Apple users will have (internet, web services ...)
If the market share of Apple increase, will be maybe able to see a wider choice of video cards at better price, more os X drivers for periphericals ...
10 % of market share will be a good thing.
Market share isn't only about all the computers in the world.
I'd like to see them get in excess of 10%.
Hopefully 2004 will be the year Apple begins to get some traction on marketshare growth... They can't be far off, they've never had a better line up of products... (though the iMac 2 and eMac do do with some improvements...)
Maybe the Christmas quarter will give us some clues on how they might do there...
Lemon Bon Bon
- Xidius
Jeff Syrop, a die-hard PC user, brought his 10-year-old son George to Macworld to get an education.
"I thought it would be more educational than his crappy American public school," he explained. While George checked out the new iPod Mini, his dad ranted about his PC, while blowing hot on cold on the Mac.
He said he admires the Mac but will never get one because it's not mainstream.
"I'm a full-on PC user," Syrop said. "I pretty much hate using the Mac at work. I don't like the interface. Too childish. They sell this wonderful hardware, with this one-button mouse."
But a few minutes later, he said, "I wish they (Apple) would get their act together and blow Microsoft out of the water. But Apple's got, what, 7 percent market share? And it's used by artists and designers? It will never happen."
He continued, "I'll admit the PC is screwed up. It took me a whole year to sort out (hooking a camcorder to the PC). Last year I came here and did it in a second in iMovie.... There's a lot of things screwed up about the Mac world, but the usability is amazing."
Syrop's son, George, had clearer ideas about he wanted.
"I want to get the blue color," he said, indicating a nearby iPod Mini. "It's cool to have a music player for all my songs."
Asked if he preferred the newer or the older iPod, the 10-year-old said, "I like the new one. I don't have that many songs. It's smaller and lighter and it has better button configuration. It's better to have all the buttons in one."
His dad said his son plays violin and is very interested in the new GarageBand application. The kid said unfortunately he didn't have the money to buy one, but he'd just entered a competition to win one.
Originally posted by >_>
8-10% is all I want. Any higher is too high for my tastes. 3-5% is still very much a comfort zone for me.
- Xidius
Global Mac marketshare has been around 2.0% in recent quarters.
Originally posted by Eugene
Global Mac marketshare has been around 2.0% in recent quarters.
I don't care about Apple's market-share -outside- of the USA. ^^
- Xidius
Originally posted by >_>
I don't care about Apple's market-share -outside- of the USA. ^^
- Xidius
Probably shouldn't but I agree, US market share is more important
-National Fanatic
Originally posted by >_>
I don't care about Apple's market-share -outside- of the USA. ^^
- Xidius
Go to hell, just go to hell
Originally posted by >_>
I don't care about Apple's market-share -outside- of the USA. ^^
- Xidius
Yes I see, point noted, the world really does stop at your borders...
Originally posted by Lain
Yes I see, point noted, the world really does stop at your borders...
Agreed, that kind of comment is what really annoys us, foreigners.
The only reason I want a ceiling on Apple's market share - and I do - is that Apple has been at its most arrogant, complacent and aimless when it commanded a high market share. The current emphasis on open source and compatibility has more than a little to do with the fact that Apple has to be compatible to avoid being shut out of the market completely. I like the current emphasis, so I'd like there to always be some fire under their butts.
10% would be good. 20% would rock. More than that would be perilous.
Originally posted by >_>
I don't care about Apple's market-share -outside- of the USA. ^^
- Xidius
You really should get that tunnel vision looked at by a professional
Apple - like all major companies - need global sales.
It's not enough to concentrate on your own back yard when the competition conquers the Rest Of The World?.
Expand or die.
The iPod is going to be the accessory that drives overall market share, as Apple expands market share I think it will also expand its product line to include other accessories that will in turn keep adding more market share and more innovation.
These two markets are the same right now, but I find it interesting to break it up this way. It also sheds light on the clone issue, though I don't want to start a clone debate. If, and this is a big if, Apple can keep its present hardware market share with clones, then the Mac OS platform market share will increase. Of the two markets, the Mac OS platform is the most important. With a high OS market share, Apple can survive easily without increasing hardware market share. I believe this is true, but there are too many opinions on whether it can or cannot be achieved, and whether Apple should or should not pursue clones.