Apple market share is down, again
Apple captured 3.2 percent of the U.S. market share in 2003, down from 3.5 percent a year ago, according to research firm IDC. The company shipped 1.675 million Macs in 2003, compared with 1.679 units in 2002. Apple's worldwide market share remained under 2 percent in 2003.
The bleeding just continues, even as Apple is seemigly firing on all cylindels. Can Apple survive as a computer company? I'm asking this seriously, as a shareholder and as someone that loves Macs, and been using them exclusively for many many years. I'm really getting concerned that year over year less and less macs are being sold.
The bleeding just continues, even as Apple is seemigly firing on all cylindels. Can Apple survive as a computer company? I'm asking this seriously, as a shareholder and as someone that loves Macs, and been using them exclusively for many many years. I'm really getting concerned that year over year less and less macs are being sold.
Comments
From the new Macworld 20th anniversary issue.
Ask yourself these questions:
-Are developers making money by supporting Apple?
-Does an installed user base of 30 million provide an opportunity for revenue?
-Does 4.8 billion S in the bank look like a company on the brink of collapse?
-And should Apple collapse, would there not be someone who would swoop in and buy it for the brand?
Just food for thought...but I think things aren't as bad as some may make it out...especially analysts.
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Originally posted by MacUsers
doesn't matter, according to Steve: "Apple's market share is bigger than BMW's or Mercedes's or Porsche's in the automotive market. What's wrong with being BMW or Mercedes?"
From the new Macworld 20th anniversary issue.
There's nothing wrong with being BMW or Mercedes, because no matter how low their market share gets, all roads will still be compatible with them.
Originally posted by Blue Shift
That's the point I'm trying to make. Things never seemed brighter, yet not only overall market share is shrinking, less and less Macs are being sold.
Market share is over rated. The wintell world has 90 some odd % of the market right now, but they suck. Apple builds a quality product and sells more than enough of them to stay afloat. I know market share can be important, Apple has proved over and over again that they don't need market share to stay on top of the game. I'm thinking with all the new things coming from Apple in the next year (G5 PBs, faster PMs, new iBooks? new iPods? (don't bother pointing out that iPods don't count for PC market share)) you'll see their market share jump a little. They are on the right track.
More and more is becoming compatible.
Data is the fuel of computing, networking is the roads. As those two become more open, Macs have less to worry about.
Apps are more like spare parts - it's easy to find a carburetor for a '68 Chevy, but a bit harder for an '73 BMW 2002tii, and you'll likely pay a bit more for the esoteric one. But you can still use the same fuel and drive on the same roads. (And even then, the Unix layer guarantees that at least the driveline will always be fixable... )
Originally posted by Fawkes
Ah... is there any computer issue that can't be reduced to a car analogy?
Hey, you started it.
Furthermore, PCs end up as point-of-sale systems and in other specialized roles where the Mac is simply not a significant presence. Apple's share in higher education is increasing rapidly, and their share of the consumer market is past 7% and gaining. I certainly see more iBooks and PowerBooks around now than I've seen in years.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see Apple make some real gains in market share. It's taken to be more significant than it is, but that's still a problem that Apple needs to address. However, it doesn't mean sales are shrinking, or that the company is shrinking or in trouble. It's a problem, but it's not a crisis.
Originally posted by Amorph
Smaller market share doesn't mean fewer computers sold,
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.
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However, it doesn't mean sales are shrinking, or that the company is shrinking or in trouble.
The company shipped 1.675 million Macs in 2003, compared with 1.679 units in 2002.
Originally posted by Blue Shift
Apple captured 3.2 percent of the U.S. market share in 2003, down from 3.5 percent a year ago, according to research firm IDC. The company shipped 1.675 million Macs in 2003, compared with 1.679 units in 2002. Apple's worldwide market share remained under 2 percent in 2003.
The bleeding just continues, even as Apple is seemigly firing on all cylindels. Can Apple survive as a computer company? I'm asking this seriously, as a shareholder and as someone that loves Macs, and been using them exclusively for many many years. I'm really getting concerned that year over year less and less macs are being sold.
actually its not that less macs are being sold. I think in the consumer market, more macs are being sold, the top pc companies, especially dell, sell tons more pcs to corporations, thousands at a pop, all those add up, if you took that away the numbers would be lower.
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Originally posted by Amorph
their share of the consumer market is past 7% and gaining. I certainly see more iBooks and PowerBooks around now than I've seen in years.
this doesn't seem right. any sources to support this?
Originally posted by Kickaha
And yet year over year, Apple is doing better financially, technologically, and their *mind*share is up from a few years ago.
Is that why Connectix decided to sell VirtualPC to Microsoft and die?
Originally posted by MacUsers
doesn't matter, according to Steve: "Apple's market share is bigger than BMW's or Mercedes's or Porsche's in the automotive market. What's wrong with being BMW or Mercedes?"
Well... 3% of market share from a market where you have hundreds competing therein is not the same as 3% from a market where you have what... 3 competing? Windows, Mac and Linux. 3% is NOT good.
Don't get me wrong, I do not believe the Mac is dying, nonetheless, I do think the Mac's market share does play a role in it's widespread adoption. While the numbers aren't very encouraging, I do see Apple finally ready to go forward and gain market share.
Many do not realized the difference between Microsoft and Apple. Microsoft never had to create it's market, it was already there with an established customer base handed over to to them by IBM. No great feat there. Apple on the other hand has had to create it's own market from nothing while up against a monopoly. First by IBM's monopoly that was then passed on to Microsoft. Add to that that this monopoly has consistently reduced the Mac's advantage by stealing it's UI design from Apple.
The only way the Mac OS is ever going to make a difference is by innovating it's way away from the competition. That's what Steve Jobs does best. Had he not been betrayed by Apple itself in Apple's early days we would be in a much better place today. It takes time to create something from nothing, but even longer to rebuild it amidst an even stronger monopoly.