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.