The only one here who seems to have a reading problem is you, Half. It was YOU who selectively read the articles and ignored the panoply of other analysts who discounted the Linux market. In addition, your cited articles were from 2004... before the introduction of the Mac Mini and the 47% increase in Apple's market share.
Have you looked at your calendar lately?
Yes, it is 2005, Half, but that means nothing in realationship to Gartner or Kuznetsky's crystal ball gazing. Apple's domestic market share has grown faster than the industry (retail sales show 6.7% compared to 4.3% for the same quarter last year). Worldwide, Gartner predicted Apple to slip to 2%... didn't happen.
The fact is, Half, that tha vast majority of computer buyers and users do not want to buy into an amateur OS that they have to tinker with and twitch to get to do what Windows and Macs do as a matter of course. Yes, there are tinkerers and people who like to get under the hood and try to tweak things to improve the OS (I used to do that but now I prefer to just USE my computers...) but MOST people don't want to buy into problems... they don't want a problem, they want something that works.
Just as in the world of automobiles, there are people who prefer to be their own mechanics, people who tinker around to run their cars on discarded frying oil from restaurants, people who even choose to build their own cars... or who prefer to put a souped up engine from another maker in the body of a car it was not designed for... but, Half, they are a very small minority even when compared to those who buy "boutique" cars. Most people buy a car that has been assembled by one manufacturer and take their cars to the local garage, buy regular gasoline, and want it to get them from point A to point B with as little fuss as possible. The vast majority of computer users are the same.
^^^^^^^^^^It was YOU who selectively read the articles and ignored the panoply of other analysts who discounted the Linux market.^^^^^^^^^
Go back and read my posts. I said before you came in that I find Gartner's numbers more credible.
^^^^^^^^^^In addition, your cited articles were from 2004... before the introduction of the Mac Mini and the 47% increase in Apple's market share.^^^^^^^^^^^
If I remember correctly, this translates into roughly a million new mac users. Isn't that recently what was in the news?
I doubt that's enough, but until more research is done by groups with much more connections and data than either you or I have it'll be hard to say openly.
When that happens, call me to it. If I'm wrong, I'll appologize. I don't have a problem with that.
^^^^^^^^^^^Yes, it is 2005, Half, but that means nothing in realationship to Gartner or Kuznetsky's crystal ball gazing. Apple's domestic market share has grown faster than the industry (retail sales show 6.7% compared to 4.3% for the same quarter last year). Worldwide, Gartner predicted Apple to slip to 2%... didn't happen.^^^^^^^^^^^
You're getting marketshare mixed with userbase.
^^^^^^^^^^^^The fact is, Half, that tha vast majority of computer buyers and users do not want to buy into an amateur OS that they have to tinker with and twitch to get to do what Windows and Macs do as a matter of course.^^^^^^^^^^^
That's not what linux is anymore. Suse, Xandros, Linspire, and many others are "ready out of the box".