Posted on 12/31/2010 4:21:28 PM PST by Swordmaker
An iCal alarm popped up for us today. It said:
Mark Oct. 22 on your calendar. That's the day that Apple's classic 'I'm a Mac. I'm A PC' attack ads are going to cease to be humorous. Oct. 22 is, of course, the formal release date of Windows 7... Here's what I believe will happen: The Windows 7 launch will take those market-share gains Apple has seen over the past several years and make them disappear... Yes, the Mac has had a great run for the past couple of years. Gartner says Apple's share of the U.S. computer market for the third quarter amounted to 8.8 percent, up from 8.6 percent in the year-ago period. My bet is that market share is going to drop below 5 percent by the end of 2010... Windows 7 is a great product and Apple is going to feel the pain from it. — Steven Burke, CRN, October 15, 2009
Let's check in with Gartner:
Whoopsie. Let's hope for Steven's sake that all he bet was his reputation. Not a big loss. And, Steven, Apple's feeling no pain unless it's from the strain of driving dump trucks full of cash to the bank 24/7/365.
Now, granted, while those are the latest numbers, they're not truly "the end of 2010," so we'll check in again in a few weeks when Gartner releases their numbers for calendar 4th quarter.
Of course, nobody sane expects Apple to go from 10.4% to under 5% in three months, but we're certainly not averse to serving crow twice.
Send your New Year's wishes to Steven here: steve.burke@ec.ubm.com
The Apple fan girls are the preening peacocks of the computer galaxies and universes
It’s funny isn’t it?
I’ve always wondered why he never post anything, not even it seems, a comment on any political story. It’s all “Apple is great this”, and “Apple is beyond awesome that”.
I mean, maybe focus on the issues that are more important to our national survival now an then?
An occasional non-political story is healthy. But geesh!
Ben, it's not in "News," it's in "Chat."
You and VandeKoik are outnumber 500 to 2... give it a rest. Jim Robinson has weighed in on this and declared it OK... so butt out. This is HIS forum, not yours and you both are trolling.
I doubt that he meant that “hey post whatever, but no one is allowed to comment”.
You post this stuff multiple times a week, and have some bizarre expectation that no one is allowed to say anything but tow whatever line you push.
From whatever I see of the postings for any other platform, people have no issues with people airing contrary positions or viewpoints. Only you seem to have requested nothing but nods of agreement.
If you want no contrary viewpoint, then get a blog as this is NOT YOUR FORUM. If Jim Rob wants to say without equivocation that even if you find what you post off-base, you cannot say so, then that’s what he should say period.
Yeah, I'm sure you're bathing in gratitude from folks who took your advice seven months ago.
The issue has NEVER been about contrary views or comments and you know it. Those are always allowed. It has to do with personal attacks, insults, and name calling which Flintsilver7 started his first comments in this discussion and you eagerly validated when he questioned my motives and sanity in thinly veiled ad hominem slurs and your continued discussions about me.
Calling Mac users "cultists" and deliberately denigrating people interested in these threads is doing exactly what Jim specifically told others NOT TO DO. He stated that if you don't like Mac computers, simply STAY OUT of the Mac topic threads, don't read them, and don't comment in them.
Some Freepers who thought Jim wasn't serious about that edict and continued doing exactly what Flintsilver7 and you are doing ARE NO LONGER HERE! They continued their insults and snarky comments and Jim banished them when they wouldn't take the warnings. My warnings are just that, warnings to prevent what happened to them from happening to you. Act civilly and you can disagree all you want. Start calling names and insulting people and you are likely to find yourself on the outside, unable to post anymore. So, Cut it out!
I bought at $20, should I really sell it?????????????
And exactly what “personal insult” is gleaned from asking why the person who entire posting history on FR seems to be all reposting of seriously slanted, Apple-related news stories? I didnt “eagerly validate” anyone calling you a “cultist”. I responded to a poster that responded to me.
You called that “thinly veiled ad hominem slurs “? See this is what I mean, you are almost sitting there, like some PC (no pun)leftist parsing sentences for insults that you can scream racism or some such equivalent.
What the issue is that you took a single post from JimRob as basically a blank check to “warn” people that YOU take the slightest offense with (note I did not say hurl real slurs and REAL hateful language), to threaten them with expulsion from FR. Which is just a near abuse with whatever was implied by him.
Sorry is questioning that doesn’t seem to me to be “personal insult” on an open forum that sees FAR more direct things said.
Hold onto your AAPL and ride it down to the sub sub sub basement
The iPad is going to drive the market share of Mac computers up. One of the beauties of Apple products is the integration with its other products. However, I ask this important question: Will some consumers buy an iPad as a substitute for a Mac or is it an “in addition to” thing?
Win7 is good, but the whole virus thing is getting to be a bit much. I am very tired of spending hours reformatting and reinstalling for my friends who aren’t smart enough to refrain from clicking on everything they see.
The second time any friend brings me his or her virus riddled computer, I recommend a Mac.
Personally, I click on anything I want, but only on my Ubuntu box. Linux isn’t quite ready for the masses yet, but it has its place in every savvy geek’s house.
I expected the whole OS war to become moot by now, but it appears it will go on for a few more years before the casual user is unaware of the OS.
A few topics recently found on the "latest posts" page:
That's without even getting into whether the many religion threads are off-charter. Are you chasing after these topics that are "irrelevant on a conservative activism site"?
FR is, among other things, a community. Its core is conservative activism, but like Web forums that have grown up around knitting, or recipes, or Manchester United, or classic Mopar muscle cars, it is a community of people with diverse interests. Off-topic chatter is not only a forgivable sin, but a key ingredient that makes a message board into a community where people feel at home, and to which they return to day after day, sometimes hour after hour.
There is only one person whose opinion of topics are appropriate counts, and that is Jim Robinson; he has decided, wisely, to allow a vibrant community to grow, complete with diversions. If you're not interested in off-topic chatter, I would suggest that you avoid the "chat" board.
This is more than just a “conservative activism” site. It’s one of the best news aggregation sites around.
So, it’s good that we also get news about the most successful tech company in the world. :-)
Excuse me... it was NOT a single post but a policy post that resulted in the banning of several people who chose to ignore it. It was NOT implied; it was a specific EDICT where Jim Robinson laid down the law of his policy. He has stepped in and enforced it several times since then... and is likely to do it again... just the last time in November when PugetSoundSoldier was ejected from FreeRepublic for doing EXACTLY what you and Flintsilver7 are attempting to do here. I suggest you tread lightly.
Calling fellow Freepers "cultists" and saying that I am insane ARE insults... and intended to be so. They are ad hominem slurs. They are intended to attack the messenger not the issue of the post. That is what JimRob called a halt to... Jim has categorically stated that if you are NOT INTERESTED IN THE SUBJECT MATTER OF MAC THREADS TO SIMPLY STAY OUT OF THEM... ignore them. That is a simple solution to your objection to them. If Jim has no problem with them being on HIS forum, then YOU should stop trying to police them.
Jim has multiple times OKed this subject matter... so give it a rest. If you don't like it, go start your own forum and keep it out there. Quit criticizing what has been approved. Your continual criticism is TROLLING. Since YOU don't like them, the solution is simple... don't read them. Don't comment. The 500 members of the Mac/Apple ping list will appreciate not seeing your negative input.
So far, there is no evidence there is any cannibalization going on in Mac or Macbook sales due to iPad sales... in fact, just the opposite seems to be occurring. Mac and Macbook sales are UP. . . dramatically. There seems to be a halo effect going on.
Netbook sales are being cannibalized, though... if eating a different species can be said to be cannibalization.
You have been told before that I maintain the Mac/Apple Ping list on FreeRepublic. I have been asked by 500 fellow Freepers to keep them appraised of events and news that happen that impact Apple, iPhones, iPads, and Macs. I do that. That makes me a "cultist' and insane?
You come into these threads and post irrelevant information about WORLD wide data based on website hits, not germane to the article and I correct it,... I posted data from actual sales figures... to rebut you. That is discussion. I have not insulted you or denigrated you, but you use slurs and insults to attack me, attempting to belittle me, instead of my information. That is not a way to debate fairly or properly. Even calling my posts an "obsession" is an attempt to belittle me.A large portion, I would guess no less than 95%, consists of a) your posting of most anything singing the praises of Apple and b) your zealous defense of Apple and near-instantaneous rebuttals of anybody who dares to disagree with the notion that Apple is the greatest company ever. In your mind, Apple has never, ever done anything wrong. I mean, their business model depends on both the indifference and ignorance of the average consumer and they are wildly successful at it. That's all well and good.
I post negative information about Apple as well as positive, but you go on to "psychoanalyze> me, again, attempting to trivialize my arguments and anything I post. That is ad hominem to the Nth degree, sir. Insulting to say the least... and you, sir, are unqualified to do anything of the sort. You also buy into the MYTH that Apple depends on the IGNORANCE of the average consumer when, for the most part, most Apple users are MORE knowledgeable of computer—since Mac users are usually computer by-lingual, having to use PCs at work, and have CHOSEN to use a Mac at home—than their PC using counterparts who have no Mac know how at all. It is truly the PC user who is ignorant. We Mac users run into that ignorance everyday in these Mac threads.
The post had NOTHING to do with claiming that Apple invented the electronic calendar or reminders, that's just your strawman false argument you raise to again denigrate Apple and the point being made, which you can easily shoot down, because you CAN'T shoot down the main point which is... that a PC pundit had predicted that Microsoft Windows7 was so good that it was going to force OSX Macs back into obscurity in the US by the end of 2010... or didn't you bother to read the article??? Apparently you didn't. The point was not only was he wrong, but that the Mac sales GREW by better than 25% over where they had been when he made that prediction... even with the growth of Windows7 sales in the US.
While the timeframes aren't the same, it is clear that any Apple numbers claiming a 10% or greater market share are listing other devices (like the iPhone and its variants) as "computers,"
No, Again, you are comparing WORLD wide sales figures to the wrong figures—and there, it's only clear to someone like you who, apparently prefers to make up false information. Why not look for the accurate data. Google can be a powerful tool... and it only takes a few seconds.
Apple is up to 5.07% of the worldwide sales of computers from 3% just two years ago—and if we were including other devices as computers than there would be no comparison in that. Apple sold almost 15 million ipads, 47 million iPhones, and about 60 million iPod touches in 2010, which totals to 135 million devices in 2010—all of which are, actually OSX UNIX devices at core—and truly computers, even if you don't want to call them that.
IF, we were using those devices in the count, and calling them computers, even accounting for all the smartphones and game consoles tossed into the computer market sales, world wide, which would bring the total number up to around 750,000,000, then Apple would be at about 18% of the all inclusive "computer" market worldwide... and would probably be in the number 1 position.
Several companies that count sales of computers are now counting the iPad as a computer and are listing Apple as the number one US maker of computers—eclipsing HP in that position—because they have been counting netbooks as computers.
But, contrary to your erroneous assertion, that greater than 10% of the US market statistic IS only computers... not anything else.
First of all, I did read the original article. I do not agree with the author’s viewpoint and I believe that was made clear earlier. The author does not cite the source of any of his numbers, so when he talks about market share it is entirely unclear what he means. We do not know if he means sales or total installed base. Again, the article was poorly written.
If Apple, for example, sells an iPod and an iPad to a person who already owns an iMac, they have not gained any market share. If Apple sells an iPod to a user who did not have an MP3 player previously, they have gained market share - in the personal audio device market, not the personal computer market. If Apple sells an iPod to somebody who is replacing their 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th generation iPod, they have not gained any market share anywhere. Posting sales numbers for markets that a) Windows does not compete with and b) electronic devices that are not computers is not relevant to a discussion about Windows.
I state what I do about the ignorance of Apple users because their ad campaigns were (and are) misleading and most Apple users, for example, believe that they are essentially invulnerable on a Mac or that their computers “just work” when Apple patches security vulnerabilities and software defects as often as Microsoft. In my heart and in my mind (I hold two degrees in Computer Science and am working on a third), I do not believe there is any real quantifiable difference in quality between the two operating systems.
I didn’t say that Apple invented the electronic calendar nor did I imply anybody else did either. I was mocking the use of the phrase “iCal’ed” (again, this should have been clear) as sophomoric. Using any sort of phrase like that immediately marks you as a “fanboy,” and credibility is lost. You did not use this, so do not take that personally. I again believed my intent here to be quite clear.
I do not take the iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad to be computers. You do not have the freedom that you have with OSX on any of these devices. They are not the same. Netbooks, on the other hand, are computers. I run Windows 7 on my netbook. It has all the functionality of any of my desktops. I am willing to call any of the handheld Apple devices computers when they run computer operating systems. They don’t, and two of them don’t even target the computer market. (The iPad somewhat does.)
I guess the moral of the story is that Apple has its benefits. They are very well-run and their production and management of their devices is very tightly controlled. What you can do with an Apple device is very tightly controlled after the fact as well. This makes for a consistent user experience, an important achievement. It comes with a hefty price, though, as few Apple devices can actually justify their inflated costs. They are unique as a computer company. They are not unique as a software developer.
You claim you read the article and in the same paragraph you claim the author does not cite the source of any of his number?! Simply amazing!
You proved you DIDN'T READ THE ARTICLE! Or what part of "let's check in with with Gartner" and the posting of a chart with the heading: Preliminary US PC ( that means personal computer for the reading comprehension challenged) Vendor Shipment Estimates for 3Q10 (units) FROM "Source: Gartner, the pre-imminent source of industry statistics for tech sales data, do you fail to grasp? Please be aware that the chart specifies what IS inluded in the data on the chart.Note: Data includes Desk-based PCs and Mobile PCs.. . . It does Not say it includes iPods, iPads, or iPhones.
Posting sales numbers for markets that a) Windows does not compete with and b) electronic devices that are not computers is not relevant to a discussion about Windows.
You then try to lecture me on "market share" further demonstrating you haven't got a clue what you are talking about. My degree is in Economics. Your explanations are totally wrong. . . And irrelevant to the point of the article. They are incompetent. Comparing the sales of personal computers to personal computers, regardless of operating system, IS what this article is referring to, regardless of your attempt to falsely claim that Apple's numbers are inflated by iPod and other non-computer device sales. . . Which I rebutted clearly and completely. Why you choose to ignore that factual rebuttal, which is easily discoverable, is anyone's guess, but I suspect you are more interested in spreading your FUD than finding the truth.
. . . most Apple users, for example, believe that they are essentially invulnerable on a Mac or that their computers “just work” when Apple patches security vulnerabilities and software defects as often as Microsoft. In my heart and in my mind (I hold two degrees in Computer Science and am working on a third), I do not believe there is any real quantifiable difference in quality between the two operating systems.
You further compound your FUD with your assertion that "vulnerabilities" being pro-actively patched by Apple is somehow the equivalent of active, in-the-wild "exploits!" . . . and then you advance the totally ABSURD notion that there is "no quantifiable difference in quality" between OSX and Windows! Let's just count the number, a quantifiable difference, of viable malware in-the-wild that have been seen for all versions of both OSX and Windows since 2001.
The fact is, Flintsilver7, after11years, the number of self-transmitting, self-installing, self-replicating computer viruses and worms found in the wild for Mac OSX is still ZERO! On the other hand, the number of similar viruses and worms that have been found in-the-wild for the various Windows oprating Systems number in the multiple hundreds of thousands.That's a quantifiable difference in quality between OSX and Windows. Incidentally, if you want to limit it to Windows7, there are involuntary Windows7 bots out there already. There are, however, zero Involuntary Macbots (despite the claims made by the two guys who claimed to have found a 20,000 computer Macbot two years ago... No one but them, including their own former employer (who discharged them for publishing their claim without reporting their "find" to the employer) has EVER found a member of that bot)... Gosh, Flintsilver7, another quantifiable difference in the two systems! Do you enjoy being hoist on your own petard? I suggest you stop digging before your hole gets any deeper.
The fact is that 99% of Mac OSX users can and do operate their Macs on the Internet bare naked, with no anti-malware applications, except for OSX's built in warning system about the four known Trojan families that will kick in if a user starts to download or install one of the 17 known members of those four families or a newly created trojan that matches the characteristics of one of the families. Windows users are still having to use third party anti-malware applications to remain safe on the internet. That's ANOTHER quantifiable difference between the two systems.
I didn’t say that Apple invented the electronic calendar nor did I imply anybody else did either. I was mocking the use of the phrase “iCal’ed” (again, this should have been clear) as sophomoric. Using any sort of phrase like that immediately marks you as a “fanboy,” and credibility is lost. You did not use this, so do not take that personally. I again believed my intent here to be quite clear.
Oh, whow! Do you really think I don't remember what you wrote and that you can revise what is on this thread for everyone to go back and READ for themselves??? Let me remind you exactly what you DID WRITE:
Here you have a date that some poor soul has "iCal'ed" (because apparently Apple invented both the calendar and the electronic reminder or somehow made it "just work") because some writer made a bad prediction.
Looks as if you DID say exactly that!
It comes with a hefty price, though, as few Apple devices can actually justify their inflated costs
Another poorly considered assertion based on myth and mis-understanding what you are comparing. . . frequently and decisively shot down when examined in detail.
There’s a difference between blind religious devotion and liking something on its merits. I’m an old-time Windows hack since version 2 who switched to Mac three years ago for home use. I did it because Apple’s product is simply better. I have an Android phone because I’m with Verizon, but I’ve used iPhones, so I know the iPhone is superior. My three year-old, first generation iPod Touch (an iPhone minus the phone) has a FAR more responsive and fluid interface than my year-old Android phone.
Any devotion I have for Apple is because the products and services are usually far superior, and I have the experience and expertise to be able to make such a relative judgment. If the superior products stop, so will my “devotion.”.
You can stop it with the “cult” thing.
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